ACTIVATING THE POWER OF PASTORAL CARE: A TEAM APPROACH," is a superbly written book offering dynamic new approaches to pastoral and crisis care. It offers practical, proven, and creative methods to grow churches and ministries while impacting our communities and world for the good. It also contains effective focused methods to build highly skilled Ministry Teams for churches or specialized ministries that can bring growth, increase attendance, expand involvement, and meet critical pastoral and crisis needs in religious communities. This book stands on its own as a great read filled with vital new information about accomplishing far more effective pastoral care and skilled crisis outreach. Yet it also contains a superb training manual with workbook included designed to train individuals or groups for greater ministry outreach working as dynamic teams skilled in meeting diverse needs within and without church walls. This beautifully illustrated full color book is a wonderful resource for anyone but a "must have" for pastors, lay leaders, chaplains, ministers, and those in leadership positions. While offering vital new methods of pastoral care, crisis counseling skills, and innovative perspectives, it is also a bargain with rich resources. These include but are not limited to: study guide, multiple charts, team ministry forms, graphic illustrations, practical team resources, a comprehensive index, questions for individual and group reflection, case studies, and superb teaching and educational resources. "I can't recommend this book enough! We were fortunate to have used Dr. Johnson's books to train and form dynamic, powerful productive pastoral care ministry teams from two different churches that also brought new people into our congregations. This book is a treasure for anyone who wants to know more about helping others or how to accomplish more effective outreach ministries in their churches and communities. "Activating The Power Of Pastoral Care" is a great resource for all. Dr. Johnson's excellent series of books are well written, compelling, and informative and include wonderful teaching materials. Our church, myself, and members of our congregations have been so blessed by Rev. Dr. Johnson's expertise, teaching, pastoral, and writing gifts." -Rev. E. Davis, M.T.S., M.Div., UMC Pastor "As pastor of a small rural Community Church, I have found this book to be a very practical help in many areas. It has been vital in learning how to expand our pastoral care outreach to a hurting town. New people have joined our church because of the increased effectiveness in our ministry that "Activating The Power Of Pastoral Care" has made possible. Learning to work together as a real team in ministry outreach has made all the difference in congregational growth and the ability to creatively impact our community for the good. A great book! Highly recommended!"-Pastor David Erikson.
About the Author: Rev. Dr. Mary Johnson, is an acclaimed author and highly experienced pastor, counselor, educator, preacher, and seminar leader. She has served many years as an Adjunct College Professor and has earned credentials as a state licensed Clinical Mental Health Counselor (LCMHC), Nationally Certified Pastoral Counselor (AAPC), Nationally Certified Counselor (NCC). Dr. Johnson has been included in "Who's Who Among Human Services Professionals" and "Who's Who In Religion." She has served as an ordained minister since 1975 and acted as director of Renew and Green Pastures Counseling Centers. While serving as Executive Director of Good News Ministries in NH, she was appointed to the Adjunct Faculties of Antioch New England Graduate School, Goddard College, Gordon Conwell Seminary, Keene State, & UNH. She trained graduate level counselors and ministers for decades along with years of experience as an approved Clinical Supervisor for graduate level Clinical Counseling interns, ministers, Marriage & Family Counselors, and pastors. Rev. Johnson has pastored in Methodist, Congregational, Assembly of God, and Independent churches and worked in Hospital Chaplaincy at Holy Family Hospital and Tewksbury State in Mass. while training chaplains. Rev Johnson has earned a D.Min. in Clinical Psychology from Andover Newton in Newton, Mass., a ThM, cum laude, from Boston University School Of Theology, and BS, cum laude, from Black Hills State in S.D. She is a skilled graphic artist who beautifully illustrates her own books and has attended the K C, Mo. Art Institute and been listed as a member of the National Art Honor Society. Rev. Dr. Johnson is the author of five other highly rated published books available currently on either the Amazon.com bookstore or Barnes and Noble online including: Flying Free: Transforming Grief and Loss into Renewal", Following The Angel Trail: In The Steps Of Jesus," "Love In Action: The Healing Heritage Of The Counseling Ministry Of The Church", "Visions Of Hope: Voices Of Americana" and "Healing Streams". She has also been published in both the "Keene Sentinel" and AAPC Professional Journal, "Journeys".