The Road Home: A Guided Journey to Church Forgiveness and Reconciliation

by Darrell Puls, Everett L. Worthington Jr. (Foreword by)

Overview

Remarkably, as many as sixty-six thousand churches are in conflict at this moment, and one-third of those will experience permanent damage. Though Christ commanded his followers to forgive, we often don't, and that lack of forgiveness poisons all of our relationships. Churches are particularly vulnerable to unforgiveness for a simple reason--no one has taught us what forgiveness actually is, how it benefits the forgiver and the forgiven, and, most importantly, how to forgive. The Road Home provides a pathway to forgiveness and healthy reconciliation for churches wounded by conflict. While the road it follows is not easy--just as forgiving is not easy--the result is an explosion of grace and restoration, taking relationships beyond where they were to where they were meant to be.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781621896036
Publisher:	Wipf & Stock Publishers
Publication date:	03/22/2013
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	224
File size:	5 MB

About the Author

Dr. Darrell Puls is the founder of Peacebridge Ministries, which works with pastors, staff, and leaders in churches experiencing internal conflict. Dr. Puls has worked with interpersonal, group, and organizational conflict for more than thirty-five years as a mediator, trainer, consultant, and coach.
Everett L. Worthington, Jr. is Professor of Psychology at Virginia Commonwealth University and has his Ph.D. from the University of Missouri. Some of Everett's other books include Counseling Before Marriage, How to Help the Hurting, When Someone Asks for Help and Counseling for Unplanned Pregnancy and Infertility.

Table of Contents

Foreword Everett L. Worthington Jr. vii

Acknowledgments xi

Introduction 1

Part 1 Introduction

1 A Call for Change 7

2 A Whisper of Thunder 20

3 Finding Freedom 35

4 Not Just Any Road 49

5 The Benefits of Forgiving 62

6 Through Days of Preparation 71

Part 2 The Road Home

7 Turning 93

8 Remembering 111

9 Understanding 130

10 Transforming 151

11 Healing 165

12 The Wounded Healer 181

13 The Road to Reconciliation 189

Postscript: A Farewell and Godspeed 197

Bibliography 201

What People are Saying About This

From the Publisher

"Full of contemporary illustrations and case studies, Puls deftly integrates biblical teaching on forgiveness and reconciliation with the latest scientific thought and research, and applies them to the challenges many of us face as leaders and followers in our churches, ministries, and communities. The Road Home is a valuable and very readable addition to the current literature on corporate life and practical theology."
—Paul S. Regan, President of Christian Association for Psychological Studies

"Don't swallow the hurt. Let it go. Forgive. Be reconciled. Allow God to heal. These are the teachings of Jesus and the hallmarks of his body. The Road Home offers a step-by-step guide to repentance, restoration, and new life together in Christian community."
—Tim Clinton, President of American Association of Christian Counselors

Editorial Reviews

"Full of contemporary illustrations and case studies, Puls deftly integrates biblical teaching on forgiveness and reconciliation with the latest scientific thought and research, and applies them to the challenges many of us face as leaders and followers in our churches, ministries, and communities. The Road Home is a valuable and very readable addition to the current literature on corporate life and practical theology."
—Paul S. Regan, President of Christian Association for Psychological Studies

"Don't swallow the hurt. Let it go. Forgive. Be reconciled. Allow God to heal. These are the teachings of Jesus and the hallmarks of his body. The Road Home offers a step-by-step guide to repentance, restoration, and new life together in Christian community."
—Tim Clinton, President of American Association of Christian Counselors

From the Publisher