Tuesday, February 21, 2006

Resources: Relational and Sexual Brokenness

Occasionally, I will post information about conferences, para-church ministries, and other resources that have been particularly helpful to us at NCC. One of the toughest situations we encounter as pastors are counseling issues that go beyond our education and experience.

I have lost count of the number of people who have met with me to talk about their relational and sexual struggles. Many were abused emotionally and sexually as children. Many men and women who struggle with pornography and lust. Many NCCers have struggled with sexual orientation issues. It is an amazing blessing to be involved in the lives of these people and to walk with them towards hope and healing in Christ.

At NCC, we have hosted small groups specifically designed for people walking through these issues. And we have also partnered with a para-church group called Regeneration Ministries. I cannot even begin to express how thankful I am for the work that Regeneration Ministries offers to the Body of Christ.

Regeneration Ministries is a local Virginia-based ministry that runs a program called Living Waters. Dozens of NCCers have participated in this 9-month program and have found hope and healing from all kinds of relational brokenness-- pornography, lust, promiscuity, abuse, sexual addictions, sexual orientation, etc.

Living Waters is a curriculum created by Desert Stream Ministries, and it is run in different locations all over the United States. They have other programs, as well, including Salt (for men), Cross-Current (8-week introductory course), and the River (Living Waters re-engineered for teenagers and young adults). You can search for groups here. NCC partenered with Regeneration Ministries to offer Cross-Current as a semester-long small group last year.

Here are some other helpful resources:

Exodus International: Umbrella organization for ministries addressing sexual orientation issues. Regeneration Ministries is our local organization. Exodus can direct you to the ministries closest to you.

Regeneration Books: Excellent resources for those walking through relational and sexual brokenness and for those who are friends and families of those dealing with these issues. Orders are completely confidential and the delivery boxes are unmarked to maintain confidentiality.

Love Won Out Conference: By Focus on the Family. I highly recommend this conference to anyone who is a friend or family member of someone facing sexual orientation issues. I also highly recommend it to any pastor or small group leader who might encounter these situations. Absolutely fantastic teaching and Godly perspectives on this important and timely issue.

If anyone else has good resources to recommend on the issues of sexual and relational brokenness, please feel free to post them in the comment thread.

1 Comments:

At 1:29 PM, Anonymous Anonymous said...

There are so many ignorant comments in your blog, I am so afraid for the people who seek counseling from someone who is both untrained and so irresponsible.

"One of the toughest situations we encounter as pastors are counseling issues that go beyond our education and experience"

You're correct this goes far beyond your capabilities so leave it to the professionals. The "Just the facts coalition" is a group of 10 major medical and mental health organizations (including the APA & AMA) that oppose the use of reparative or conversion therapy which is whats used in the organizations you're recommending to people. Please check out what they have to say. Reparative therapy is not only very unsuccessful it is VERY damaging and shame based repression.
http://www.apa.org/pi/lgbc/publications/justthefacts.html

"relational and sexual struggles"..."struggle with pornography and lust"..."sexual orientation issues"..."pornography, lust, promiscuity, abuse, sexual addictions, sexual orientation, etc."

All of these statements show your ignorance even more, why are you comparing pornography, lust, abuse, promiscuity, and sexual addictions to homosexuality? Being gay has nothing to do with the other?

"to walk with them towards hope and healing in Christ."...

This is your view and purely your view there are numerous religious organizations out there that in no way share your view on homosexuality and religion. If people can please refer to Metropolitan Community Church MCC and this website http://www.gladalliance.org/oaa.html for open and affirming congregations near you.

As far as conversion therapy and its damaging affects please see what people who have actually gone through these programs have to say before you make a decision to enter into one http://www.beyondexgay.com/


AS for Exodus, heres the most recent quote from the president about reparative therapy "Is everyone able to change? I think that's still up for debate," Chambers said

"This is a very difficult path to take so we're not suggesting it's easy," Yarhouse said

"If anyone else has good resources to recommend"....
PLEASE everyone look up information on the following names of people who are/were involved with the ex-gay movement and see where they ended up- The truth that this blogger fails to talk about, as its damaging to their cause......

Zachary Stark and his bad experiences with Love in Action who was investigated by the state of Tennessee

Mike Bussee & Gary Cooper - Founders of Exodus fell in love and have been happy together since the late 70's

John Paulke - of Love won out, caught leaving a gay bar in DC after claiming to be "cured".

Mike Johnson- Involved with the AFA but was sleeping with men while claiming he was "cured'

Chris Austin- Ex-gay and ex-gay therapist who is now a convicted felon for using "touch therapy" and lost his license.

Ted Haggard- preached against homosexuality with Focus on the family and was doing drugs with a male prostitute for 3 years

Richard Cohen-Ex-gay and Ex-gay therapist kicked out of ACA.

please check this link for verification and more links

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reparative_therapy#Controversies.2C_criticisms.2C_and_scandals

Why does someone being gay bother you so much let people be, what ever happened to "love thy neighbor?"

 

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