Articles for tag: John Walker

January 1, 2024

Christian Standard

Investing in Your Leader’s Mental and Emotional Health

By Tim Harlow  It’s worth pointing out that I was not asked to write about a deep doctrinal issue, or leadership, or how to respond to a difficult social problem. No, I was asked to share about the benefits of therapy for Christian leaders.  I own it.   I needed therapy. I need therapy. I have had very few seasons of my life when I had my stuff together.   In fact, I wouldn’t be where I am today without the occasional counseling help I’ve received, specifically from the good folks at Blessing Ranch Ministries.  I’ll share a specific example from a

January 22, 2017

Christian Standard

6 Secrets Leaders Share

By Alan Ahlgrim Every person can relate to being at the end of his or her rope””especially leaders! But realizing that secrets like these are common to many can lead to solutions and calm. Secrets””everyone has them. I”ve been close to a group of business entrepreneurs for years. We used to gather every week for lunch, now we connect every few months and it”s always a grand reunion. Recently, as we finished our sandwiches in a business conference room, I interrupted the chatter by reading a passage from Matthew 5. When I asked what stood out the most in this teaching

October 23, 2016

Christian Standard

Helping Women Live Well, Lead Well

By Jennifer Johnson Blessing Ranch (New Port Richey, FL) is well known for its intensive counseling services and spiritual formation work with pastors and their families. Facilitating personal transformation is at the core of what they do, and now with “Beyond Her Story” they”re hoping to multiply that work among women across the country. “Over the last year or two I started feeling like God was leading us to make more efforts to reach women in ministry,” says Dr. Charity Walker-Byers, executive director of clinical services at Blessing Ranch. “We”ve worked with women in leadership here in the United States

October 19, 2015

Christian Standard

What Does Restoration Look Like?

An interview with John Walker By Alan Ahlgrim What would you like a struggling leader to know? First of all, they need to know they”re not alone. Everyone has struggled, is struggling, or will struggle with a life-limiting or ministry-threatening issue. Everyone. Sadly, too many not only struggle, but fail to the point of falling out. Is there a pattern to the failure situations you”ve seen in ministry? Not really, except to say that to some degree, sooner or later everyone messes up or gets stuck. We”re not about blame, shame, or punishment. We”re concerned about restoration and healing. That”s

August 31, 2013

Christian Standard

Interview with Mike and Kari MacKenzie

  Drs. Mike and Kari MacKenzie of Marble, Colorado, are the directors of Marble Retreat Center (www.marbleretreat.org) specializing in “pastor care” through intensive counseling for Christian leaders. By Paul Boatman   What is “pastor care”? Mike: Pastor care is ministry that focuses on the spiritual, mental, emotional, and relational healthiness of Christian leaders. The ministry of Marble Retreat is to help bring healing, hope, and restoration to those in vocational Christian ministry.   What led you to this ministry? Mike: We each had some influences before we were a couple. I was first sensitized by seeing some of my brother”s

February 12, 2012

Christian Standard

Celebrating the Restoration of a Broken-World Brother

By Don Green About two years ago one of the ministers of the church I attend was asked to resign following a confessed sin and an acknowledged act of deception. Within days of his confession and resignation, he initiated conversations with some of his ministry friends that ultimately led to the creation of a restoration team. The minister was Todd Parmenter who served with Lincoln (Illinois) Christian Church. I was privileged to serve on this restoration team. We served together for 20 months in one of the most rewarding experiences in my more than 40 years of ministry.   Resources

March 7, 2010

Christian Standard

How to Help

By Darrel Rowland Read the main article, “Balancing Grace and Truth with Homosexuals,” by Darrel Rowland There’s sin. There”s sexual SIN. And then there”s HOMOSEXUAL SIN. At least that”s how we Christians often act. And that”s a big reason why Christian leaders” struggles with homosexuality (1) are more prevalent than many believe and (2) go unaddressed for so long. Many times the inner battle remains secret until the all-but-inevitable blowup or crisis. That”s usually when Dr. John Walker gets a call. For more than 15 years, Walker, a licensed clinical psychologist, has run Blessing Ranch, a sprawling facility on 166

September 23, 2007

Christian Standard

NACC: It”s Time . . . to Listen Up!

By Alan Ahlgrim, NACC President Listen up: God”s good work on earth isn”t finished yet! While Luke”s Gospel account is all about what Jesus began to do and to teach, his second volume, the book of Acts, is all about what Jesus is continuing to do and to teach. That”s because we do not serve a dead hero; rather, we serve a living Lord who is even now powerfully at work in and through the church universal and, at times, you and me. In fact, God frequently is speaking to us all. Hearing Just because we at times hear some

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