A Woman in PainWay back in the Dark Ages of my life a group of us at College Hill Presbyterian Church in Cincinnati started to train Lay Helpers how to listen and care for each other. I had just completed a Doctoral Dissertation on the topic of Counselor Education and learned that Lay or Peer Helpers if well trained, can be as effective as Professionals in many instances.
I also learned from my mentor, Dr. Richard Walters, that those people who went through a training program in learning the skills of healthy interpersonal
relationships would often find as much or more healing as those who saw a Professional or Peer Helper. (Helpers are anyone who cares for others in need.)
As a result I gathered a group of interested people and started teaching them how to interact with Genuineness, Respect, Empathy and Warmth. That grew into a program and process that sponsored classes for parents, couples, pastors, small group leaders, lay pastors, deacons, elders, etc. the results were very positive.
After a bit the Elders asked me to set up an entire Equipping Center to develop a systematic equipping process for our very large church. We called it The Teleios Center or Wholeness Center. Then we recruited several mature members to serve as Peer Helpers, teachers, healing team members, small group leaders, etc.
I left CHPC to establish The Life Way Counseling Center. Life Way continues to minister with love, grace and Professional insights to people in pain. You can find Life Way here.
I left CHPC to establish The Life Way Counseling Center. Life Way continues to minister with love, grace and Professional insights to people in pain. You can find Life Way here.
That meant we needed materials and a separate ministry which developed into what is now Equipping Ministries International. EMI is still equipping Peer Helpers. I just learned they are going to start a Peer Helping Center in Mariemont. Contact EMI to see how you might take their training.
If you are not close to Cincinnati, you can simply go to my Sweeten Life web and download one of my books on how to help yourself to healing and growth. I am also doing four eight week classes for the ministry of Randy Clark who has a wonderful international prayer ministry.
Thankfully, some Christians are continuing to practice the activities that Jesus quoted when He received the call to action in Luke 4 and originates in Isaiah 61: to Heal the broken hearted and set the captives free.
And a reminder. We at Sweeten Life Systems are focusing a lot of attention on working to support families with a member who has a chronic disability. The number of kids born with with a disability who survive has tripled over the last 50 years! Despite this enormous growth in families facing such a stressful life, our churches have not caught on to the increasing need for Pastoral and spiritual as well as emotional and relational ministry. Sweeten Life is dedicated to using the skills and knowledge gained over the last 35 years to "Equip God's people with what they need to minister to the parents and children." Go to our web to see the materials we have developed for families under pressure.
Joni Erickson Tada,an internationally famous leader in the area of disability, has a strong ministry in Ohio. We are working with the Ohio team to train Peer Helpers in the churches where they are involved. Thankfully, Joni and Friends in Ohio has happily joined our network to cooperate in multiplying ministries and ministers who can bless parents and the people they love who have a disability.
Our impact as Christians is growing. Would you prayerfully consider supporting us in prayer and finances? We are expanding rapidly and our finances also need to expand.
Send a donation monthly to:
Sweeten Life Systems, Inc
P.O. Box 498455
Cincinnati, Ohio 45249
Or see our online giving link at sweetenlife.com
If you are not close to Cincinnati, you can simply go to my Sweeten Life web and download one of my books on how to help yourself to healing and growth. I am also doing four eight week classes for the ministry of Randy Clark who has a wonderful international prayer ministry.
Thankfully, some Christians are continuing to practice the activities that Jesus quoted when He received the call to action in Luke 4 and originates in Isaiah 61: to Heal the broken hearted and set the captives free.
And a reminder. We at Sweeten Life Systems are focusing a lot of attention on working to support families with a member who has a chronic disability. The number of kids born with with a disability who survive has tripled over the last 50 years! Despite this enormous growth in families facing such a stressful life, our churches have not caught on to the increasing need for Pastoral and spiritual as well as emotional and relational ministry. Sweeten Life is dedicated to using the skills and knowledge gained over the last 35 years to "Equip God's people with what they need to minister to the parents and children." Go to our web to see the materials we have developed for families under pressure.
Joni Erickson Tada,an internationally famous leader in the area of disability, has a strong ministry in Ohio. We are working with the Ohio team to train Peer Helpers in the churches where they are involved. Thankfully, Joni and Friends in Ohio has happily joined our network to cooperate in multiplying ministries and ministers who can bless parents and the people they love who have a disability.
Our impact as Christians is growing. Would you prayerfully consider supporting us in prayer and finances? We are expanding rapidly and our finances also need to expand.
Send a donation monthly to:
Sweeten Life Systems, Inc
P.O. Box 498455
Cincinnati, Ohio 45249
Or see our online giving link at sweetenlife.com
No comments:
Post a Comment