The Compassion-Based Workbook for Christian Clients integrates contemporary research in clinical psychology on compassion-based approaches to shame with a Christian worldview, offering a wide variety of strategies for Christians to better understand and combat shame and negative self-judgments. Chapters lay out a four-step process to help clients let go of unhelpful thinking patterns that lead to shame, experience God's compassion on a deeper level, and extend this compassion to themselves and others. Readers will find a wealth of Christian-sensitive experiential exercises, journaling assignments, biblical examples, and case examples throughout the workbook. Audio recordings for several guided meditations are also provided to help Christians practice the strategies offered in the workbook.

This book provides the essential tools needed to transform negative God images in depressed clients! Pastoral Care of Depression: Helping Clients Heal Their Relationship with God is designed to help clergy and mental health professionals understand how depression negatively affects the way people emotionally experience God and how, through therapy, this hurtful God image can be changed into a much more positive one focused on healing. In the past, the God image (as well as the essential differentiation between God image and God concept) has been explained in dull, analytic terms that are difficult to understand. This book's jargon-free language and engaging presentation make it an effective learning tool for students and professionals alike. Inside, you'll find numerous psychological tests, complete with sample test forms, that identify the God image. These are clearly explained and include all the information needed to take, administer, and interpret them. Pastoral Care of Depression teaches you to use psychodynamic and cognitive interventions to change a client's God image, including foundational knowledge and clearly presented techniques to implement in the therapeutic relationship. This comprehensive treatment manual arms you with the most comprehensive array of cognitive interventions published to date, with tens of easy-to-follow techniques designed to tap directly into an individual's subjective experience of God. Two appendixes give you a sample God Image Automatic Thought Record and Treatment Plan form. Part I: Depression and the God Image examines: the nature and development of depression symptoms of depression specific to religious people defining a client's image of God, how it developed, and what it reveals the relationship between self, depression, and God image, and how God images relate to Christian thought Part II: Changing the God Image addresses: the importance of self-evaluation for therapists and counselorsand how to do it the nature of the therapeutic relationship counseling skills that strengthen the therapeutic relationship how to conduct an God Image Assessment Interview and how to work with what that interview reveals transference, countertransference, cyclical maladaptive patterns, and internalization in psychodynamic psychotherapy appropriate, effective psychodynamic interventions the essentials of cognitive therapy and how it can be utilized to positively affect the God image treatment planning and case conceptualization important ethical issues for consideration With well-designed test and exercise forms and clear instructions on their use and interpretation, Pastoral Care of Depression provides the essential tools needed to work effectively with this important client group. Make it a part of your professional/teaching collection today!

This book explores the ways in which preachers embody their messages - in their own person, in the words they use, in employing objects, pictures, the arts and the responses of those hearing the sermon. Suitable for most theological traditions, Embodying the Word is aimed at a broad range of Christian denominations. Although related to the author's previous work, A Preaching Workbook, this volume will be complementary.

Brittany Maher and Cassandra Speer, leaders of the social media sensation and ministry Her True Worth, deliver a powerful call to women to break free from the bondage of false identities and discover their true worth in Jesus Christ. After years of working in the beauty industry, Brittany Maher and Cassandra Speer became disheartened by the false, contradictory messages about what defines a woman's worth. They saw women who were lost and wandering, endlessly seeking security and approval. So Maher and Speer made it their mission to help Christian women uncover their valuable identity in Jesus Christ. In Her True Worth, Maher and Speer reveal what God intended our identity to be in the beginning, how sin corrupted it, how Christ has redeemed it, and how to live securely in that identity. They remind us that, ultimately, our true worth is found in Him--and that's a life-altering, soul-anchoring truth to live in and live from. As you uncover your true worth, you'll also learn how to: Identify the false messages that are stealing your self-worth Embrace what the Word of God says about who you are Find your security and significance in Christ alone Let Her True Worth be your guide as you discover the woman you were meant to be. Praise for Her True Worth: "In a world that teaches us to measure our worth by our social media followings, achievements, and striving, Her True Worth gently turns us back to where our identity truly lies: in Jesus. Brittany and Cassandra empower women to remember the source of all hope and encourage us to lay down our idols in exchange for true peace in him." --Danielle Coke, illustrator, activist, and founder of Oh Happy Dani

In True Life: Practical Wisdom from the Book of Ecclesiastes, Carolyn Mahaney and Nicole Whitacre lay out 14 lessons that can be learned from Ecclesiastes, helping women learn how to endure life's hardships and enjoy life's pleasures.

Every Sunday all over the world people rise up and claim to speak in the name of God. It is an astonishing thing to do and an astonishing claim to make. It is small wonder that the sermon has been the focus of debate, discussion and investigation. It has been dismissed as irrelevant in today's culture and has become the butt of numerous jokes and caricatures. Yet the claim persists that these human words in some way can become God's message to these hearers. This collection of twenty-nine articles by international experts in the area of homiletics coincides with the revival of interest in preaching over the last twenty-five years. It is practical without being merely tips for preachers; and it offers the necessary theoretical discussion for anyone who wants to take the art of preaching seriously. No important issue has been omitted and, taken as a whole, the book constitutes a first class introduction to the principles, processes, context and theology of preaching. Contributors include: Walter Brueggemann, David Buttrick, Fred Craddock, Edward Farley, John Killinger, Richard Lischer, Thomas Long, Elaine Lawless, Jolyon Mitchell, Cheryl Sanders and Thomas Troeger.

Sensible Shoes is an unusual novel, blending a fictional story with nonfiction teaching elements. Some readers view it only as a story of four characters on a journey. Others say yes to a deeper level of reading, embracing the opportunity to take a "sacred journey" along with the characters, by opening themselves to the Spirit's work and attending to God's invitations. The Sensible Shoes Leader's Guide offers two ways to invite readers into a deeper journey: first, there are resources here for a twelve-week small group experience through the Sensible Shoes Study Guide. Each week you'll be provided with a few prayer prompts for your work as a leader, tips for facilitating the group, and behind-the-scenes information about the characters and their journeys that can be used as opening materials for your sessions. The second set of resources in this guide relates to leading a retreat based on Sensible Shoes. After years of creating and speaking at Sensible Shoes Retreats, spiritual director Sharon Brown offers here content to help you design the ideal space for your context as you gather people in longer sessions to experience this material. In addition to one-day, weekend, and online program outlines, there are many creative ideas from leaders of groups who have used Sensible Shoes for retreats over the years. Sensible Shoes was written for the purpose of bringing God's healing and spiritual transformation into the lives of readers traveling in community. Is there an invitation here for you to bring this message to your community? Also available: Sensible Shoes Leader Kit and Sensible Shoes Participant Kit, with everything you need for a small group or retreat experience.

Stay up-to-date in health care ministry as cultural and spiritual heterogeneity increases Ministry in the Spiritual and Cultural Diversity in Health Care: Increasing the Competency of Chaplains identifies concrete methods for improving the provision of pastoral care to culturally and religiously diverse patients and/or residents. Experts from both inside and outside the profession with established records in cross-cultural work and experience with religious diversity discuss in detail the multicultural revolution that has challenged the traditional health care delivery system. With this timely resource, you will be able to respond to the requests and desires of patients and their loved ones with compassion and consideration for their cultural and spiritual backgrounds. Ministry in the Spiritual and Cultural Diversity in Health Care explores the challenges for the spiritual care professional in health care to address the emotional, cultural, and spiritual needs of a patient without assumption, bias, or discomfort for either person.In addition to advice, recommendations, and real-world examples and case studies, this valuable resource provides a guide for chaplaincy supervisors to use when training chaplain students to impart such unprejudiced care. The book is devoted to establishing chaplains who are clinically trained and certified to contribute to the increasingly pluralistic and global health care context with assorted religious, spiritual, and cultural values, beliefs, and practices. Ministry in the Spiritual and Cultural Diversity in Health Care will keep you updated on: how a health care chaplain can overlook the differing worldview of a patient and his or her family how cultural diversity impacts the work of the health care chaplain specific strategies and tools that will assist chaplains in acquiring spiritual and cultural competency definitions, obstacles, and standards of care for fostering a genuine multicultural perspective among health care givers, particularly chaplains how professional health care chaplains take leadership in responding to cultural and spiritual diversity within health care environments

An easy-to-learn, easy-to-use tool for in-depth Bible study Beloved and acclaimed for more than five generations, the Thompson (R) Chain-Reference (R) Bible is unparalleled in its ability to enrich personal devotions, topical study, and sermon preparation. This unique reference Bible enables you to search the breadth of Scripture's teachings on thousands of topics and allows you to follow those topics throughout the entire Bible. With over 100,000 references, covering over 8,000 topics, the chain-reference system is an ideal tool for comprehensive topical study. The Thompson Chain-Reference Bible also offers a library of additional study resources that allows readers to interpret the Bible using related scripture passages rather than consulting a commentary. The KJV Thompson Chain-Reference Bible is printed in the KJV Comfort Print (R) typeface for easy reading. Expertly designed specifically to be used for the King James Version (KJV) text, Comfort Print offers an easier reading experience that complements the translation. This Bible also features a fresh, two-color design that preserves the original look of the chain-reference system, while making each page cleaner and easier to read. Features: Complete text of the King James Version (KJV) Easy-to-understand chain-reference system with over 100,000 references Alphabetical and numerical indexes highlight study materials for over 8,000 topics, each with its own topic number, for exhaustive topical study An extensive study resource section includes biographical sketches, illustrated studies of the Bible, a concordance, Bible harmonies, and many other helpful study tools Fresh, two-color page design 66 book introductions 16-page full-color map section with map index Line-matched text for enhanced readability Words of Jesus in red Presentation page for gift-giving Raised spine hubs Two double-sided satin ribbon markers, each 3/8-inch wide Genuine calfskin leather cover lies flat when open Thumb indexed to make finding the books of the Bible easier Exclusive KJV Comfort Print typeface Print size: 9.5

This volume explores the connections between our own birth, the experience of having children, and the new birth of the Christian life. Seasoned pastor James Howell offers theological perspectives on a variety of themes associated with birth, such as who we are in light of having once lived in utero, why people might have children, infertility, adoption, baptism, and how to make sense of it all in light of God coming to us first in Mary's womb and then as an infant. The book includes paintings, photos, and drawings. About the Series Pastors are called to help people navigate the profound mysteries of being human, from birth to death and everything in between. This series, edited by leading pastoral theologian Jason Byassee, provides pastors and pastors-in-training with rich theological reflection on the various seasons that make up a human life, helping them minister with greater wisdom and joy.

"Preaching is the natural overflow of our religion. We have received good news, and we long to tell it to others. The reason and passion of preaching ' the only reason and passion ' is that a great and wonderful thing has come into our lives in the love of God through Jesus, and we can find no rest until we tell the world." Black's classic book on preaching, first published in 1924, remains a valuable guide for ministers and students of theology. Originally delivered as a series of lectures the book covers the many facets of preaching from choice of subject, through the hard work involved in careful preparation, to the importance of delivery. The final chapters are devoted to the planning of worship and the conduct of services. Preaching ' as the title implies ' is not the art of following prescribed rules. There is always an element of mystery, bound up with the greater mystery of personality.

Many children today are growing up in the midst of adversity, whether brought on by family difficulties or larger societal crises. All children need to be able to deal with stress, cope with challenges, and persevere through disappointments. While we cannot protect children from all hardships, we can promote healthy development that fosters resilience. In this interdisciplinary work, Holly Catterton Allen builds a bridge between resilience studies and children's spiritual formation. Because children are spiritual beings, those who work with them can cultivate spiritual practices that are essential to their thriving in challenging times. This book equips educators, counselors, children's ministers, and parents with ways of developing children's spirituality to foster the resilience needed to face the ordinary hardships of childhood and to persevere when facing trauma. It offers particular insight into the spiritual experiences of children who have been hurt by life through chronic illness, disability, abuse, or disasters, with resources for healing and hope.

New Look for Landmark Teaching on Living the Spirit-Empowered Life In our instant-gratification culture, we consume a fleeting, shallow diet of media, relationships, entertainment, and spirituality. Our souls go hungry, longing for a fuller, more satisfying life. Bestselling author and beloved pastor Jack Hayford shows, in what has become a modern-day classic, how we can feed our deepest places with the sustaining Bread of Life. With warmth and wisdom, he reveals how we can link our souls to timeless practices and principles set forth in Scripture. He invites you to rediscover the power and blessing of these spiritual disciplines--of true Spirit-fullness. Even more, he shows how these spiritual disciplines are relevant for today and how we can practice them in our quick-paced, surface-level culture. When we take time to fast and pray, worship daily, feed on God's Word, and more, we fully enter the rich adventure of becoming an effective disciple of Christ--ensuring that our souls will never go hungry.

No one was more radically critical of the ministry and the inherited Church policy that surrounds it than Roland Allen (1868-1949), whose prophetic writings constantly challenge the whole mission of the Christian Church, and many of his most important essays are collected here along with contributions about him. After studying at Oxford, his clerical training was in Leeds. He went as a missionary to China for the Society for the Propagation of the Gospel (SPG), where he stayed for twenty years. His experience convinced him that missionary methods needed changing, and that St Paul had more to offer than contemporary practice, and in particular that ministry should be centred in the laity. These ideas, unpopular at the time, have grown in importance, and Roland Allen's influence is now greater than at any time. In this volume, Paton, with the co-operation of Grubb and King, has written on the central concerns of Allen's life and how his witness gave rise to many fruitful enterprises in different parts of the world. Many new writings of Allen's are included in the volume, and Grubb tells the story of the Survey Application Trust which, for over half a century played a formative and pioneering part in the mission of the church. This title adds a lot of new information and throws fresh light on the modern history of many Christian enterprises, and extends current debate over the role of the laity.

Nothing destroys trust like sexual betrayal. Beyond broken vows, a woman who discovers that the man she loves has been viewing pornography or having an affair must deal with devastating blows to her self-image and self-worth. She must grapple with the fact that the man she thought she knew has lied and deceived her. She may even bear the brunt of shame and judgment when the people around her find out. Drawing from her experience both as a marriage and family therapist and a woman who personally experienced the devastation of sexual betrayal, Dr. Sheri Keffer walks women impacted by betrayal through the pain and toward recovery. She explains how the trauma of betrayal affects our minds, bodies, spirits, and sexuality. She offers practical tools for dealing with emotional triggers and helps women understand the realities of sexual addiction. And she shows women how to practice self-care, develop healthy boundaries, protect themselves from abuse or manipulation, and find freedom from the burden of shame and guilt.

Jesus is not merely an entrepreneur who has found a promising enterprise on one of His planets. Rather, He is a ravished Bridegroom who has come to win the affections of a lovesick Bride. That makes it personal to Him. In an age when ministry success is often measured by church growth statistics and name recognition, Jesus is calling us to once again return to the simplicity of serving Him because it's personal for us, too.

An easy-to-learn, easy-to-use tool for in-depth Bible study Beloved and acclaimed for more than five generations, the Thompson (R) Chain-Reference (R) Bible is unparalleled in its ability to enrich personal devotions, topical study, and sermon preparation. This unique reference Bible enables you to search the breadth of Scripture's teachings on thousands of topics and allows you to follow those topics throughout the entire Bible. With over 100,000 references, covering over 8,000 topics, the chain-reference system is an ideal tool for comprehensive topical study. The Thompson Chain-Reference Bible also offers a library of additional study resources that allows readers to interpret the Bible using related scripture passages rather than consulting a commentary. The KJV Thompson Chain-Reference Bible, Large Print is printed in the KJV Comfort Print (R) typeface for easy reading. Expertly designed specifically to be used for the King James Version (KJV) text, Comfort Print offers an easier reading experience that complements the translation. This Bible also features a fresh, two-color design that preserves the original look of the chain-reference system, while making each page cleaner and easier to read. Features: Complete text of the King James Version (KJV) Easy-to-understand chain-reference system with over 100,000 references Alphabetical and numerical indexes highlight study materials for over 8,000 topics, each with its own topic number, for exhaustive topical study An extensive study resource section includes biographical sketches, illustrated studies of the Bible, a concordance, Bible harmonies, and many other helpful study tools Fresh, two-color page design 66 book introductions 16-page full-color map section with map index Line-matched text for enhanced readability Words of Jesus in red Presentation page for gift-giving Gilded page edges Two double-sided satin ribbon markers, each 3/8-inch wide Leathersoft (TM) cover lies flat when open Exclusive KJV Comfort Print typeface Print size: 10.5

Provide effective care for the members of your congregation suffering with PTSD This vital book is an overview of the nature of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). It examines the causes, manifestations, and problems of PTSD as they relate to a person socially, spiritually, emotionally, physically, and psychologically. Stressing hope, healing, and compassion, Pastoral Care for Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder: Healing the Shattered Soul includes specific suggestions for the prevention of traumatic events and for using peacemaking techniques to stop violence in your clients'lives. Pastoral Care for Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder is a practical, understandable, professionally presented and researched working guide for clergy in parishes, for chaplains, and for seminarians who have little or no knowledge of how to pastor to people who are suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder. It is also for lay people who minister to those who have been traumatized. Survivors will also benefit from its affirmation for the spiritual component of healing. This unique volume provides the practical means to support people through the healing process while maintaining their spiritual grounding, with: case studies that will help develop your skills a thoughtful discussion of the theological dimensions of trauma and suffering a practical methodology for crisis intervention an examination of the specific needs of veterans a look at the potential for caregiver burnout and how to prevent it ways that churches can contribute to the prevention of the trauma that leads to PTSD methods for using scripture as a source of healing for PTSD survivors Pastoral Care for Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder also defines PTSD from a mental health perspective and gives examples of the kinds of trauma that may lead to it. No one working with PTSD survivors in a spiritual setting should be without this book

You were meant to live free, healed, and whole!

And when Jesus saw her, he called her to him, and said unto her, Woman, thou art loosed from thine infirmity (Luke 13:12 KJV)

Do you feel imprisoned by past failures...like you just can’t break free from all the guilt, condemnation and shame? Does your heart long to experience true joy and lasting wholeness? Then it’s time for you to start living the free and flourishing life God that has always intended.

For over 20 years, T.D. Jakes’ classic bestseller, Woman Thou Art Loosed!, has brought hope and healing to countless women. From the insecure teenager to the battered wife, and from the hopeless woman to the broken female soul—no matter where you find yourself today, you can experience a better tomorrow!

In these healing pages, you will receive:

· Keys to finding freedom from the pain of the past

· Deliverance from self-hatred and low self-esteem

· Healing for a wounded heart

· Hope for a wounded heart

· Hope for a bright, glorious future

There is freedom available for you, regardless of the tragedy, trauma and disappointments that life has brought. Let today be the first day on your journey towards complete healing and deliverance!

How can you foster spiritual growth in older people?This multidisciplinary work re-examines issues of aging with dignity and spiritual meaning. Aging, Spirituality, and Pastoral Care: A Multi-National Perspective brings together chaplains, pastors, counselors, and health care practitioners in all walks of gerontology from around the world to present a fully rounded picture of the spiritual needs and potentialities of this fast-growing population. It also includes a study of the spiritual awareness of nurses working in six different nursing homes, as well as a model for a parish nursing practice that focuses on the aged. Aging, Spirituality, and Pastoral Care addresses urgent issues for older people, including: social and spiritual isolation the wisdom of the aging the need for intimacy sexuality among older people living with dementia the spiritual dimensions of caregiving