With many pastors facing burnout and congregations suffering from internal divisions, there is a need for Christian resources that present concrete problem-solving techniques for handling conflict in the church. This book offers practical skills and strategies that the authors have learned through years of studying nonviolent communication (NVC) as described in Marshall Rosenberg's book, "Nonviolent Communication: A Language of Life," and as developed by numerous NVC trainers all over the world. Using real-world case studies and examples, Hunsinger and Latini helpfully guide pastors and lay leaders through effective and compassionate ways to deal with discord. These strategies include differentiating observations from evaluations, experiencing and expressing feelings, identifying and connecting with needs, and making requests rather than demands. By learning the basic skills of compassionate communication, church leaders can be empowered to transform, rather than merely manage, church conflict

While the field of pastoral care and counseling has emerged as a strength within the Christian tradition, the increasing religious diversity of our society has complicated our understanding of the -care of souls.- What core values should pastoral caregivers seek to embody? What core competencies are required for this care? The contributors to this volume show that the answers to these questions for any compassionate ministry must use -healing wisdom- as a source of fundamental values. -A well-prepared minister is not afraid to face the depths of human suffering, - say the editors. -The ability to offer a 'non-anxious presence' to those in need, to bracket the pain of one's own woundedness while listening empathically, to face head-on the purifying fires of human transformation -- these are a few of the qualities in ministry we designate as 'healing wisdom.' - Inspired by the work of Ann Belford Ulanov, this introductory text in pastoral care explores the depth dimensions of pastoral ministry with an eye toward teaching practitioners to value and embody this life-giving wisdom. It captures many of the multiple strands of pastoral work and weaves them together into an integral whole.Contributors: David W. AugsburgerPamela Cooper-WhiteRussell H. DavisKathleen J. GreiderDeborah van Deusen HunsingerRodney J. HunterCedric C. JohnsonJames W. JonesFelicity Brock KelcourseKyungsig Samuel LeeK. Brynolf LyonAna-MarÏ a RizzutoDaniel S. Schipani

Taking seriously Paul?'s exhortation in 1 Thessalonians to pray without ceasing, Deborah van Deusen Hunsinger challenges pastors and congregations to put prayer at the center of their Christian practice and theological reflection. In this thought-provoking book Hunsinger reclaims spiritual practices from token use and unites them in a dynamic network of interdependent caring traditions.

The book begins with the three foundational disciplines of spiritual reading, careful listening, and self-reflection. Hunsinger then explores prayers of petition, intercession, confession, lament, and thanksgiving. Finally she offers practical, workable suggestions for developing pastoral care groups and teaching care-giving skills at the congregational level.

Clergy and laity alike will reap the benefits of this revitalizing look at the spiritual disciplines as dynamic forces in the life of the church.

'This is a superb, beautifully written book. The work has been very well conceived in content and form and carried out with great sensitivity and clarity. The author applies the material and method of Karl Barth's theology to pastoral. counseling, in which she brings theological thinking and clinical psychological thinking into a remarkable correlation, doing so with convincing power and commanding effectiveness...What a great boon it is for theological and pastoral training to have such a profound feminine mind to penetrate so intuitively, delicately, and effectively into human problems.' --Thomas F. Torrance, Univ. of Edinburgh