Developing a Divorce Recovery Ministry [antikvár]

INTRODUaiONSince 1971, it has been my privilege to specialize in single adult ministry and to develop an outreach to people who are struggling with the tragic finality of a failed marriage and a broken relationship. I have never been divorced and do not feel that this experience is a necessary qualification for leading a divorce recovery ministry. This is true for the same reason that one does not have to be a professional athlete to be a coach, give birth to a child to be a children's doctor, or be an alcoholic or a drug addict to help people with those problems.For many years I thought that the best way to help the divorced was to fill my schedule with counseling appointments. But eventuaUy I, as one concemed pastor, realized that one-on-one counseling would do little to address the growing need in my church and community.In 1977, while attending a workshop led by Jim Smoke at flie Crystal Cathedral, I came across his book Growing Through Divome. I knew then that God was prompting me to expand and utilize this tool to reach a larger number of people. Fortunately, our congregation had the vision, resources, and willingness to take the risk and to venture into this new and exciting ministry.I spent the summer of 1977 equipping twelve of our divorced single men and women in group dynamics; they, in turn, helped me become more sensitive to realities and issues about which I, not having been divorced, could only surmise and conjecture. Conducting our first divorce recovery workshop in my own living room was a tremendous experience and a tremendous watershed time in my ministry.We had hoped for about seventy-five people to come to oi initial workshop at the chimii. However, after getting the word out through both church and commimity advertising, more than 150 people came. It was overwhelrning to see what happened and how God used this seminar in each of our lives to draw us into a fellowship of healing and closeness beyond our wildest imaginings.Since that first night, I have tried to achieve three goals in my workshops:1.To extend a hand of care and concem, representing the love of Jesus Christ and His restoring forgiveness.2.To create meaningful, authentic friendships that can last far beyond the end of the workshop itself (see chapter 13, page 157).