Theology: Practical Theology: Family

North American families are in crisis, and the need for family ministry is more evident than ever. In her many years of ministry, research and teaching, author Diana Garland has found that the strength of Christian families is rooted in their faith and nurtured in their congregations. Garland believes that Christian families gain strength in part because of their communities of faith.Twelve years after first coming to print, the award-winning Family Ministry has been given a significant makeover. In this new edition Garland takes a three-pronged approach to family ministry, which includes developing families grounded in Christian faith, helping families live the teachings of Jesus with one another, and equipping and supporting families as they learn to serve others. The insights gained are organized into four main sections: The Context for Family Ministry Family Formation Family Dynamics Leading Family Ministry Garland examines and fully integrates the historical, sociological, theological and biblical contexts to understand the role and meaning of family in the life of Christians and the church. She perceptively connects these explorations with the social and cultural context of the early twenty-first century.

Balm for Gilead expands our understanding of the role of the Black Church as an agent of care and reconciliation for African American families experiencing the results of child and domestic abuse. Crossing the disciplinary boundaries of pastoral care, theology, and ethics, this book provides a major examination of core issues of family violence. The authors maintain that the contemporary Black Church must provide more extensive professional and ethical training and education for its pastoral care givers through a multisystems approach to effective forms of ministry for African American families. Using case studies from individuals who have experienced abuse or who struggle with the reality of domestic violence, Balm for Gilead identifies and explores theological and ethical themes that are crucial for understanding and revitalizing the pastoral care of African American families who suffer because of child and domestic abuse. Illuminating the dynamics of abuse in these families, and challenging the silence and helplessness surrounding their pain, this cross-cultural work will have a profound effect on all whose lives have been touched by this social and personal evil. Balm for Gilead is indispensable for pastoral leaders whose ministry and profession is often the only hope of healing and reconciliation available or acceptable of African American families.

Adults in your church, small group, or other Christian organization are silently suffering the tragic consequences of having been sexually abused as children or youth. Why aren't they coming forward for help? Their reluctance may be related to wounds given by the faithful--religious people they trusted, who said things like "well, it wasn't rape" or "it's been thirty years--why is this such a big deal?" Such responses from people with religious authority deepen victims' need to shrink into anxiety, depression, and self-degradation.This book offers you the tools needed to undertake caring ministry to adults suffering in the aftermath of childhood sexual abuse. Once you understand the scientific research on such topics as trauma memory, consequences of abuse, and forgiveness, you will appreciate how caring collaboration can create hope and healing. In these pages every reader will find helpful content that will take you from feeling out of your depth to knowing you are empowered to be an effective companion in God's transforming work in the lives of survivors of abuse.

To date, little has been published about the place of spirituality in working with survivors of intimate partner violence. Overcoming Conflicting Loyalties examines the intersection of faith and culture in the lives of religious and ethno-cultural women in the context of the work of FaithLink, a unique community initiative that encourages religious leaders and secular service providers to work together. The authors present the benefits of such cooperation by reporting the findings of three qualitative research studies. Individuals in secular and sacral services who work with victims of domestic violence, as well as academics in the fields of social work, psychology, and religious studies, will benefit from the insights, depth of experience, and range of voices represented in this valuable book.Irene Sevcik, Michael Rothery, Nancy Nason-Clark, and The Very Rev. Robert Pynn have brought their professional expertise and experiences to benefit FaithLink at different times and in different capacities. All of the authors live in Calgary except Nason-Clark, who lives in Fredericton.Sponsored by The Calgary Foundation.

"Lynne Baker shows her compassion and determination to wake the religious and secular communities to action and care. " -- Len Matthews, Salvation Army This book takes a very real look into the lives of Christian women who cope with domestic abuse on a daily basis. It explores their experiences of physical, verbal, emotional, sexual, financial, and spiritual abuse at the hands of their perpetrator husbands who claim themselves to be good Christians. Through extensive interviews combined with academic research, the reader comes face to face with the complexity of issues surrounding such domestic abuse and how counselling can be effective through the encouragement of a variety of religious and non-religious coping strategies. Of interest to victims of domestic abuse, as well as to the members of the clergy, psychologists, and counsellors, this book shows there is a place in the Christian church for women to separate and to be divorced without losing their faith.

In this important book, James Leehan emphasizes the use of the religious communities' spiritual, physical, and financial resources to alleviate the problem of family abuse. He sees ministers and their congregations as a source of support that no other sector of society can provide. This book will be an asset to anyone involved in helping the survivor of abuse.

Religious and Spiritual Issues in Counseling is a comprehensive resource for counselors, psychotherapists and psychologists seeking to understand and incorporate the spiritual dimension of a client's person, and to use this understanding in developing successful intervention strategies with clients. Including case studies and exercises for self-exploration, this book covers specific groups, such as the elderly, the homeless as well as multicultural populations. Human development concerns are integrated into the book and address the changing role that spirituality plays throughout the lifespan.

This comprehensive and much-needed resource is for professionals and students in social care, who are required to engage with the spiritual dimension of their therapeutic work with clients. The authors, who include social workers, mental health professionals, religious professionals and academics, show how they have developed ways of applying their own and their clients' spirituality in their practice. They describe their work in an international range of human service contexts including: * working with grief and loss * community development work * working across cultures * social justice work * social work teaching and learning. The client groups they cover include children, older people, individuals with learning disabilities, and ethnic minority and indigenous groups. Drawing on theological and philosophical ideas from different cultures, this much-needed resource gives guidance on and examples of practice that together enable the reader to explore and develop the role of spiritual awareness in their work. It is an essential resource for all those training or practising in social work, mental health, pastoral care and counselling.

This book, a complete guide for family-based ministry, examines the prevalent family ministry trends, explores the three modalities which encompass the various models, and helps implement them once the program is designed.