Outreach Resources of the Year: Counseling and Relationships

Now in its 18th year, the 2021 Outreach Resources of the Year honors the past year’s best books that emphasize outreach-oriented ideas and ministries.

The counseling and relationships category was evaluated by Drs. Les and Leslie Parrott, founders of the marriage assessment SYMBIS.com and authors of Saving Your Marriage Before It Starts.

RESOURCE OF THE YEAR

When Narcissism Comes to Church: Healing Your Community From Emotional and  Spiritual Abuse - Kindle edition by DeGroat, Chuck, Mouw, Richard J..  Religion & Spirituality Kindle eBooks @ Amazon.com.

When Narcissism Comes to Church: Healing Your Community From Emotional and Spiritual Abuse by Chuck DeGroat (IVP)

Professor, therapist and pastor Chuck DeGroat tackles the dicey and understudied issue of one of the most ignored and crazy-making toxins in our society today, particularly in the church—narcissism. The often charming but eventually overcontrolling leadership style of the narcissist leaves almost everyone in its wake confused, if not bullied, demeaned or even traumatized. When Narcissism Comes to Church is not a cold or clinical look at the narcissistic mask, however. It’s replete with tenderness, generosity and hope. DeGroat calls all of us to engage in the difficult “shadow work” of confronting our own darker sides to find the light of recovery in the gospel of Jesus. Ultimately, this is a thoughtful and accessible book on emotional and spiritual healing.

Additional counseling and relationship resources are available at outreachmagazine.com/counseling.

Lora Schrock
Lora Schrock

Lora Schrock is co-editor of Outreach magazine. She has 30 years of publishing experience and is the author of numerous articles and books.

My Top 5 Books on Evangelism

The spiritual discipline of evangelism requires a faithful walk with the Lord, intentionality, understanding contexts, and connecting with people far from God.

Bethlehem Church: What You Celebrate, You Replicate

The power of storytelling is used throughout the year to proclaim God’s goodness to the congregation, and it seems to be affecting church growth positively.

The Danger of Attempting It Alone

It’s not just unwise to be without a church; it’s dangerous. And the reason it’s dangerous is because we aren’t strong enough to go at life with Christ on our own.