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christian counseling today
Vol. 20 no. 4
(Titus 1:5-9). Christ followers who step into
this guidance role will not be heavy handed
with authority, self-serving or greedy. These
leaders thrive on highlighting what is good.
Steering others around and through conflict
is an accomplished skill. Without drawing
personal attention, these servants spread an inner
stability to others in their sphere of influence.
It is worthwhile to be candid about standards
and expectations. It is not necessary for a care
group leader to be without flaw, fault or fully
recovered (if there even is such a state of being).
Ministry groups place emphasis on the certainty
of our brokenness, vulnerability and dependency.
Members lean on one another, but do not follow
the leader. Thus, these care group leaders are
plainly intentional and vigorous in their trek
toward wholeness, but are not those who no
longer fall or are beyond need.
Leader Skills to Foster
Spiritual Formation
There is a deep and credible evidence base in
professional group therapy literature. A system-
atic review yields stellar insights into what
master leaders actually do in sessions to make
groups successful and therapeutic. This mate-
rial was compared and contrasted with historic,
as well as contemporary, ministry trends in
Trekking toward Wholeness: A Resource for Care
Group Leaders.
3
Robust self-help style groups have two
well-established variations: step (i.e., Celebrate
Recovery; AA, etc.) and support (i.e., coping
with grief, illness management, caregiver
support, etc.). For these self-help groups, struc-
ture, routine and a few explicit rules conduct
the orchestrated sharing. The leader assumes
the role of facilitator while members adhere to
a set interactive pattern to care for one another.
Membership in these groups is “open,” so its
composition can fluctuate weekly. Another
ministry group style is the common-theme care
group. This is where informational (educational),
emotional (loving care), and instrumental
(member-to-member) support is stimulated
through the efforts of a leader. In common-
theme groups, leaders initiate interaction around
central issues or unifying experiences. There is
strategic use of both topical (content) and rela-
tional (process) communication. In these groups,
the leader screens entrants, so membership may
