goodhope - Focus on the Family Canada

recommended
resources
coming up next
Bridging the Couple Chasm: Gottman Couples
Therapy – A Research-Based Approach, Level 1
Friending by Lynne M. Baab
The notion of friendship is under broad review. A highly
mobile and increasingly busy society means that most of our
relationships can’t depend solely on face-to-face contact to
flourish. The increasing prominence of the virtual landscape
requires that we become fluent in ever-expanding relational
technologies. Using Colossians 3 and 1 Corinthians 13 as
touchpoints, Friending shows us how we can celebrate and
strengthen our relational ties while continuing to practice the
timeless discipline of friending in our time. (Paperback)
Wait No More by Kelly and John Rosati
Wait No More tells Kelly and John Rosati’s story of experiencing
God more fully through the great blessings and challenges
encountered during their journey to adopt four children from
the U.S. foster care system. It is a story of God’s faithfulness
to grow a beautiful family, through adoption, from the
ashes of child abuse, neglect and abandonment. Their story
reveals how their beliefs challenged, enriched and completely
changed their family’s life. (Paperback)
To order these resources, visit our online bookstore at
Focusonthefamily.ca/bookstore.
Be the first counsellor to email us at
counsellors@fotf.ca and we’ll send you a free
copy of Wait no more.
When: November 3-4, 2011
Where: New Westminster, BC
Learn more about this workshop featuring John Gottman
and Julie Schwartz Gottman at Jibc.ca/cccs.
goodhope
Date Night Challenge Couples must make time to invest in their relationships,
but we know that finances and family issues often push
date nights aside. That’s why Focus on the Family Canada
is encouraging churches to join Date Night Challenge, a
nationwide movement of couples committed to putting
fun back into date nights.
Our theme for this issue of goodhope
is introductions. I feel privileged to
introduce to you two new members of
our counselling team: Karin Gregory
and Dave Ortis. On the next page
they share briefly about themselves
so you can get to know them a little.
While we were very sorry to see two
members of our staff follow God’s call
elsewhere, I am very pleased to have
two experienced and compassionate
individuals join us to
continue to serve our
callers.
WORDS FROM WENDY
What is it? Date Night Challenge will help couples –
whether married or unmarried – to strengthen their
relationships by dating each other all over again. The
evening will feature world-class entertainment and
teaching via a webinar with Christian comedian Jeff Allan
and marriage experts Greg and Erin Smalley.
How can my church get involved? Hosting a Date
Night Challenge at your church is a great opportunity for
you to steward your congregation and reach out to your
community.
For more information, visit Focusonthefamily.ca/events.
introductions
are in order
Please note: A listing of conferences and workshops here does not necessarily
imply endorsement of the event by either the Clergy Care Network or Focus on
the Family Canada. They are listed as a service to CCN counsellors to inform and
encourage continued learning.
GET IN TOUCH
© 2011 Focus on the Family Canada
TEL: 1.888.5.CLERGY
EMAIL: info@clergycare.ca
WEB: Clergycare.ca
MAIL: 19946 80A Avenue
Langley BC V2Y 0J8
IN THIS ISSUE
We are always interested in hearing about new resources for counsellors,
referrals for potential Clergy Care Network counsellors and ideas for
upcoming issues of goodhope. Please contact us anytime!
Wendy Kittlitz
VP of Counselling and
Care Ministries
604.455.7930
wendyk@fotf.ca
Karin Gregory
Counsellor
604.455.7986
karing@fotf.ca
A QUARTERLY NEWSLET TER FOR FOCUS ON THE FAMILY
CANADA’S REFERRAL COUNSELLORS
Fall 2011: Volume 8, Issue 4
•
•
•
•
Introducing Karin Gregory
Introducing Dave Ortis
Recommended resources
Upcoming workshops &
professional development
Contact Us!
1.888.5.CLERGY
In this issue I have also
included an article on the
Cape Town Declaration.
I learned about this
declaration from Dr.
Archibald Hart when I met
him at a conference recently. Dr. Hart
told me of his passion to see counselling
impact the world for Christ. I would love
to hear what you think about this goal!
Finally, we introduce you to some new
resources and opportunities. I would
especially like to recommend to you the
brand new book by Kelly and John Rosati.
It is their compelling and very personal
story of adoption from the foster care
system. As counsellors, we need to know
how to serve families like these. Hearing
their stories told in such a candid and
vulnerable way helps us appreciate what
it’s like to walk in their shoes. Focus on the Family is pleased to
offer Date Night Challenge – an
opportunity for couples to strengthen
their marriages. Perhaps you could
partner with a local church to host
this event and use this as a way to offer
your professional services to couples
experiencing challenges in their
relationships.
Thank you once again for partnering
with us in serving Canadians. We
appreciate having such a wealth of
professionals we can send hurting
people to when they call us.
Blessings,
Wendy Kittlitz
VP of Counselling and Care Ministries
Focus on the Family Canada
have some giant footsteps to follow in,
and I’m excited about that opportunity.
IN HER OWN WORDS
karin gregory
In the summer 2011 issue of
goodhope Michele Langmead bid you a
fond farewell, concluding her four years
of fruitful counselling ministry here
at Focus on the Family Canada. I was
privileged to spend a week with Michele
in mid-summer, experiencing one of
the quickest learning curves of my life!
I learned what an amazing woman of
faith, skill and compassion Michele is.
It was clear to me from the start that I Here are a few things you might be
interested to learn about me: I earned
my Masters in counselling from Trinity
Western University in 2000 and I became a registered clinical counsellor
(BCACC) in 2011, but my heart to help
and comfort people reaches back to
my earliest memories. I am privileged
to live out my calling as a follower of
Jesus in this way, and I am keenly aware
of the responsibilities, challenges and
blessings our profession brings. I spent
many years working as the director of
all things counselling at a Bible college
and I have also fulfilled various roles in
the student development departments
of three other Canadian institutions
of Christian education and higher
learning. Balancing these studentfocused years I have also:
• served in parish ministry to youth
and families;
• worked with profoundly disabled
adults in residential support services;
on our team. As a BCACC-registered
clinical counsellor, Dave brings rich
experience to our counselling service.
Since earning his Masters of Divinity
at Associated Mennonite Biblical
Seminaries in Elkhart, Indiana, 30 years
ago, Dave has continued to extend his
professional education through a series
of well-recognized certificate programs
and workshops, including:
• couple and family therapy
• child sexual abuse intervention
(child, youth and adult survivors)
A NEW FACE IN THE OFFICE
dave ortis
We are pleased to introduce Dave
Ortis as our newest member of the
Clergy Care Network. Dave succeeds
Jason Krause as a part-time counsellor
• alcohol and drug counselling
• prevention of clergy misconduct
• Satir systematic brief therapy
training (levels 1 and 2).
Dave has served as a pastor,
administrator and instructor at two
Here is a taste of the declaration itself:
The following declaration emerged out of
conversations among concerned colleagues
from different countries, languages and
generations in the Care and Counsel as
Mission track of the Third International
Lausanne Congress held October 16-25,
2010, in Cape Town, South Africa. Our
hope is that this statement will stimulate
• provided counselling to children
and families within publicly-funded
provincial services;
• equipped job seekers with skills to
achieve through a community-based,
non-profit program.
Okay, so those are some professional
tidbits about me. Here are some other
defining characteristics:
• I’m crazy for chocolate (my
destination of choice last summer
was Switzerland!);
• I doodle while counselling over the
phone (it helps me think);
• I’m not a great cook, but I love to
read (which is probably why things
get forgotten and burnt);
• No matter how many times you show
me the map, it won’t matter.
I’m looking forward to our journey
together. Blessings!
Bible colleges, and as a specialist
counsellor, consultant, family support
supervisor, therapist and clinical
supervisor. Many of these roles have
been concurrent and long-running,
attesting both to the quality of Dave’s
work and the energy he brings to it.
In this season of life (alongside all the
teaching, counselling and consulting),
Dave is also busy with his church, serves
as chair of a homeowner’s association,
is an active member of the Chilliwack
Outdoor Club, and enjoys time with his
two adult kids and granddaughters.
Dave is best described as warm, real
and present. He has been married for
41 years to Loretta. Alongside strong
faith, they each have a great sense of
humour!
the cape town
declaration on care
and counsel
by Wendy Kittlitz
I recently returned from
attending the American Association of
Christian Counsellors world conference
in Nashville. As always, there were
many stimulating conversations and
presentations. As a non-American, I was
interested in one workshop on a topic I had heard of, but knew very little about:
The Cape Town Declaration on Care
and Counsel as Mission.
Here is a summary of what I learned
online at Lausanne.org: “Christian
mental health professionals who
attended Cape Town 2010: The
Third Lausanne Congress on World
Evangelization have released the Cape
Town Declaration on Care and Counsel
as Mission – a three-page document
that outlines foundational principles
for responding to the unprecedented
level of global mental health needs
both within the church and beyond.
Sections of the declaration address
theological foundations for care
and counsel as mission as well as the
need for more holistic and systemic
perspectives, increasing inclusion
of indigenous forms and methods of
care, and collaborative methods of
understanding and responding.”
discussion among practitioners and
educators and will lead to a greater
engagement with the tremendous needs
worldwide. We invite your participation in
the dialogue.
Introduction We live in a world
of unprecedented suffering and
brokenness. These human conditions
include different types and levels of
social and psychological suffering
which are often minimized, neglected
or, because they are beyond what
local people can cope with at a given
time, left unattended or addressed
from out-of-context perspectives.
We believe these omissions are both
unjust and costly to individuals and
communities. Virtually all of the major
public health problems in the world
have a psychosocial component. There
is no complete health without physical,
communal and psychological health.
At the same time, there is often a
paucity of resources and training to
effect change in comparison with the
affluent West. For example, in terms
of one specific measure, professional
mental health workers per capita,
World Health Organization statistics
indicate that such resources are 250
times more plentiful in some regions of
the world than others. It is imperative
that we respond to these needs in
ways consistent with our Christian
commitments and with culturally
sensitive, holistic, systemic and
collaborative approaches.
Our hope is that this declaration will
point us toward the creation of a new
paradigm for the mutual learning,
empowering and training of
mental health professionals,
laypersons and pastors
worldwide along the following
four dimensions:
• Christian • holistic and systemic
• indigenous
• collaborative.
To learn more, you can read
the complete statement at
Careandcounselasmission.org.
As Canadian Christian counsellors, the
declaration applies to us in at least
two ways. Firstly, there are increasing
opportunities for us to minister in other
international settings and we need
to understand the cultures we serve.
Secondly, other cultures are coming
to us right here in Canada. A friend of
mine from Kenya wants to evangelize
and serve Africans who have moved
to Canada. Many of these women are
experiencing safety for the first time
in their lives and psychological needs
are rising for them now that their more
basic needs have been filled. They do
not feel Canadian counsellors really
understand their life experiences.
I encourage you to learn more about
this statement and to consider how it
may apply to your practice. There is a
world of opportunity to bring Christ’s
healing to the nations – let’s be diligent
to do so in ways that are respectful,
helpful and thoroughly Spirit led. © 2011 Focus on the Family (Canada)
Association. All rights reserved