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christian counseling today
Vol. 20 no. 4
typically led by a team of lay facilitators, trained
using materials developed by Church Initiative,
and with proper oversight by a pastor or church
staff member.
The groups operate using a structured curric-
ulum that is biblically-based and Christ-centered.
Groups are scheduled in 13-week cycles. Most
churches schedule two or three cycles each year.
The groups are designed to be “open,” meaning a
person can join at any point in the cycle. Group
members are encouraged to participate in two
complete cycles of the group, allowing them to
reprocess key concepts with perspective they have
gained as they begin healing.
The curriculum design has three key
components:
n
Video:
Each weekly session begins with the
group viewing a video, approximately 40 minutes
in length. The videos are produced in a televi-
sion “magazine” format, featuring interviews with
leading Christian counselors and pastors, many of
whom are AACC members. These interviews are
interspersed with dramatizations and interviews
with people who have experienced the issues being
discussed. Each weekly session has a specific focus;
for example, in week four of DivorceCare, the
topic is depression.
n
Support Group Discussion:
After viewing
the video for a specific session, group members
enter into a structured support group discussion
about what they have seen on the video and what
has occurred in their lives between group meet-
ings. A team of at least two lay facilitators lead
the discussion time using questions provided by
our ministry. We stress the importance of guided
groups (with clear goals established for the discus-
sion) to ensure the conversation is productive and
does not devolve into excessive negativity. Even
in the context of the guided discussion, there
is, however, opportunity for group members to
express feelings and emotions.
n
Personal Study:
Each group member also
receives a workbook that contains a section for
taking notes during the video, a daily Bible study
themed to the topic presented on the video, jour-
naling exercises, articles, and other resources. The
workbook is designed to keep the group member
engaged with the material between weekly
sessions.
To date, Church Initiative has equipped more
than 20,000 churches worldwide with one or more
of these programs.
