Try This: Encourage Healing by Modeling Openness

There is a common misconception in our culture that church is a place for people who have everything together, which is not helpful in connecting with those who hurt. One way to address this is for church leaders to model openness about personal suffering and challenges. This doesn’t mean that leaders have to share everything from their personal lives, but a leader who is willing to be open about their own experience helps people feel like they too can be open and so find the help and support they need. And it has the added benefit of cultivating a church culture that puts a greater emphasis on outreach and relationship-building in order to come alongside others who are suffering.

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Outreach Magazine
Outreach Magazinehttp://outreachmagazine.com

Outreach magazine publishes ideas, innovations, resources and stories to help church leaders reach their communities and change the world. Founded in January 2003 by church communications company Outreach Inc., Outreach is an award-winning, bimonthly periodical for church leadership and is available by subscription and on Amazon.com. Find out more at outreachmagazine.com

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Consider these seasonal ideas for your church to be intentional in the community, with the church body, and in best practices.

Suffering From Spiritual Anemia

We need not starve our souls or allow our relationship with God through Christ to fade like the dying embers of an untended fire. We can seek the face of God.

Arthur C. Brooks: Real Happiness

A lot of Christians feel guilty about enjoying their life because they think that enjoyment and pleasure are the same thing, and they’re not.