Christian Peer Counseling: Love in Action

The church encounters so many problems today. A single pastor supported by one of two staff members cannot handle the counseling load of an individual church. The reasonable alternative is that we can address this need ourselves and learn how to counsel our people. Peer counseling is an idea whose time has come. It's up to each of us to take a stand and help those around us. At the same time, peer counseling is not a radical program. Its roots are deep in the history of the church. This book is a practical guide to Christian peer counseling. Joan Sturkie and Gordon R. Bear describe how to set up a peer counseling program in your church or organization. At the same time, this book is motivational, instructional, and inspirational. It motivates by appealing to our urges to assist in the ministries of our churches, and it encourages those of us already involved in those ministries. It also stimulates people outside church programs to accept peer counseling as a way through which Christianity can related to the relevant needs of hurting people. Each of the book's four sections is informative and thought provoking. They describe: The legacy of the church and the history of the peer counseling movement. The vital components of establishing and maintaining a program of peer counseling, including an overview of a training sequence 8 examples of how lives have been affected by peer counseling and thirteen models of ministry from representative churches and organizations Same forms, program ideas, and an extensive bibliography Each section can be read separately for specific information, but together the 4 sections offer a comprehensive overview of peer counseling. This book is a valuable addition to the library of Christian counseling books and a welcome resource to the emerging literature on the peer counseling movement.