Preaching This Sunday

I am getting to speak again this Sunday on how to make yourself and others crazy. The topic is the power of Double Bind Communication Patterns to lead us to Double Mind Thinking. As St. James said, "When we pray, do it with faith and certainty of God's love, grace and mercy."

Catch 22 thinking is how we describe it in America because of a book by that name that became a famous movie by the same title. It was a novel about how the Army Air Force in WWII would not allow fliers to stop going into combat unless they asked a Psychiatrist for a mental exam to prove they were crazy. However, if the flier DID ask for the mental exam it was proof that they were not crazy so they had to keep flying into danger. In other words, "Heads you win, Tails you lose".

Parents, Parents and Government agencies that treat people like this do so to keep the masses under control. The Communists intentionally did this so the people would develop symptoms of anxiety and depression and were easily controlled.

Religion can easily fall into this trap because it has eternal consequences and because we serve a perfect God who demands perfect obedience. However, those who believe humans SHOULD be perfect find it impossible to attain in reality. Thus, the most pious and committed believers often fall into depression, anxiety and fear because they cannot be what they should.

Come to The Dwelling Place at 10::30 AM Sunday and discover how to escape from this death dealing false choice and find peace within. The Holy Spirit will be there so why not join in good fellowship, worship and sharing the word of God.

9335 Remington Road
Loveland, OH
United States of America   45140

Gary Sweeten

Healing Center

A Woman in Pain

Way 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.

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

Relationships Bring Life or Death

it was the summer of 1969 and I had a study leave coming from my position as Assistant Dean of Students at the University of Cincinnati. My boss, Dr. Bill Nester, had just appointed me as his assistant and wanted to get some training for me in group dynamics. I had seen a three week conference planned with Dr. Carl Rogers leading it at the University of Illinois, and I wanted to go be with the most famous Counselor in America.

So, off I went to join about 75 other Psychologists, Counselors, Pastors and Priests in Champaign, Illinois for three weeks. It was a life changing three weeks because I was thrown in with a wide variety of therapists from all walks of life and all kinds of beliefs.

As a committed Christian I was always looking for ways to integrate my faith and my profession as a Counselor and Dean. I was thrilled to know that Dr. Carl Rogers and his team would be there for part of the time. I knew he was seminary drop out and thought we might be able to have some interesting discussions about faith. That did not happen with Dr. Rogers but it certainly did with some others.

Before we get to that, let me say what was one of the most powerful statements and teachings I heard during those three weeks of lectures and small group practices. First, Dr. Rogers said clearly that Professional Psychologists, Counselors and Social Workers were no more effective than ordinary men and women who acted as friends and supporters.

This was dynamite. I was shocked and stunned. I had finished a Masters Degree just two years before that and I was working on a Doctorate at that time. In fact, I was getting credit for "Independent Study" because of my attendance at his seminar. Why spend thousands of dollars on graduate education if it does not help?

Second, Dr. rogers added prophetically that in a few years there would be so many distressed and broken people in the USA that there would never be enough money and Professionals to treat all of them. The answer was??? Training and releasing Peer helpers!!!!!

Another famous Psychologist was also in attendance as a guest speaker. I had never heard of him. It was O.H. Mowrer, former President of the American Psychology Association and a strong supporter of Peer Support Systems. I was in a small group with Dr. Mowrer for a week and chatted with him for many hours.

He said something even more startling than the statements by Dr. Rogers. "The early church was the most powerful healing community that the world has ever known. People came into the church broken, bruised and distressed and they became whole. As an atheist I don't know why they taught all that supernatural stuff but it was a powerful source of healing."

I returned to Cincinnati with a passion to once again make churches into strong healing communities by training Peers to care, love and pray. They are the key source of healing, growth and change in the world if we can unleash them from their bondage to leaders that insist that the members must follow a top down approach.

Let my people grow!

Let my people Go!

If you want to join the army of peace, love joy and healing go to our web page and read about what we do so you can come and be with us.