As we prepare to leave 2017 behind I wanted to take a moment and thank each of you who stop by the blog regularly. It is such a blessing to hear from so many of you who are benefitting from the blog, direct services, or training events we have been a part of this past year. 2017 was by far my busiest year of travel, teaching, counseling and coaching. This past year I was blessed to speak about once a month regarding the gospel and domestic abuse. I met with leadership from the Biblical counseling movement in the mid-west and west coast, Amish leaders in Indiana, Advocates in the south, seminary students, churches, shelters, and many more. God is truly at work within the church raising up wave after wave of advocates for peace and 2018 has the potential to see this movement continue to grow. With this growth in mind, would you consider joining me in prayer regarding three ministry opportunities we are pursuing in 2018?
- The PeaceWorks podcast
2018 will see the launch of a brand new free resource in the form of the PeaceWorks podcast. I have been recording, re-recording, and editing content for weeks now in preparation of the podcast’s debut. It’s not the highest quality show ever produced but we do hope the content will be rich and helpful. This year the podcast will feature survivor stories from individuals who have found hope and healing after abuse, interviews with experts in the fields of advocacy, counseling, and batterer intervention, and Q & A episodes where I will answer questions regarding addiction overlap, mental health diagnosis, church leadership engagement and much more. Look for the PeaceWorks podcast on our website or subscribe through apple podcasts. The first official episode is scheduled to drop on Tuesday, January 9th.
- Hope and the Biblical counseling movement
Much has been said regarding the church’s failure to intervene on behalf of victims or to adequately speak to the issues surrounding domestic violence. This criticism is often warranted and no sub-culture within evangelicalism may have received more critique in 2017 than the Biblical counseling movement. I am so pleased by the recent interest and responses from within Biblical counseling as many wish to learn, grow, change, and provide a more robust understanding and response to the problem. The Biblical counseling movement represents thousands of evangelical Christians (mostly lay people) who are first responders within their local churches and communities and connecting this army with good resources and better training will be a tremendous win for all of us committed to reducing violence against women within the Christian community. Please partner with us in prayer as I will be presenting on the subject of domestic violence at some of the largest Biblical counseling events in 2018.
o Feb 11-16 Biblical Counseling Training Conference - Faith Church - Lafayette, IN
https://www.faithlafayette.org/biblical-counseling-training-conference
o April 12-14 ABC National Conference - McKinney Bible Church - Fort Worth, TX
https://www.calledtocounsel.com
o Aug 2-4 IABC International Conference - LIFE Family Bible Church - Westminster, CO
o Oct 1-3 ACBC Annual Conference - Southwestern Theological Seminary - Fort Worth, TX
https://biblicalcounseling.com/conference/abuse
- PeaceWorks University
Finally, I am so excited to announce a new opportunity for people helpers through our website beginning this February. During the Faith Biblical counseling training conference we will be launching an updated version of our training program, PeaceWorks University. More than a training course we are currently updating PeaceWorks U to include all our current content on domestic abuse and new content updated monthly on an affordable subscription website. In addition to the hundreds of pages and hours of video content we have produced over the years PeaceWorks University will feature monthly masterclasses with experts, monthly additions to the toolbox such as possible homework, infographics, etc and monthly live Q and A through the community forum. Not only will PeaceWorks University allow us to connect more regularly and with more purpose but it will also serve as a network for like-minded people helpers. Be on the lookout for more info in February including the opportunity to become a founding member and lock in to the lowest rate imaginable.
Thank you again for your partnership and prayer. "May the God of all hope, fill you with joy, and peace."
-Chris