CHRISTIAN COUNSELING FOR TODAY'S WORLD

By: Jean Marc Désiré

Narrated by: Virtual Voice

Michael Anthony wrote in his book Foundations of Ministry : “Many churches are involved in activities which contribute to our society’s needy,( such as ministries for the homeless, unwed mothers, and various recovery groups). Their involvement in such programs fulfill the biblical mandate of clothing the needy, feeding the hungry, and visiting prisoners, widows, and orphans( James 1:27; Matt. 25:35-36). The difficulty comes when these programs take on such a significant role that the church ceases to fulfill its primary role of evangelism of the lost and edification of the body…The issue here is balance”[1]
This writer has applied himself to address both the social and spiritual dimension of Christian counseling . Such dimensions are also found in the writing of James: “If a brother or sister is without clothing and in need of daily food, and one of you says to them, “Go in peace, be warmed and be filled,” and yet you do not give them what is necessary for their body, what use is that? Even so faith, if it has no works, is dead, being by itself”(James 4:15-17). This writer is convinced that the church that ministers Christian counseling and education on the spiritual and social dimension, like the early church, will help the children of God to “ attain to the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a mature man, to the measure of the stature which belongs to the fullness of Christ” (Ephesians 4:13). That is the purpose of this book on Christian counseling for today’s world.

Dr Jean Marc Désiré
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Bibliography
Anthony, Michael J., Foundations of Ministry, 1992 Baker Academic, Grand Rapids, MI
[1] Anthony, Michael J., Introducing Christian Education,(2001 Baker Academic, Grand Rapids MI) , 24.