From Nashville-
Area denominations are offering extra help and resources for their clergy following Tennessee’s recent floods. The job of comforting and counseling congregants can be especially difficult after a disaster.
Bishop John Bauerschmidt says a natural disaster is particularly challenging because the recovery effort affects every member of a congregation for months on end.
Bauerschmidt called in a professional crisis counselor to teach Episcopal church workers how to look for signs of disaster-related stress in their congregation and themselves, and when to suggest individuals seek out clinical help. The Bishop says he benefitted from a similar workshop when he was leading a church in coastal Louisiana after Hurricane Katrina.
“You’re dealing with issues and challenges of such a scale that it’s difficult to find the resources within yourself to deal with them emotionally and spiritually.”
There were quiet murmurs and even tears as Susan Gillpatrick began the session with photos of flood damage.
Gillpatrick is a crisis management specialist with Centerstone. She says church leaders should be on the lookout for signs that they need a break.
More here-
http://wpln.org/?p=19008
1 comment:
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