Christianity and Social Work - Part 3

This is the third entry in a series of posts addressing Christianity and Social Work. The purpose of these posts is to view questions proposed from a friend a few years back when he learned that I was pursuing a degree in Social Work. You can see the entire series as it is posted by clicking here. So, here is the next entry, enjoy!

Q. In what ways, if any, has your study of the mind shaped your faith?

A. I suppose that saying social work is a studying of the mind would be mislabeling what social work actually is. The difference between a social worker and a psychologist or psychiatrist, in short: is that the social worker seeks to empower the individual to utilize, develop, and understand the tools they possess in order to manage their lives. The field of social work is in fact so diverse that it would be difficult to limit the social worker's role to any one single spectrum. The above explanation is broad and universal in most social work roles.

I will have to admit that the beginning of my study in social work was met with great trepidation. I was fearful that I would have to embrace theories and practices that contradict my faith and beliefs. But, the biggest hindrance I experienced was that I approached all methods of therapy from a nouthetic approach. I feared that I would no longer be willing or able to help people without compromising my belief system.

So, without exhausting the details beyond necessity, I struggled very much in the beginning. Many psychological theories are in direct conflict with the teachings of scripture and pose a problem for Christians in therapy and human service fields. The premise that the problems of man are rooted in the mind is only valid if we understand that the mind is hindered by the fall of man and effected by sin.

The study of social work has shaped my faith with new perspectives. My training has shaped my faith through the broadening of my awareness. My knowledge of other approaches to helping man resolve the troubles of his human condition through his own means better equips me to proclaim the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ in this context.

I have come to a greater understanding of man being formed in the image of God (imago dei) and that encourages me to see the whole of humanity, its state without the truth of Christ, and the necessity of the Christian social worker to remember his first love with a sense of urgency. My study of the mind or social work in general has broadened my concern for the lost and the direct effect of sin on the lives of all earth's peoples.

In the end, the study of the mind demonstrates that there are certain organic issues that can effect the way people behave. There is also a spiritual issue that effects the way man responds to his environment. Plainly, the role of the Christian Social Worker is to obey Jesus Christ, and love his neighbor as he loves himself. A difficult task, but one that is required.

ONE MORE DAY! REMINDER! Book Giveaway: Erasing Hell: by Francis Chan and Preston Sprinkle

This is a reminder, there is ONE MORE DAY to enter into this drawing! Don't forget. If you have a blog, repost this and put the word out. Let's make this giveaway interesting.

This week I would like to giveaway this new book from Francis Chan and Preston Sprinkle. From the book description,

How could a loving God send people to hell? Will people have a chance after they die to believe in Jesus and go to heaven?

With a humble respect for God's Word, Francis Chan and Preston Sprinkle address the deepest questions you have about eternal destiny. They've asked the same questions. Like you, sometimes they just don't want to believe in hell. But as they write, "We cannot afford to be wrong on this issue." This is not a book about who is saying what. It's a book about what God says. It's not a book about impersonal theological issues. It's a book about people who God loves. It's not a book about arguments, doctrine, or being right. It's a book about the character of God.

Erasing Hell will immerse you in the truth of Scripture as, together with the authors, you find not only the truth but the courage to live it out.

Just leave a comment below with why you think knowing hell is real is important to the Christian life and you will be automatically entered for the drawing. Entries will be taken until  9/22/11 and I will draw the winner on 9/23/11. If you miss the drawing, you can purchase the book here.

Why does the blog keep changing?

I have been attempting to tweak some settings here at the blog. I do this from time to time, and it can be frustrating, so please bear with me.

I am attempting to make it more readable. I am also preparing for a new site in the future which will involve an entirely new upgrade.

Thanks for reading at Deliver Detroit...ya'll come back now ya hear?

Faith that's quotable: George Mueller

I have always admired the work of the man known as George Mueller. Many of us in our day, look to George as a man of prayer, faith, and obedience. But he was not always a saint.

The man who would go on to impact the lives of numerous orphans, wear out the knees in his trousers praying to the Lord for support and sustenance, and leave behind a legacy we would all do well to seek for ourselves, was once a heathen.

George squandered his wealth, drank like a fish, and stole from his family. George was not an example any man would want his son or daughter to grow up to become in their adulthood. But, the Lord has redeeming grace for any a soul that would cry out to him in repentance and faith in the savior, Jesus Christ.

George was eventually able to find that grace. He also was able to show that grace to others in a most profound manner. Today, I thank God for this saint's life. This is a portrait of a man who's faith is quotable.

"A servant of God has but one Master. It ill becomes the servant to seek to be rich, and great, and honored in that world where his Lord was poor, and mean, and despised."

For those who enjoy biographies, I found this free biography of George Mueller on the web. I have not read it, so I do not give any endorsement of it or the author except to refer the link to you for your own perusal.

Book Giveaway: Erasing Hell: What God said about eternity, and the things we made up, by Francis Chan and Preston Sprinkle

This week I would like to giveaway this new book from Francis Chan and Preston Sprinkle. From the book description,

How could a loving God send people to hell? Will people have a chance after they die to believe in Jesus and go to heaven?

With a humble respect for God's Word, Francis Chan and Preston Sprinkle address the deepest questions you have about eternal destiny. They've asked the same questions. Like you, sometimes they just don't want to believe in hell. But as they write, "We cannot afford to be wrong on this issue." This is not a book about who is saying what. It's a book about what God says. It's not a book about impersonal theological issues. It's a book about people who God loves. It's not a book about arguments, doctrine, or being right. It's a book about the character of God.

Publish Post

Erasing Hell will immerse you in the truth of Scripture as, together with the authors, you find not only the truth but the courage to live it out.

Just leave a comment below with why you think knowing hell is real is important to the Christian life and you will be automatically entered for the drawing. Entries will be taken until  9/22/11 and I will draw the winner on 9/23/11. If you miss the drawing, you can purchase the book here.

Good Ministry, Bad Ministry, You Decide...

Good Ministry: Contributing to the needs of the saints and seeking to show hospitality. (Rom 12:13)

Bad Ministry: Tithing your money to 'the church' or 'the deacons' and letting them figure out what's best for the needs of the saints.

Age segregation in Churches?

I received a press release yesterday from the National Center for Family-Integrated Churches. I have heard of them in passing in the past. I have also heard that the likes of Paul Washer and Voddie Baucham both participate and endorse this organization.

They are also not very well liked by the larger evangelical crowd. One thing they propose is that youth groups, youth pastors, and age-segregated 'worship' are unbiblical. Well, I tend to agree, so I never saw a need to examine their materials or research them beyond that. That is all until I received the release.

Essentially, was surprised me was some of the backlash from prominent evangelical reviewers like Christianity Today,

Christianity Today ran a harsh movie review of the film on their website and likened it to "an angry letter-to-the-editor," calling it "propaganda," "categorically dangerous," and "filled with scare tactics." 

The above quotation can be found in the review.

And directly quoted from the press release,

Another critic of Divided, sounding much like Christianity Today, is a popular, neo-reformed blogger Tim Challies, who recently dismissed the film in an unfavorable review, counseling his readers to stay away from it. "It's a destructive message wrapped in a poorly-made documentary. The church would do well to ignore it," Challies wrote. He lobbed several grenades against the documentary, saying it was "not at all fair," builds a "case on a cliché," and is "not only uncharitable but also utterly ridiculous . . . complete and utter nonsense." 

Tim Challies' review can be found here.

This organization apparently has its home in Wake Forest, North Carolina. I wonder if my friend Alan Knox is acquainted with them?

After reading the negative responses to the movie I decided I would contact the NCFIC and request a copy of the movie. Hopefully it will be here shortly, and I can offer some more thoughts then. I will however, have to strive ardently to discount my personal bias, as our our assembly currently holds meetings with all the children present, something I am finding is cause for alarm by most of the detractors. One of those behind the group, Scott T. Brown, is also the author of the recently released book, "A Weed in The Church." Hopefully, I will be able to review that soon as well.

What do you think of age segregation in your meeting?

Christianity and Social Work - Part 2

Last week I posted the first post in a series on Christianity and Social Work - Part 1. I am continuing the discussion of this topic with the first question. Some questions may overlap each other in content, but for sake of clarity, I will allow each question to be answered and posted individually. If you have any questions or insights you would like to offer on particular questions please feel free to leave a comment, I would love to cover this subject as thoroughly as possible.

It is important to note that to differentiate social work and psychology is an important task, and must be done in order to know just what it is that separates the two. The initial line of questioning involved understanding Psychology as a whole and the questioner did not know there was much difference between the two fields, and not many do. The differences will hopefully be illustrated by answering question four. But for now, lets get to the first one shall we?

Q. What motivated you to choose a major in social work?

A. I was motivated to choose a major in this field by a number of factors. Most notably, my exposure to the field at an early age. Not necessarily as a proponent or pupil, but as a subject. I was privy to the insight of many well-educated social workers, psychiatrists, psychologists, guidance counselors, and other “social service” workers and agencies. What I experienced personally and observationally showed me later in my life that there are many things that seemed broken in the way individuals are assisted through these avenues. I felt that I could make a difference. Although not to influence change on the social services and professions themselves, but to learn the methods and means to become accredited and serve in a capacity that would allow me to help individuals one person at a time. I honestly feel that treating everything BUT the sin nature of the individual is inherently evil in and of itself and merely reinforcing the problem that originally created the need for man's inability to be “good”. That problem I would identify from my own world-view is sin. My motivation is to reintroduce in the practices I employ as a professional the very things I’ve seen disregarded or ignored in my personal experience. In my opinion, this lack is conclusively identified as the absence of the Biblical Gospel and proclamation of restoration through salvation in Christ.

More to come…