08/20/2008

Sexual Abuse: Victims and Offenders:

In recent years, child and adolescent sexual abuse has received increase media attention, due in part to nationally covered kidnapping cases and the difficulties in the Catholic Church. In addition to a greater public awareness and increased litigation, there has been renewed attention to the mental health treatment of both victims and offenders~ To read more Click here

08/19/2008

Family Chaos: Redeeming Children of Divorce and Bad Marriages:

When you were a child, did you ever dread going home after school for fear of finding your father had packed his personal belongings and moved out? Did you ever lie awake at night trying to come up with a plan to help your parents get on with each other and stop their endless fighting? To read more Click here

08/14/2008

What the Bible Says About Debt:

In the face of a constant barrage of worldly advice urging us to use debt to “get ahead,” Christians need to carefully study what the Bible has to say about the subject. Though God’s Word is certainly not a fi – nancial textbook, it does offer clear guidelines we can apply to our fi nancial situations. Following are some of the Scriptural principles regarding debt. To read more Click here

08/13/2008

AACC President’s Report:

Dear Colleague: AACC is having what could be our best year in history. What follows is a brief snapshot of some of the energy and focus at present:

1. 2009 AACC "Grace and Truth" World Conference: Special guests already include Chuck Colson, Jim Cymbala, John Piper, Richard Foster, John Ortberg, Ed Young, Jr., and an army of Christian counseling leaders from all over America and around the world. If you haven’t made your Opryland Hotel reservations for September 16-19, I want to encourage you to do so now. Call 1-888-777-6779 and be sure to ask for the special discounted AACC rate. Nearly 3,000 room nights are already booked and I anticipate that the Opryland Hotel could be “sold out” by end of year. In 2007, we had guests in 10 overflow hotel properties. The 2009 World Conference “Call for Papers” should be in home by late summer. This already promises to be the best AACC World Conference ever. Don’t miss this one!
2. Light University Goes ONLINE: August 1st was a historical day for Light University. Four core counseling courses were launched ONLINE with fully integrated video, featuring what I believe is one of the best faculties in the world. That’s significant because most online programs don’t offer the core of the course as video-based, so often the passion and expertise of the professor is lost. Check out www.LightUniversity.com. This new transition to ONLINE education opens the door to reaching our mission of training one million leaders worldwide.

3. Extraordinary Women Fall 2008 Simulcast and Conference Attendance on Record Pace: Featuring an incredible lineup of plenary speakers and strong entertainment, Extraordinary Women is on a record attendance pace for 2008. The fall dates are set for Griffin, Georgia; Lynchburg, Virginia, Raytown, Missouri; Peoria, Illinois; Columbus, Ohio; Jackson, Mississippi; and Detroit, Michigan. The EW leadership team is pleased to announce that in addition to the carefully designed platform messages to encourage and minister to women, counseling-related preconference workshops focusing on relationships, emotions, sex, and a deeper faith are also being added. Counseling experts Diane Langberg, Mark and Debra Laaser, Cliff and Joyce Penner, Sharon Hart May, June Hunt, Catherine Hart Weber, and many more will lead the way. Pray for God to do a powerful work in our midst. Twenty arena and church-based events are planned all over America for 2009. You can learn more at www.EWomen.net.
4. eCounseling.com is Exploding: The eCounseling.com mission is simple… to become the worldwide ONLINE portal for faith-based mental health information, insight, inspiration and access to help. At eCounseling.com, you will find topics like depression, anxiety, and extramarital affairs addressed, as well as short and long feature video from some of the world’s leading experts. In addition, recommended resources and services are provided with access to small groups and Christian counselors from around the world. Over the last few months, we have witnessed explosive growth even though we have not yet completed the first phase of our strategic plan or the Web site. Learn how you can get involved as a counselor or small group leader by going to www.eCounseling.com.

5. WildFire Weekend for Men Kicks Off on October 10-11: On October 10-11, we will launch our first effort to reach out to men through Wildfire Weekend (www.Wildfireweekend.com). We are expecting a sellout of 7,000 men at this event. Pray that God will lead us in this new ministry to impact the hearts of men and challenge them to live free in Jesus Christ. Special guests include Rick Hendrick, Chairman and CEO of the highly successful Hendrick Motorsports®; Fox Sports© commentator and three-time NASCAR© champion, Darrell Waltrip; Bishop Wellington Boone; Stu Weber; professional athletes and NFL® Hall of Fame bound Art Monk, Darrell Green, and more.
6. Turn It Around Christian Counseling Television Show to Launch this Fall: We are working hard to launch the TIA show on Daystar, TBN, Sky Angel, INSP, God TV, Cornerstone, and more in an effort to advance Christian counseling worldwide. Special guests for the fall episodes include leaders like Gary Chapman, Steve Arterburn, John Eldredge, Diane Langberg, and John Ortberg. Pray that God would use the program to minister to viewers and help advance Christian counseling in the Church and world community.
7. Teen Mania Relationship Expanding: Ron Luce, Founder of Teen Mania and the Acquire the Fire conferences all over America, cares about today’s generations, especially the issues of their hearts. I am very pleased to announce that we are now sharing in Ron’s mission to reach teens and youth leaders across America. Nearly 2,000 youth leaders became members of AACC this past spring.

8. New Light University Course Offerings: Watch this fall and early 2009 for the release of our new Small Group Leader, eCounseling, and Addictions and Recovery certificate and professional training programs.
9. Post Traumatic Stress Disorder Professional Training being Developed: AACC is pleased to team up with the Military Ministry of Campus Crusade for Christ to produce two versions of a new training program for Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). One version is specifically tailored to the military and their families. Taping has already begun and we are very excited to launch this program through Light University. Students and leaders will be able to earn a certificate of completion for professional development and continuing education.
10. Live 2 Love Cruise Sets Sail in October: More than 500 AACC members and friends are ready to sail away on Carnival® Cruise Lines to Grand Cayman and Cozumel with relationship and counseling experts Gary Smalley, John Trent, and Steve Arterburn. Julie and I are pleased to host this first ever AACC/Premier Cruise. This is going to be a spectacular week! There is still room for you, so come learn, relax, and enjoy an incredible week all focused on you. Visit www.AACC.net for more information.


11. International Board of Christian Counselors is Growing: Nearly 3,000 counselors are now nationally certified according to Executive Director, Eric Scalise. The grandfathering phase for credentialing is being offered through the end of 2008. Credentials are being offered for professionals, pastors, and lay helpers. Don’t miss your opportunity to get in on the ground floor of this important movement in Christian counseling.
12. AACC Foundation: Our primary mission through the foundation is to raise funding to advance the cause and reach of Christian counseling both here in America and around the world. A number of primary issues include encouraging research, funding crisis training and response efforts to natural disasters and acts of terror, and offering student scholarships, resource development, and training programs, especially for nationals in third-world countries. I believe we need to become a champion for more global issues, such as sex trafficking, the AIDS pandemic, and the persecuted Church.
13. Rwanda: In May 2009, the AACC executive board and other professionals will travel to Rwanda, a country traumatized by genocide, to listen and learn from the people. The ultimate goal over the next several years will be to teach, train, establish a counseling program, and provide support and resources to counselors, pastors, educators, and the medical community as they struggle to assist a traumatized population. Our hope is that it will become a pilot program that can be replicated in other developing countries around the world.

14. AACC Publishing and Resource Division: Very few important and needed counseling-related books get published anymore. After much discussion and preparation, we are excited to announce a new series of counseling quick reference guides, workbooks, pamphlets, and professional books that are in progress. The first should release in 2009 in time for the World Conference.
15. “Coming to Your City” Fall 2008 Tour: Leading experts will conduct these one-day intensive trainings that will focus on the issues we deal with every day. Look for these events coming your way soon.
16. AACC is on the Move: I am pleased to announce that the AACC headquarters will be moving to a new location in Forest, Virginia, late this summer. Expanding from 8,000 to 30,000 square feet of office and warehouse space at InService America, we will now be able to localize our entire team and warehousing. In this newly constructed leased space, we will have a “smart classroom” for professional on-site trainings, a complete television and recording studio, increased phone and Internet capabilities, and more. This carefully designed progressive step will allow us to continue to expand the reach and scope of the good work God has called us to. Our leadership and staff are very excited about this opportunity! We will also continue to push toward the development of our own national campus and AACC headquarters in the near future. Thank you for your prayers and support in this regard.
17. New Counseling Classifieds section of the AACC Web site. Here you will find job listings, help wanted ads and other Christian counseling related classified advertisements. You can view the classified section by clicking here. If you are interested in posting your own classified ad, please contact Michael Queen for pricing and instructions at Mike@AACC.net.

While so much is happening in and though the AACC, we haven’t forgotten about you. AACC exists for, and because of, you… our members. Please know of our prayer for and over you every day. God is doing a good work in and through the AACC. I still believe our best days are ahead of us. “May the Lord’s face shine upon you, and be gracious unto you” (Numbers 6:25). Warmly, Tim Clinton, Ed.D., LPC, LMFT, BCPCC President American Association of Christian Counselors

Nearly 50,000 Members and Growing Stronger Every Day!

08/13/2008

Turning from _______ to Jesus:

by William Gaultiere, Ph.D., ChristianSoulCare.com What do you need to turn away from in order to turn to Jesus and follow Him? This is the most important question you could answer today. Jesus began His public ministry saying, “Repent for the kingdom of God is at hand.” That is Jesus’ Gospel. It’s the good news—the best news we could hear! Many people don’t understand what it means to repent. They think it means to feel bad and say they’re sorry, really sorry. But the word for repent that Jesus uses is metanoeo and means “meta-knowing,” or “rethink how you’ve been thinking,” or “change how you have been thinking.” Jesus is teaching us that we must rethink about the way we think of our lives in order to develop a new, biblical vision of living in the kingdom of God continuously ruled by King Jesus in all that we think, desire, and do. But maybe you and I don’t really want Jesus to govern our life? We may say, “The Lord is my Shepherd, I shall not want” (Psalm 23:1), but in truth when we look at the reality of what fills our minds and what controls us we have to admit that something or someone else is the shepherd of our lives. Think about this for yourself. “____________ is my shepherd, I shall not want.” How do you fill in the blank? What do you think about when you’re waiting in line at the grocery store? Driving your car? What do you turn to for comfort when you’re stressed, sad, or bored? As a Christian psychologist I listen to people who, often without intending to do so, show me that the real shepherd they turn to is anger, adrenalin, lust, money, alcohol, obsessive strategizing to solve a problem, an ideal image, pleasing people, isolating… For instance, I’ve worked with many Christian men who turn to pornography, lust, or flirtation. It’s their secret addiction of the mind. They store up images in their mind. They get excited to take a “lust hit.” They don’t want to give her (or him) up completely because they never know when they may need to get that gratification. Sexual pleasure is in their control (yet their life is out of control!) and it’s how they sinfully try to manage their lives apart from God. The lust goddess (or god) is their shepherd. How does a person like this repent? How do you and I turn from whatever false shepherd we tend to rely upon? We need to go into training with Jesus as our coach and develop a VIM…

1. Vision from God for living our life in His kingdom. Jesus is ready to be our constant Shepherd to govern us in His good and loving ways. Do we think about Jesus this way in the situations of our lives? Is our God big enough and good enough?
2. Intention of our heart (will) to be satisfied in God and His vision for our life. Do we want to be the kind of people who in all opportunities and trials trusts Jesus as our Shepherd? Learning to love God with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength, and to love our neighbor usually begins by “wanting to want” what we have not been wanting. We have to probe and examine our heart. Part of us has wanted to rely on lust or pleasing people or whatever (fill in the blank again) as our way to feel better and make things turn out like we want. Will we turn our whole heart over to the Lord?
3. Means for how we can rely on God’s grace to change and become the kind of person envisioned. We have to work with our Good Shepherd in order to learn to turn away from our sin and turn to Him. We need to implement a few specific spiritual practices. For instance, confessing our struggle to a confidant, fasting, meditating, and praying on long Scripture passages related to our struggle, and learning to practice the presence of God.

I learned this VIM approach to repentance from Dallas Willard in his book Renovation of the Heart. I use it as the conceptual structure for implementing treatment plans with my clients and for growth plans to help people in spiritual direction. A good VIM plan engages every part of the self—heart/will, thoughts, feelings, body, social connections, and soul—with God and His kingdom rule.