Christian Counseling Connection
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FROMTHE PRESIDENT
12-hour Intensives... continued from page 1
lifetime to defend and support the family.
Through his radio program, books, and out-
standing resources, he has shaped our homes
and multiple generations. That is why I was
so thrilled to present Dr. Dobson with the
inaugural James C. Dobson Award for Excel-
lence in Marriage and Family Research and
Advocacy at the 2013 AACC World Confer-
ence in Nashville.
Taking the main stage, Dr. Dobson chal-
lenged us, “Like never before, the American
family is endangered. Many children grow up
in homes with parents who are overworked,
distracted, exhausted, uninvolved or com-
pletely absent. This is no time for shrinking
back. God has uniquely called and equipped
us to engage the culture. We must not give
up the fight or become distracted from our
ultimate priority—which is to help build
strong families and leave a legacy that will
last for generations to come.”
Dr. Dobson’s parenting insights and wis-
dom are timeless because they are rooted in
the truths of Scripture. When his son, Ryan,
discovered the original recording of his dad’s
first parenting series, the truths hit home as a
young father himself. “It was so powerful... it
was applicable to my life literally at that mo-
ment,” Ryan remembers, and urged his dad
to re-release a parenting training series.
And so, the
Building a Family Legacy
proj-
ect was born—making available Dr. Dobson’s
40+ years of expert wisdom for generations
to come. “The people I was speaking with
at that time [1978] are now grandparents,”
Dobson reflects. “It’s time to prepare a new
series for a new generation.”
Building a Family Legacy includes a cap-
stone written work, authored by Dr. Dobson,
and an updated, eight-DVD parenting series.
In addition, I am thrilled to announce Light
University’s collaboration with Family Talk
to honor Dr. Dobson and capture his life’s
work through the development of the
James
C. Dobson Center for Child Development, Mar-
riage, and Family Studies
. The Center will carry
on the legacy and work of Dr. Dobson and
provide advanced training in three concen-
trations of study at multiple levels (graduate,
undergraduate and certification) including:
Marriage and Family Studies, Parenting and
Child Development, and Family Advocacy
and Public Policy.
So much has changed in our culture
since 1977, but one thing remains the same:
building a family legacy will not just “hap-
pen” automatically. It takes intentionality,
wisdom, and willingness to take a stand for
biblical values. The Scripture challenges us,
“These commandments that I give you today
are to be on your hearts. Impress them on
your children. Talk about them when you sit
at home and when you walk along the road,
when you lie down and when you get up”
(Deuteronomy 6:6-7).
“Culture flows like a powerful river,”
Dr. Dobson points out, “and it is extremely
difficult to prevent your kids from being
swept downstream into unknown waters…
you must not become distracted from your
ultimate priority, which is to raise healthy
children and introduce them to Jesus Christ.”
Dr. Dobson’s own spiritual legacy,
passed on to his children, finds its roots in
his great-grandfather’s prayers. Each day,
between 11:00 a.m. and noon, George Mc-
Cluskey faithfully prayed for his wife and
children, his children’s future spouses, his
grandchildren, and even great-grandchil-
dren—that God would raise up generations
of servants from his lineage.
George McCluskey went to be with the
Lord many years ago, but his spiritual legacy
lives on in the life and ministry of his great
grandson, James Dobson, Jr., and now his
great, great-grandchildren, Ryan Dobson,
who is an ordained minister, and Danae
Dobson, who has written 24 Christian books.
They both love the Lord and are actively
serving Him. This is the power of family
legacy. May it also be said of us, when one
day we are with the Lord and our great-
grandchildren carry on the work of God’s
Kingdom.
If today we choose the declaration of
Joshua, “… as for me and my house, we will
serve the Lord,” we will lay a foundation for
the fulfillment of God’s promise to “[show]
love to a thousand generations of those who
love me and keep my commandments” (Josh-
ua 24:15; Exodus 20:6).
We dare not sit passively by as our
culture shapes the next generation. What will
your legacy be?
“We must not give up the fight
or become distracted from our
ultimate priority—which is to
help
build strong families
and
leave a legacy
that will last for
generations to come.”
INTERNATIONAL MARRIAGE & FAMILY SUMMIT INTENSIVES:
•
Attachment-based Intervention Specialist (ABIS) Level I Training with Tim Clinton,
Ed.D. and Gary Sibcy, Ph.D.
•
Advanced Marital Therapies: EFT and Hope-focused Counseling with Sharon May,
Ph.D. and Everett Worthington, Jr., Ph.D.
•
Pornography, Sexual Addiction and Recovery with Mark Laaser, Ph.D. and Debbie
Laaser, M.MFT.
•
High Conflict Families and Troubled Marriages with Eric Scalise, Ph.D. and Linda
Mintle, Ph.D.
•
Divorce Recovery, Remarriage and Blended Families with Ron Deal, M.MFT. and
Tom Whiteman, Ph.D.
•
Premarital and Marriage Coaching with Dwight Bain, M.A., Gary Rosberg, Ed.D.
and Barb Rosberg, B.F.A.
NATIONAL CHRISTIAN COUNSELING CONFERENCE 2.0 INTENSIVES:
•
Attachment-Based Intervention Specialist (ABIS) Level I Training with Tim Clinton,
Ed.D. and Gary Sibcy, Ph.D.
•
Neurobiology and the Treatment of Mood and Anxiety Disorders with Tim
Jennings, M.D. and Curt Thompson, M.D.
•
Pornography, Sexual Addiction and Recovery with Mark Laaser, Ph.D. and Debbie
Laaser, M.MFT.
•
Advanced Cognitive Relational and Cognitive Behavioral Therapies with Mark
McMinn, Ph.D. and Linda Mintle, Ph.D.
•
Experiential Counseling and Coaching Techniques: Moving People Forward in
Growth and Change with Eric Scalise, Ph.D. and Jennifer Cisney Ellers, M.A.
•
The BEST Model: Using Biblically-based Empirically Supported Treatments with
Siang-Yang Tan, Ph.D. and Everett Worthington, Jr., Ph.D.
•
Addiction and Life Recovery Coaching with Steve Arterburn, M.Ed. and David
Stoop, Ph.D.
