One of my problems in getting Christians to take advantage of Life Way Ministries equipping processes of coaching and consulting is due to my success as a Counselor. Thus, many people assume that the only thing I do is crisis management. They get Life Way Ministries mixed up with Life Way Counseling.
I can see why with the names being so similar and both having been founded by me. But the Counseling Center is a Clinical Counseling and Psychotherapy focus with licensed, medical and psychological professionals as the staff. After having a heart attack I retired my professional license and decided to focus on Growth, Equipping and Healing Leaders both lay and clergy through Life Way Ministries, Inc, a non-profit, tax deductible charity.
My emphasis and job now is Coaching and Consulting in hopes that Counseling/Healing will not be necessary. If people delay seeing me until after the crisis has happened the hurt, anger, bitterness and inner wounds will have to be cleaned up before growth can really take place. This means that several leaders need to see me for some counsel before we can move one to the deeper life of hearing God.
I am also the founder of the Teleios Center at College Hill Presbyterian Church and EMI, another non-profit ministry. They continue to train, send and establish ministries around the world and I am extremely happy to see them prosper even though I have "retired" from both of them.
We are embarking on a new emphasis this fall to take mature Christians into the deeper life of the Holy Spirit. We will emphasize growing down in the life of God to hear His still small voice and allow Him to change us rather than going out to change others as we did in our youth. We will focus on hearing and knowing God; understanding how God speaks; discovering our place in the Kingdom as mature Christians who are ready to "Put away childish things."
Pray for our journey and watch for workshops, retreats and celebrations. They will be for health folks who want to be free to hear the Lord.
posted by Gary Sweeten @ Tuesday, July 11, 2006
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