Care Ministry

To be pastoral is to create a sacred space and time for the other person who needs support. The caregiver is fully present, listening critically and attentively to locate the "pastoral pillars" on the way for continued support. In order to provide effective pastoral care ministry and also be able to nail down and address the core issues bothering an individual, the caregiver should look beyond the ordinary and superficial, and companion into the deep ("the shadow") with the counselee, mentee, directee, client, patient, and the like.

Churches across the country are floundering and many pastors are deeply discouraged. They work hard and with great sincerity but their efforts don't seem to be helping their churches to flourish. Their congregations are split over political issues. Their faith is low. Finances are tight. Many...

Today's youth struggle with difficult questions of sexual identity. How can a youth worker offer wise care and counsel on such a controversial and confusing subject? Mark Yarhouse, Director of the Institute for the Study of Sexual Identity, writes to equip youth ministers so they can faithfully...

With these practices, you’ll become increasingly comfortable and confident in working through your inner experiences in real time. Instead of burning out, you can follow the lead of Jesus toward a sustainable, fulfilling life.

Health care is on the brink of monumental change. Innovations in care and cost are making health care more available than ever. And yet, health insurers and government bureaucrats have yet to catch up to these advances, making traditional health insurance practices not only out-of-date, but overly expensive and unnecessarily cumbersome and frustrating. Moreover, their decision on what to pay for and what not to pay for may have an even bigger role in determining the health care you receive than you and your doctor. There's a better way!

Hilarious and unflinchingly honest, Careering takes a hard look at the often toxic relationship working women have with their dream jobs. careering (verb) 1. working endlessly for a job you used to love and now resent entirely 2. moving in a way that feels out of control Imogen has always...

Jesus commands his disciples to love one another and promises that “by this everyone will know that you are my disciples” (John 13:35). But what does genuine care for those in our church family look like? This warm, practical book by Dwayne Bond goes beyond specific pastoral-care roles and responsibilities and explores how all church members can love and care for one another in the rhythms of ordinary life.

In the face of rapid medical advances in our world, bioethics is a serious concern for many in our society - Christians and non-Christians alike. Here, Gilbert Meilaender, professor of theological ethics at Valparaiso University in Indiana, contends that it is imperative for Christians to think consciously about bioethical issues as Christians if they are not to risk losing their Christian identity.

Every pastor struggles with demands for his time, and how to determine priorities in ministry. Some choose to respond to the most urgent needs, while others seek a more balanced and intentional approach. But what determines these priorities? Where should a busy pastor look for wisdom in making...

Follow the Healer provides those in ministry with a practical theology of healing—helping you understand how Jesus heals and why we still need to participate. It's easy to fall into one of two extremes when it comes to Christian healing: outright skepticism on one side and abuse on the other...

As director of the world's largest abortion clinic and the nation's most prominent abortionist, Dr. Bernard Nathanson presided over 60,000 abortions. As co-founder of the National Abortion Rights Action League, he helped make abortion legal. Then, in a conversion that made headkines and astonished both sides of the abortion debate, he renounced his profession to become a pro-life advocate. But Dr. Nathanson's journey was not over.

Seamus O'Mahony charts the realities of work in the 'ministry of bodies', that huge complex where people come to be cured and to die. From unexpected deaths to moral quandaries and bureaucratic disasters, O'Mahony documents life in the halls and wards that all of us will visit at some point in our lives with his characteristic wit and dry and unsentimental intelligence.

You keep hoping and believing in faith that your circumstances are going to shift, but the longer time goes on and you don’t see your circumstances change, the more it builds, until finally, it bursts out of you: ”God, don’t you care?” If you’re in the middle of the storm right now, this book is for you. It won’t patronize your pain or give you all the cliche answers. You don’t need to feel ashamed of your questions, but instead you can walk through the steps of how to navigate the pain of struggle from a biblical perspective.

Filled with real-life stories and practical advice, Called to Care starts by helping you honestly assess your motivation to help - sometimes the wrong motivation sets the stage for an unsuccessful experience. From there, the book shows what adoption and foster care really look like in a variety of situations, from domestic and international adoptions to short-term foster care and foster-to-adopt arrangements. Also included is how churches and individuals can minister to refugees.

How do Christians account for the widespread presence of goodness in a fallen world? Richard Mouw, one of the most influential evangelical voices in America, presents his mature thought on the topic of common grace. Addressing a range of issues relevant to engaging common grace in the 21st century, Mouw shows how God takes delight in all things that glorify him - even those that happen beyond the boundaries of the church-and defends the doctrine of common grace from its detractors.

CPYU President Walt Mueller's critically acclaimed book, Understanding Today's Youth Culture, is widely recognized as one of the most thorough and comprehensive overviews of youth culture today. This Gold Medallion Book Award winner is used as a seminal text in colleges, universities, and...

Join Rachel Anne Ridge, author of the beloved memoir Flash, in a journey back to the pasture. As she adopts a second rescue donkey as a little brother for Flash - a miniature named Henry - she finds that walking with donkeys has surprising lessons to teach us about prayer, renewing our faith, and connecting to God in fresh ways.

Are you tired of hearing people dismiss the church as an irrelevant relic? (Do you secretly wonder if they are right?) Don Everts explores an exciting reality that is revealed in Scripture, shown throughout history, and confirmed in the latest research: When Christians pursue the common good of the neighborhood, the world stands up and notices.

Loss brings with it many layers of grief that need to be addressed. Healing from losses requires more than just talking about our pain; it involves working through the twists and turns of conflicting emotions and confronting questions that often have no satisfactory answers. It is reassembling...

In this delightful collection of stories, Roxanne Worsham recounts messages of God's love that she learned by observing the characteristics and behaviors of her beloved dogs, Scout and Arrow. These light-hearted story vignettes are fun, engaging, and full of inspiration. My Dog Can Preach shows clearly how God will use anything, even your dog, to catch your attention in order to unleash his love in every area of your life!