Friday, October 12, 2007
Connectedness
I just returned from a conference with the American Association of Christian Counselors (AACC). It is a large gathering of counselors, programs, and professionals involved in Christian outreach and care. Walking through the booths and listening to the speakers, I was struck by how big of a community we have become, and yet we seem weak and confused. Isolated and separate, we each promote and pursue our own agenda. Are we truly one body as described in the Bible – operating in a connected way and maximizing our effect in people’s lives? Secular programs spend a great deal of time and energy investing in self-awareness and self-discipline, trying to empower the individual. How are we different in the Christian community? Are we focused on the same techniques as the lost world or have we tapped into something different, more powerful and transcendent? By the number of books promising success and happiness that were sold, I am not sure we have yet found what we are looking for.
When I attend secular conferences I am often asked how Shelterwood works. And certainly I can explain that we, like any other professional program, are able to get to the root of the problem through therapy and enlighten the family in crisis such that they can choose a different path in the future. But does that create real heart-level change? Is that truly how we as a Christian program create change in one’s life? Change really occurs through the power of Christ which is experienced and displayed through intense community. This is something that separates us from the secular world and something in fact that they don’t even understand. Sadly, it is something that in the Christian world we are beginning to lose touch with as well.
Larry Crabb highlights in his book Connecting that only two things have ever changed mankind at a deep soul level. Through the power of Satan and the power of God we experienced the fall and then grace. As we read the Bible or sit in a pew on Sunday it is easy to see the power of Christ but how does that get my kid off drugs? How does a program use the power of Christ in the life of a non-believer to change a worldly behavior? At Shelterwood we believe that real change only occurs through a deep intimate level of connectedness that only Christ can provide. Our society craves connectedness as evidenced by the explosion of chat rooms and websites like MySpace. Millions of people are sharing intimate details about their lives. Why are they investing all of this time and energy to broadcast their secrets? I think we want to experience others at a deeper level so that we can better understand ourselves, but fear and shame often keep us operating at a distance. While being a voyeur of sorts feels safe, we miss out on the healing power of openness and the energy that is experienced with another person.
It is this deep connectedness that makes Shelterwood special. It is a community made up of many people connecting to a just a few. Our goal at Shelterwood is to connect with those around us, not everyone on property, but somebody. Unlike other treatment programs where all the focus is on the paying customer, Shelterwood is a community that recognizes that everyone (leadership, staff, student, and volunteers) is expected to reveal him or herself and be open to feedback and growth. A community that is open to feedback is not weaker, but stronger, and sees each other not in terms of equality of power, but in terms of respect and value. As a Christian community we have to get past the excuse that we are not capable or qualified to affect another life. The very task of the Holy Spirit is to add power to our feeble earthly body and mind. The Holy Spirit emboldens us and creates an excitement within us that spurs us on to impact others lives.
John DeVries, Director of Admissions
