2021 Year End Review
/A Year of Unprecedented Growth
In 2021, the focus has been on the pandemic and the threat that it poses to our physical health. Yet, the threat to our mental health has largely been overlooked. In 2021, the number of counseling sessions has increased by approximately 35% (close to 1000 sessions, some multiple hours)! That has posed a challenge for my own mental health. I am wired to “get things done” but even this caseload has challenged my bandwith to respond to the requests for counseling. From marriages traumatized by infidelity, individuals experiencing debilitating anxiety and depression, to profound loneliness, people are hurting. I am thankful for the addition of Dale Zarlenga as he has absorbed some of the increase in counseling cases.
A Year of Minimal Travel but Not Impact
Although travel has been picking back up, most of the speaking events this year have shifted to Zoom. This year, I did several marriage webinars with churches in Toronto and New York. I also pre-recorded a series of talks for a group in Australia around my newest book, Unstuck: A Nine-Step Journey to Change that Lasts.
New Online Courses
In 2021, I partnered with Trinity Presbyterian Church in Montgomery, AL and East Cobb Presbyterian Church in Atlanta to do several training events that were recorded in video and are now available for purchase to use individually, as well as with small groups and leaders in churches. New courses are listed below:
Cultivating a Culture of Grace and Growth in the Local Church—this course maps out a vision for local church care and provides suggestions for structure and process.
Unstuck: A Nine-Step Journey to Change That Lasts—this course gives leaders a simple but rich way of thinking about people and their problems that allows for complexity.
Relationships: A Mess Worth Making—this course provides guidance to think about the nature and purpose of relationships within the body of Christ.
I hope to add another training video that will help small group leaders and pastors develop a practical methodology to help them care for their sheep in wise and Christ-centered ways.
New Writing Projects
Over the next year, I hope to pursue another writing project that has been in the works for over 5 years. The research and work I have been doing revolves around what makes marriages thrive. I am thankful for all the couples I have had the honor to counsel, as well as the research I have managed to do in the midst of a full counseling caseload. I am outlining the major sections of the book, now.
How You Can Help
While the added revenue from counseling has made a significant positive impact on the bottom line, there are always situations where it is wise and gracious to offer help to those who can not afford our services. Given that ever present need, I would like to ask you to become a donor. You can give a one time gift or become a monthly investor. Thank you for your ongoing prayers and investment this ministry!
Please Consider Helping Those In Need of Wise, Christ-centered Care.