Turning the page...
Many of you have been following and praying with us concerning a recent peace-making involvement this year that I (Lou) have had in a North Carolina church. In many respects, this feels like an ongoing novel…where we keep turning the next page. This is the next chapter!
In summary, this is a church whose leader team experienced a very difficult parting with their former lead pastor that left both ‘sides’ feeling wounded, defeated and deeply divided. In January, I was contacted by the church elder team to intervene to help them, both personally and corporately, restore what was relationally broken.
Over the past 6 months, this elder and pastoral staff team has done the hard work (and the heart work!) of peace-making – including, choosing to forgive those who had wronged them; humbly seeking forgiveness of those that they had wronged; as well as learning how to engage in healing, redemptive conversations. As they did so, they soon realized that their wives would greatly benefit from the same peace-making training and relational healing processes that they had experienced. Thus, they came up with this ingenious plan…
|
|
Let's Bring In Patti!
I (Patti) can relate to the depletion that a wife feels when her ‘church leader’ husband (and her church family!) is in the midst of conflict. She has likely also experienced feelings of isolation, betrayal and, perhaps, even false accusation. These wives mutually need venues where they can talk through and redemptively process their own relational pain – similar to what the elders and pastoral team have been able to do. For this reason, I will be facilitating a retreat this weekend (Sept. 20-21) to prayerfully help these 9 great gals walk away not only with relational wisdom tools but with a genuine refreshment of body and spirit.
Please pray for the following:
- Pray for the Relational Wisdom and Spiritual Disciplines training to effectively restore, refresh and strengthen each participant this weekend – as well as in the future.
- Pray specifically for the truths of Scripture to bring about three healing outcomes:
ENTRUSTING (1 Peter 4:19):
That they would entrust themselves and their unique situations in deeper, healing ways “to the God who judges righteously” as well as to mutually entrust their lives one to another in honest, healing community.
RESTORING (1 Peter 5:10)
And after you have suffered a little while, the God of all grace, who has called you to his eternal glory in Christ, will himself restore, confirm, strengthen, and establish you.(ESV)
STRENGTHENING (Psalm 119:28, 32)
My soul weeps because of grief; Strengthen me according to Your word…I shall run the way of Your commandments, For You will enlarge my heart. (NASB).
Gratefully,
Patti and Lou Damiani
|
|
|
|
|