Would you like to know the best church growth strategy?

Just click here.

Are you in burnout?

Burnout is a widespread problem in many careers but it is particularly common in positions of ministry leadership.

I define burnout as the state of mental exhaustion from long term stress. The most common symptoms are chronic fatigue, loss of future vision or enthusiasm for the job and the feeling of being trapped on a treadmill.

There are many reasons why burnout is so common in ministry. Here are a few.

Pastoral ministry in particular is not a well defined job. Everyone has a different expectation of what you should be doing. That means there will always be someone dissatisfied with your performance. You have to be prepared for constant criticism. You are expected to recruit and lead volunteers but there is no authority structure to work with like there would be in a corporation. Pastors wear too many hats like teacher, administrator, fundraiser, counsellor and custodian. There are few boundaries on your time. There is an expectation that you have to always be available to everyone.

So how can you survive?

The most important truth to embrace is that it is not your church. It’s God’s. You are the shepherd not the owner.

What are you doing about your own spiritual and emotional growth? If you’re not growing, your people won’t be either. You can’t lead where you haven’t gone first. What are you modeling? Don’t expect them to walk in victory if you aren’t.

Find someone to talk to where it’s safe to unload. I suggest a professional counsellor. They will give you objective advice and hold you accountable. Deal with your own emotional baggage or it will spill into all your teaching and relationships. The counsellor can help you with this too.

Set boundaries so you don’t get too engulfed with other people’s problems. Know when to refer them to professionals for help. We have many resources that you can use in home groups for those needing emotional recovery. I can come to your area and teach transformation seminars. These tools will save you time, energy and frustration.

Make your marriage a top priority. Ministry starts first in your home.

The key to preventing burnout in ministry is Ex. 33:14, “My presence will go with you and I will give you rest.” Effective ministry only takes place when God is present and active. When he is working, you can relax. When you make it your highest priority to live and work in God’s presence he will refresh you daily.

If you would like more information about our healing and recovery seminars click here. You can create your own seminar or home recovery group with our 14 DVD set at a special package price along with the book Emotionally Free.

All our DVD’s are now available for immediate download. No plastic, no shipping and no import duties.

Subscribe to Dr. Mullen’s free monthly video podcasts on iTunes or by visiting http://www.podanza.com.

Is suicide the unpardonable sin?

This question has come up many times during my career in mental health.

Suicide of course, is the worst possible outcome in any mental illness. It creates devastating life long trauma for the loved ones affected. For Christians, suicide raises a very uncomfortable issue that most are afraid to verbalize and no one seems to be discussing. This question torments the minds of friends and family members who are already overwhelmed by grief.

That question, which I have so often been asked is this, “Does suicide automatically condemn a person to eternal punishment?”

I have given this issue considerable thought and the answer in my opinion is clearly no.

In the majority of cases, suicide is the result of a severe and disabling mental illness. Looking at it that way, suicide is the fatal conclusion to what became for that person a terminal mental illness. Dying from an illness cannot put a person in Hell.

I know there are many who would argue with me saying that suicide is murder which always deserves punishment. Others say that the fear of Hell is enough to keep people from committing suicide. I have in fact met many suicidal patients who told me that it was only the fear of Hell that prevented them from a fatal act. Still others will argue that my position will encourage people to suicide as a quick exit to Heaven.

God of course is the ultimate judge of what happens to people after death but my concern is for those left behind. I have seen far too many family members tormented for life with the thought of their mentally ill Christian relatives being punished for eternity as a result of succumbing to an illness.

I want to reassure grieving family members that if the deceased was a believer then a mental illness cannot change their status before God. Though we don’t agree with their actions, they did not commit the unpardonable sin.

If you are grieving today, I hope you will be able to feel the comfort of God wrapping his arms around you and lifting this heavy burden off you.

If you would like more information about our healing and recovery seminars click here. You can create your own seminar or home recovery group with our 14 DVD set at a special package price along with the book Emotionally Free.

If there are topics that you would like Dr. Mullen to comment on, send your request to leaderpoints@drgrantmullen.com.

All our DVD’s are now available for immediate download. No plastic, no shipping and no import duties.

Subscribe to Dr. Mullen’s free monthly video podcasts on iTunes or by visiting http://www.podanza.com.

What are the Christmas Blues?

How could anyone be more blue at Christmas? It’s such a happy, warm and fuzzy time of year. Having practiced mental health for 26 years, I can tell you that Christmas blues are not only very real but they are surprisingly common. Very few people will admit to it though, due to the social stigma against anyone who isn’t happy at this time of year.

So why would people be more down, sad or anxious at Christmas? There are many reasons. I’ll give you a few so you can better understand what’s really going on in December.

Depression is more common in the darker winter months. Every Fall I noticed that my patients’ moods would often slip as soon as the clocks changed to Standard Time. Since Christmas comes when the days are shortest (in the Northern Hemisphere) then depression would be expected to be worse. I often had to increase antidepressant medication to get people through the winter months.

The Christmas season comes with unrealistic expectations of endless bliss which are fed to us by the media and retailers. We are told that everyone should have a Norman Rockwell or greeting card Christmas filled with fun, friends and gifts. This of course is usually impossible. Normal life does actually continue through the holiday season. We feel guilty though if we aren’t partying every night or are living within a budget.

Christmas turns the spotlight on relationships because of the expectation that everyone should be socializing. If you have had a broken relationship or have lost a loved one in the past year, Christmas will magnify the sense of loss and loneliness.

Christmas pushes people into dangerous levels of debt as a result of the competitive pressure to give bigger gifts. The media constantly reminds us that to enjoy the holidays we must be spending big. This creates unnecessary financial stress to individuals and marriages.

Christmas forces people together who might prefer to be apart. There is a false expectation that everyone wants to be together for the holidays. Interpersonal tensions can rise at Christmas as people are forced together where old wounds can be reopened and issues exposed. Many family gatherings are uncomfortable events as people pretend to enjoy the company of those they spend all year trying to avoid.

These are just a few of the many reasons why the Christmas season is so hard for many people. Let’s be more realistic about the holidays so they can be enjoyed and not just survived.

Encourage your people to attend one of our Transformation Seminars where I teach people how to live in emotional health. Help is available, learn how to use it.

If you would like more information about our healing and recovery seminars click here. You can create your own seminar with our 14 DVD set along with the book Emotionally Free.

If there are topics that you would like Dr. Mullen to comment on, send your request to leaderpoints@drgrantmullen.com.

All our DVD’s are now available for immediate download. No plastic, no shipping and no import duties.

Can a person be too supportive?

One of the most unusual and awkward problems that leaders face is when someone is too enthusiastic or too supportive.

Most of us would think that this was the best possible situation for a leader to have but it actually isn't. Does this scene sound familiar?

It can start out in a very positive way. A person can appear to be energized or captivated by one of your ideas, plans or programs. They volunteer to help or lead it and dive into the details of implementation. So far so good. It makes you feel like a very effective visionary leader.

They seem to have endless energy to implement your vision. They just can’t stop working on it. Family or personal tasks are put aside so they can be at the church advancing the project. They seem to be flooded with initially good ideas to make the project better. Then the ideas seem to deviate from your original vision. When you express gentle correction they get irritable and wonder if you don’t appreciate their support.

You are called frequently and at home as the person comes up with more ideas and questions. You notice that they are talking louder and faster and they are acting more independently, presuming to know in advance what you would want to do. They don’t need as much sleep as they get more involved with the new vision.

At church they become bossy and arrogant boasting about their special relationship with you and how indispensable they have become to the church. They may also become super spiritual, claiming to have special revelation and insight.

Now you are concerned, something just isn’t right. They just can’t seem to calm down and work at a normal pace. If you try to correct them they bristle. They may even try to take over the project and push you aside.

These are signs of hypomania. It’s a type of mood swing which is the opposite of depression. When this happens a person’s mind races and they can’t shut off positive thoughts that make them feel pumped and driven. It also gives them too much energy, makes them impatient, irritable, impulsive and arrogant. They don’t need much sleep and they talk loud and fast. They are prone to overspending and may even becoming flirty.

If you see these warning signs you need to take immediate action to prevent an ugly scene. First you need to learn about hypomania which is a type of bipolar mood disorder. You can find out how mood disorders affect Christians in my book Emotionally Free or the DVD’s Depression or Moods.

These people need to see a doctor before the swing gets worse or they crash into depression. It’s not easy to convince a person in this elevated mood that they need help. The tactic that worked for me was to point out that it’s not healthy to go on so little sleep so they should see a doctor to get some help with that. You may even have the opportunity to share the DVD’s with them so they could see themselves and recognize their need for help.

Bipolar disorder is very treatable with good outcomes. If left untreated a hypomanic person can change from your biggest supporter to worst enemy. If you see any of these warning signs, use our materials to get informed and know what to do.

Encourage your people to attend one of our Transformation Seminars where I teach people how to monitor their own moods. Help is available, learn how to use it.

If you would like more information about our healing and recovery seminars click here. You can create your own seminar with our 14 DVD set along with the book Emotionally Free.

If there are topics that you would like Dr. Mullen to comment on, send your request to leaderpoints@drgrantmullen.com.

All our DVD’s are now available for immediate download. No plastic, no shipping and no import duties.

Would you like a healthier church?

Many leaders have told me that they are overwhelmed by the emotional needs and brokenness of the people in their churches. Instead of reaching out to non Christians, pastors spend much of their week patching together the broken lives of the believers. Why are so many Christians struggling with bad attitudes, relationships and emotional pain?

I was confronted by these questions when I first became involved in Christian mental health. I couldn’t believe the hidden struggle that so many people were experiencing while pretending to be “walking in victory.”

The more I talked to these people it became clear that there was no safe place in the church where they could admit to having problems, so they just buried it and keep on struggling, pretending everything was fine. It took very little added stress to cause them to crumble.

So how can this be happening? Here is the key to understanding this situation.

When we become Christians our sins are forgiven and removed. Our personality, however, where we have stored our self concept, memories and attitudes is unchanged. So we can be children of God, yet very wounded and unhappy, carrying the emotional baggage of our past.

So what’s the answer to this all too common problem?

It’s this, God wants us to be saved and transformed.

Salvation is the beginning of the healing journey, not the end.

We need to acknowledge as leaders that our people are still struggling with the emotional wounds and baggage of their pasts and it’s interfering with current relationships and their walk with God. We must make our churches safe places to come and be honest about our struggles. We also need to create programs or groups where people can be led through the path to emotional healing and freedom. This is likely best done in a small group setting. There are many programs available that can easily be integrated into the church calendar. Many churches use my 14 DVD set along with the book Emotionally Free, with great results.

Here is letter from a church that has caught this vision.

I want to drop you a note on the wonderful works that God is doing in our church through your videos and DVDs.

When I came back from the Breaking Free from Depression Conference in Hawaii, I recommended the series to the caregroup leader. We finally got to do 13 weeks of the material. Then I promoted to the church and made it a Sunday School Class. We chose 8 of the sessions and called the discussions F.A.S.T. (Freedom and Authority through Spiritual Transformation). It is to match the theme of our church (Spiritual Transformation). After one round of the Sunday School, people demanded it to return. Then the church full time staff requested that they go through the FAST class too. The teenagers in the high school fellowship started to request that the program be shown in their meetings. And our care group is getting set to finish the rest of the 6 weeks sessions so we can decide what to do with Part 2 and even 3. Excitement seems to be in the air everywhere I turn.

Praise the Lord for doing His wonderful work to bring people to freedom!

So ask God what you can do to assist more people in their recovery journey. Our churches will be healthier and able to reproduce as the past emotional wounds are healed and the baggage is removed.

If you would like more information about our healing and recovery seminars click here.

If there are topics that you would like Dr. Mullen to comment on, send your request to leaderpoints@drgrantmullen.com.

All our DVD’s are now available for immediate download. No plastic, no shipping and no import duties.

Are you afraid of psychiatry?

Having grown up in the church, it has been my experience that Christians and their leaders are afraid of psychiatry. They are also afraid of psychiatric treatment so as a result, are very reluctant to get medical help for mental health problems. Many Christians are then suffering needlessly from treatable conditions.

It’s easy to understand how this fear began. Sigmund Freud, who has been considered the father of psychiatry was openly critical of religion. He even blamed some disorders on religious beliefs. Of course the Christian community was outraged and offended at these accusations. They immediately became skeptical that there was any value in psychiatric treatment and it was likely unwise for a Christian to be exposed to it.

Psychiatric treatment became negatively stigmatized and Christians felt that to see a psychiatrist would be considered a demonstration of hopelessness and lack of faith. To this day, patients of mine have been actively discouraged by Christian friends from coming to see me. Even though I’m a Christian, my reputation has been tainted by providing psychiatric treatment.

Here’s the good news that all Christian leaders need to hear. Freud’s opinions have been largely abandoned by modern psychiatry. This medical specialty is now focused primarily on the medication treatment of brain chemical imbalances. Psychiatry is now not much different from Internal Medicine. There is far more prescribing of medications than there is psychotherapy. Religion is no longer blamed for anything and patients are often encouraged to strengthen their spirituality.

There is no longer any reason to fear psychiatrists or psychiatric treatment. If you are helping someone struggling with a mood disorder like depression, encourage them to see a doctor to begin treatment. I have created books and recordings that will easily explain the diagnosis and treatments from a Christian perspective. You can see them listed here. In my seminars, I include a session called “Moods, what Christians should know about depression, anxiety and mood swings.” In this presentation I explain why psychiatry is now safe for Christians. For more information about my seminars, click here.

All our DVD's are now available for immediate download so you can eliminate plastic, shipping and import duties.

If there are topics that you would like Dr. Mullen to comment on, send your request to leaderpoints@drgrantmullen.com.

“I’ve committed the unpardonable sin.”

“Why do you think that?” I asked the very downcast woman sitting in my office.

“Because God has abandoned me. I can’t read the Bible, pray, worship or go to church. I repent constantly but nothing changes. I know it’s the only sin that can’t be forgiven. I must have done it or I wouldn’t feel this way.”

“What do you think the unpardonable sin is?” I asked gently, sensing her overwhelming despair at being cut off from the God she loved.

“I’m not sure but I must have done it.”

I tried to explain to her the very fact that she wanted to stay in relationship with God proved that the Holy Spirit was still active in her spirit. It didn’t help. She was convinced and I couldn’t change her mind.

How many times has this issue come up in your counseling appointments? I’m surprised how often I’ve heard it in my mental health clinic. I never thought it would be a matter that people would tell a doctor.

Considering how rare it’s ever mentioned in a sermon (I think I’ve heard it once in my life from a pulpit) it amazes me how often people think of it when they are feeling down.

Here’s this month’s tip.

Whenever you hear someone talking like the woman above, think depression. It has been my experience that everyone who is preoccupied with the unpardonable sin has been chemically depressed needing medication.

When you are depressed, you can’t shut off disturbing thoughts. The unpardonable sin just becomes another negative thought that can’t be stopped. It is particularly painful of course for Christians. Trying to talk them out of it will have limited results until they have been medically treated. The good news is that when depression lifts, so does the preoccupation with the unpardonable sin.

So the next time you hear someone express guilt over the unpardonable sin, suspect depression. You can then use the tools we have created to help you get those people into treatment. I recommend the DVD called “Depression, the path to recovery.” You can see the first 5 minutes by clicking here.

For more information on how mood disorders affect Christians, click here.

If there are topics that you would like Dr. Mullen to comment on, send your request to leaderpoints@drgrantmullen.com.

If you want to learn more about our emotional recovery seminars click here.

Is fear a sin?

“Do you worry a lot?” I asked a Christian woman who was seeing me for the first time about depression.

“No, of course not,” she answered with so much confidence that I didn’t believe a word, “worry is a sin.”

Upon further questioning about her depression, it became obvious that she worried constantly since it was a part of her illness that she could not control. She was too ashamed to admit it though because she had been taught that Phil. 4:6 Do not be anxious about anything, was a command. If she were to worry, it would be deliberate disobedience to this command and therefore a sin. Being a sincere Christian, she didn’t want to disobey, so she just denied that reality.

I have personally heard ministers teach that Phil. 4:6 was a command and to worry was a sin. They even went so far as to insist that the cure for worry was to repent for it, renounce the habit and refuse to do it again.

This position is not only wrong but very harmful. I want to help you avoid making this mistake.

A person with a mood or anxiety disorder has a physical condition that prevents them from controlling their thoughts. They can’t stop worrying even though they desperately want to. To tell them that this is a sign of willful, repetitive sin is not only untrue but deeply offensive. It has led many of my patients to believe that they have lost their salvation or committed the unpardonable sin. This of course compounds their anxiety problem.

The same caution applies to the use of 2 Cor. 10:5, We take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ. A person with a mood disorder is physically unable to obey this command because their chemical imbalance makes it impossible to control their own thoughts.

These verses were written to those with normal thought control who were able to choose and direct their thoughts.

We must be careful how we speak about psychiatric matters in church. Let’s make church a place of understanding and encouragement rather than of inadvertent condemnation.

For more information on how mood disorders affect Christians, click here.

If there are topics that you would like Dr. Mullen to comment on, send your request to leaderpoints@drgrantmullen.com.

If you want to learn more about our emotional recovery seminars click here.

Are you getting frustrated?

Many pastors tell me that they are spending increasing hours every week counseling people who are suffering with mood, emotional or personal problems.

This of course, is a normal part of pastoring but the demand is exploding. It can also be very draining personally, especially if the people are not improving or if they become emotionally dependent on you to “make them better.”

This month I want to give you a few tips to make your job easier.

First you need to ask yourself “Is counseling my gift?” An easy way to tell is this. At the end of a counseling appointment do you feel energized or drained? Do you feel that you have been giving out of a full heart or that the person is sucking the life out of you?

If you feel energized then you probably have the gift. You should continue to counsel but put firm boundaries around your time so that people don’t abuse your skill and compassion.

For those of you who are just drained. I suggest that you refer people to professional counselors who you trust. A model that seems to work in this situation is that the pastor would see a person initially to assess the situation and show supportive interest. Then he would refer the person to a professional. You could continue to meet with them regularly to review how they are doing with the counselor or doctor. This allows you to stay in contact, show interest and support but not be engulfed with their problems.

This method also prevents the counseling demands from taking you away from other important responsibilities.

What should you do about people who are not getting better or who are becoming emotionally dependent on you?

If a person is not getting better then you should consider that they may be chemically depressed. In that situation you can use last month’s tip and ask them if they can “shut their minds off.” Then you could use the checklist of depression symptoms from my book or web site. If they have the symptoms then you should suggest taking that information to a doctor to start treatment.

If they are still not improving while on medication, make sure they have eliminated caffeine from their beverages. Caffeine makes depression and anxiety worse so it interferes with the benefit of medications.

You should set tasks and goals for them and make a clear expectation that these goals be accomplished before the next meeting. In this way you place the responsibility to recover back on their shoulders and off yours.

For example, you could ask them to make an appointment with a professional and then ask for the date at the next meeting. You could give them emotional or relational homework that had to be completed by next visit. If they don’t follow through then you postpone the next meeting until the task has been accomplished. In this way they take responsibility for their recovery and you become more of a “coach” than a “rescuer.” As long as they participate in the program your door is open. If they refuse then your ability to help will be limited.

I hope that these tips will reduce your frustration and give you more satisfaction has you help people every day.

If there are topics that you would like Dr. Mullen to comment on, send your request to leaderpoints@drgrantmullen.com.

If you want to learn more about our emotional recovery seminars visit Seminars.

Do you know the question to ask?

Pastors, leaders, managers, counsellors and of course spouses are on the front lines of mental health far more than doctors. You are usually the first person to notice when someone is sliding into depression and you are likely the first person that the sufferer will turn to for help. People only come to doctors when they have run out of other options.

So what should you do when you see someone struggling with depression, anxiety or mood swings? You need to know the key question to ask.

For many people who are struggling with daily life issues, time and rest is all they need. Others will improve after talking to a friend or colleague. If that doesn’t help then a professional counsellor can be of great assistance. What should you do though, when those treatments don’t seem to help and a person continues to slide deeper into depression or anxiety? How do you know when they need medical treatment for a chemical imbalance mood disorder?

Here’s the question you can ask that has been the biggest help to me in my mental health career.

“Can you shut your mind off?”

This is the most valuable question that can help determine if someone needs medical treatment. The hallmark symptom of chemical imbalance is the inability to stop or control thoughts. When this happens, you can’t stop a continuous stream of sad, down, pessimistic, hopeless or anxious thoughts.

If the person you are trying to help admits they can’t stop the bad thoughts and they feel overwhelmed, then it’s time to consider seeing a doctor. A quick and easy tool to use is the information on our web site at the link “Am I normal?” There you will find checklists of symptoms that a person can compare themselves to. You can print out the lists and take them to a doctor to discuss medical treatment.

We have two DVD’s that will help you understand depression from a Christian perspective. Just click on the names below and you can watch five minute previews.

Moods: What Christians should know about depression, anxiety and mood swings.
and
Depression, The Path to Recovery

So the next time you are concerned about someone’s mental health, ask the right question and you’ll know if it’s time to see a doctor.

If there are topics that you would like Dr. Mullen to comment on, send your request to leaderpoints@drgrantmullen.com.

If you want to learn more about our emotional recovery seminars visit Seminars.

Does depression have spiritual symptoms?

You bet it does! If you are a leader, you need to be able to recognize when depression is the cause of a spiritual slide so you can help your people get appropriate treatment.

Depression disrupts all relationships including our relationship with God. A depressed Christian will feel that they have lost the joy of their salvation and that they no longer feel God’s presence. God will seem farther away, silent and unreachable.

A depressed Christian has additional guilt added to their depression since they usually condemn themselves for not snapping out of it. They will assume that they have a spiritual weakness or a character flaw.

Let’s look at how depression affects spiritual activities. There are four fundamental things that Christians do to maintain their walk with God.

First, we pray. Prayer requires concentration and the presumption that a loving, caring person is listening to our prayer. Depression makes it hard to concentrate and the low mood makes one feel cut off from God. Prayer then becomes very difficult for the depressed person.

Second, we read the Bible. This too requires concentration that a depressed person just doesn’t have. As a result, Bible reading is abandoned since it’s too difficult.

Third, we worship. Worship requires concentration and a sense of hope or celebration. Depressed people can’t concentrate and they have nothing to celebrate. They feel dead inside. So worship stops too.

Fourth, we go to church. This involves seeing and talking to people. What do you think are the most awkward words that a depressed person can hear in a church lobby? They are, “Hi, how are you?” How can they respond to that question? They can’t be honest and say, “I want to die, thanks, how are you?” Small talk is very difficult and usually avoided. Depressed people often stop coming to church since it’s just too difficult to be social.

So you can see that the four fundamental devotional activities are almost wiped out by depression. It’s very hard to have a healthy spiritual life when you can’t pray, read, worship or go to church. At this point many assume that God is punishing them or that they have committed the unpardonable sin. A Christian will then suffer even greater depressive pain since not only do they feel cut off from people but also from God, their last resort for help.

Psychiatric disorders, particularly depression, are the only medical illnesses that I know of, with spiritual symptoms. Unfortunately, when leaders see spiritual symptoms like the four mentioned above, they may presume there is a spiritual cause to the problem and that the solution must be spiritual. This error can cause unnecessary delay in the person’s recovery.

If you use the information on our web site by clicking on the link “Am I normal?” you will be able to help the person determine if they have depression and need to see a doctor. When medical treatment is combined with spiritual and emotional treatments, people recover faster than using just one treatment method.

The good news is that when the depression is treated, spiritual life will return to normal.

We have two DVD’s that will help you understand depression from a Christian perspective. Just click on the names below and you can watch five minute previews.

Moods: What Christians should know about depression, anxiety and mood swings.
and
Depression, The Path to Recovery

If there are topics that you would like Dr. Mullen to comment on, send your request to leaderpoints@drgrantmullen.com.

If you want to learn more about our emotional recovery seminars visit Seminars.

Is your church “Seeker friendly?”

“No good Christian will ever suffer from depression.” That’s what I heard a church leader say to 2,000 people at a large conference. It makes you wonder if he ever really listened to the people he was pastoring.

As most of you pastor/leaders already know, depression is common both inside and outside the church. Experts estimate that 10-20% of the population is suffering from depression. My guess is that the percentage of depressed people in churches is actually a bit higher than in the population. That’s because depressed people are seekers. Seekers look for churches that could help them.

If a depressed seeker visits your church, what will they experience?

If your church pretends that depression doesn’t exist in Christians, like the pastor quoted above, then you may be offering false hope to a seeker. They may join the church hoping that the promises of continuous peace, love and joy will come true in their lives. If their depression and emotional baggage is never addressed, a few months later they will start to question the promises they heard. If no one acknowledges the reality of their struggle then they will become disillusioned and leave the church to continue their search elsewhere.

Let me suggest another model that I have seen working well in many churches.

These churches recognize that many of their members are struggling with mood and emotional issues. These issues are holding them back from successful lives at home, work and church. The churches run home recovery groups that are open to anyone searching for a Christian perspective on their struggles. In these groups they can finally be honest about themselves and hear how much God cares about them and has provided tools to help. The group leaders are not trained professionals but Christians who care.

There are many resources available for churches who want to start recovery groups. One very popular program is called “Celebrate Recovery.” You can learn more about it at this link, www.celebraterecovery.com.

Many churches use our book “Emotionally Free” and the 14 part DVD series to show in home groups. By creating a safe place for people to be honest about their struggles, seekers are growing in faith and staying in the church.

To see our DVD series, click on this link, DVD Series

Do you want your church to be “Seeker friendly?” Then create a place where the emotional needs of people can be met with the practical and loving application of God’s truth.

If there are topics that you would like Dr. Mullen to comment on, send your request to leaderpoints@drgrantmullen.com.

If you want to learn more about our emotional recovery seminars visit Seminars.

 

First Name:
Last Name:
Email: