The Emotionally Healthy Church by Peter Scazzero

Non-Fiction: Christianity. Hardback from Zondervan. Published in 2003. 224 pages. Purchased at Baker Books Used Books.

Much of what author Peter Scazzero says in this book rings true with me. I don't know how easy it would be to get people in a congregation to move forward in the ways he suggests, but I do believe doing so would make a big difference in the body of Christ.

Publisher's summary:
True Discipleship Integrates Emotional and Spiritual Health.

New Life Fellowship in Queens, New York, had it all: powerful teaching, dynamic ministries, an impressive growth rate, and a vision to do great works for God. Things looked good—but beneath the surface, circumstances were more than just brewing. They were about to boil over, forcing Peter Scazzero to confront needs in his church and himself that went deeper than he’d ever imagined. What he learned about the vital link between emotional health, relational depth, and spiritual maturity can shed new light on painful problems in your own church. Here are refreshing new insights, and a different and challenging slant on what it takes to lead your congregation to wholeness and maturity in Christ.

Our churches are in trouble, says Scazzero. They are filled with people who are

· unsure how to biblically integrate anger, sadness, and other emotions
· defensive, incapable of revealing their weaknesses
· threatened by or intolerant of different viewpoints
· zealous about ministering at church but blind to their spouses’ loneliness at home
· so involved in “serving” that they fail to take care of themselves
· prone to withdraw from conflict rather than resolve it

Sharing from New Life Fellowship’s painful but liberating journey, Scazzero reveals exactly how the truth can and does make people free—not just superficially, but deep down. After offering a new vision of discipleship and a revealing, guided self-assessment of your own spiritual and emotional maturity, The Emotionally Healthy Church takes you through six principles that can make a profound difference in your church. You’ll acquire knowledge and tools that can help you and others

· look beneath the surface of problems
· break the power of past wounds, failures, sins, and circumstances
· live a life of brokenness and vulnerability
· recognize and honor personal limitations and boundaries
· embrace grief and loss
· make incarnation your model to love others.

Written in a personal and passionate style, The Emotionally Healthy Church includes hands-on tools, discussion questions, spotlights on key points, and story after story of people at New Life whose lives have been changed by the concepts in this book. Open these pages, and find out how your church can turn a new corner on the road to spiritual maturity.

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