This Month: DEPTH
Branches Equipping and Teaching Academy
It seems the next piece of the Branches miracle has fallen into place. Our vision as the Branches Community has always been fourfold; wholeness (counseling), healing (groups), worship, and equipping. We have six (count them, six) wonderful counselors in place that are incredible in their gifts and passion. We minister to an amazing number of people each week in groups. And our weekly Prayer Support Group, and monthly Recovery Worship is just wonderful. But what about equipping?
Our dream has been to be a teaching center, to tell our story to others and have them take this healing concept back to their own churches and communities. Now that is about to happen.
We are pleased (and awed) to announce B.E.T.A., Branches Equipping and Teaching Academy. Just last week we have been approved as a Certified Academic Institution by the National Christian Counselors Association. This allows us to offer an accredited curriculum and to make our own contribution to it. What?
Branches has put an approved training center in place that will train christian counselors and allow them to be certified by the NCCA. Our eight course, four semester program, will include courses in Temperament Theory and Therapy, Basic Christian Counseling, Crisis Intervention, and Testing and Measurements. Courses will be offered by both directed study and in eight weekend classroom sessions over a two year period. Course work can begin immediately but our first classes will begin this fall.
Our purpose is to bring healing to the Body of Christ. What better way than to train an army of counselors to work in His church? PTL
Mike and Doris
Getting Deeper
Today is our baby’s birthday. He doesn’t like to be called that. Jacob is 22 today. (I was 14 when he was born.) On his birthday he is 4000 miles from home in the middle of a grand adventure backpacking through Europe. He has been to London, Brussels, Munich, Rome, Florence, Venice, Nice, and a lot of other cities that I can’t pronounce. Today, on his birthday, Jacob is in Paris.
Two things jump out at me. First, he is in Paris. How cool is that? He is seeing things and experiencing things that I have only dreamed of. He sent us pictures from Big Ben, the Vatican, and the Eiffel Tower. He ate waffles in Belgium and pizza in Italy. He is digging deep into the experience of life.
The second thing, he is in Paris. I can’t get to him. What if he loses his cell phone, or twists an ankle, or a dog eats his homework? All of those things that his mother and I used to be quick to remedy are now completely out of our hands. We can’t take care of him anymore.
So what about getting deeper? Well it dawns on me that our walk with God is about experience and trust. If we are really going to “know Christ” we are going to have to leave the familiar places and go someplace that we probably have never been before. John Ortberg said, “If you want to walk on water you have to get out of the boat.”
And the only way we can do that is to place all that we hold dear in the Hands of the One that we can trust. We can’t control. We can’t protect. We can’t hold on. We just let go of that which is most precious to us and allow God to use it, and us, for His good and His glory. That takes us to some deep places.
The deeper life is a grand adventure. It is continually moving from the known to the unknown. It is continually laying down (what we love) and picking up (a cross). And, if Jacob’s pictures and emails are any indication, the deeper life is worth the risk. ….Maybe I’ll have a waffle. Mike
SPRING SUPPORT GROUPS
@ Branches
The power of the group is amazing. We have some incredibly dedicated group leaders and some awesome groups this spring at the Recovery Center. Here is the current schedule:
- Body Image: Eating Disorders for Teens and Adults. Led by Jennifer Courtney, this group meets Monday evenings at 6:00pm. It just began last Monday and will continue for 10 weeks. Please refer someone to this group.
- G.O.O.D. Growing Out Of Depression This is a powerful group that meets Tuesday evening from 6:30pm to 8:00pm. GOOD begins April 15.
- Chronic Pain is a self-led support group that meets Tuesday morning at 10:00am to encourage and educate those dealing with ongoing emotional and physical pain.
- Love & Respect begins next Thursday, April 10, at 7:00pm and continues 6 weeks. Led by Chandy Powell, the group uses the DVD material of Dr. Emerson Eggerichs for couples. It is TERRIFFIC.
- Unheard Voices: a support group for weary women. This group begins April 8 and is a wonderful time of open, honest storytelling from and for women who desperately need a place to be heard and affirmed. Suzanne will facilitate this group.
Support Groups at Branches are open to anyone and have a very minimal fee, usually $15 per week. Call for more information.
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