Dealing with Grief Page 2
Explore the Holy Land Page 4
BethelSouthwest www.bethel.edu Fall 2010
Opening the Resources of Bethel Seminary San Diego to All Friends of Bethel University in the Southwest U.S. H . N O R M A N W RIGHT TO SPEAK AT BETHEL
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. Norman Wright will present “Crisis and Trauma Counseling,” “Facing Loss and Finding Healing,” and “Enriching Marriages: The Newly and
the Mature” to audiences at Bethel Seminary San Diego Nov. 5-6. Among the most recognized names in the field of pastoral counseling and church ministry, Wright
Preparing for Ministry to the Suffering
DEAN’S CORNER
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regularly remind our students that as rewarding as it is to follow the Lord Jesus Christ, He never promised us a life of ease and comfort. In fact, He often spoke of the suffering that His followers would encounter during John R. Lillis their earthly pilgrimage. As a result, those whom He gifts and calls to ministry in the kingdom must be prepared to offer help and solace to others in times of their deepest need, especially when they suffer loss and grief. At Bethel Seminary we make sure that our students receive the training necessary to provide that type of help and care in their ministries, whether they find themselves in pastoral or therapeutic contexts. We want their ministries to be firmly rooted in the Word of God, reflecting a thorough understanding of appropriate and useful concepts from the social sciences. In this issue, you will read of the practical experiences and helpful ministries in which our students and alums are involved during their time at the seminary and after they graduate. You also will read about some of the special people God has brought to us to further enhance their preparation in these areas. These opportunities not only better equip our students to serve, but also make a difference in people’s lives right now. •
has authored more than 70 books including Experiencing Grief; The New Guide to Crisis and Trauma Counseling; Recovering From the Losses of Life; Quiet Times for Couples; and Before You Say I Do. He is a licensed marriage, family, and child therapist, has taught at both Biola University and Talbot School of Theology, and currently serves as Talbot’s research professor of Christian education. Perhaps best known for pioneering premarital counseling and marriage enrichment programs throughout the country, Wright also is passionate about trauma and crisis counseling, and helping people recover from losses in life – interests shaped in large part by his personal journey raising a handicapped child and losing his wife Joyce to cancer. Following a training seminar on crisis and trauma counseling from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Friday, Nov. 5, Wright will deliver a public lecture at 7 p.m. discussing such losses in life as the death of a family member, losing a job, financial crises, and more. His compassionate yet practical approach will benefit both those who
H. Norman Wright
face personal loss as well as those who provide care to others. Saturday morning, Nov. 6, Wright will present a special workshop designed not only to help strengthen and enrich the marriages of attendees, but also to offer training and guidance to those who serve in marriage counseling roles in the church. Helping others move beyond the forces of despair to renewed trust in what God can do in our lives has marked Wright’s ministry. Please join us as we benefit from his wisdom and expertise. To register, call Mitchell Campbell at 619.325.5227 or email events-sandiego@ bethel.edu •
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Freedom: Alumna Brings Healing as a Marriage and Family Therapist
Dealing with Grief
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olly LaCroix, Master of Arts in and learn it in depth. The rigor of the Marital and Family Therapy grad program prepared me very well for from Bethel Seminary San Diego, was my work as a therapist.” LaCroix also teaching a community Bible study class points to the safety of the Bethel comwhen she sensed the call to become a munity as a factor in her growth as a therapist. Already heeding her call to person and as a therapist. teach God’s Word, LaCroix was sur Following the completion of her prised to find the Holy Spirit moving degree in 2009, LaCroix became a her toward therapeutic work. “Women registered intern working towards liin my class, women censure. Volunteering who loved the Lord her time as a bereaveand sought to build ment counselor at San their lives on biblical Diego Hospice and principles, were really the Institute for Palstruggling,” she says. liative Medicine, she “It was clear to me that also serves at Family many people needed Consultation Services, help working through a private practice in specific challenges San Diego. they were facing; they And she continues needed support in apto teach the Bible, plying what they knew providing what she about the Bible to their calls “preventive care” lives.” through classes and Seeking confirmaretreats. tion, LaCroix came LaCroix believes across Isaiah 61:1-3 God has led her to and was struck with the specialize in working relevance of this passage to the healing with clients whose challenges involve ministry of therapy. “I realized that one traumatic events. “The reality is that of the many ways Jesus heals is through none of us are able to go through life therapy,” she says. Words and phrases without experiencing some degree like “freedom,” “release from darkness,” of trauma in this fallen world,” she “bind up the brokenhearted,” and “comsays. “Helping people gain freedom fort all who mourn” and release from the resonated with her. It darkness of trauma is a “...to bind up the was then that she knew special privilege.” God was calling her to We at Bethel count brokenhearted, to come alongside people it a privilege to walk proclaim liberty to in need of the healing alongside students and captives, and freedom alums like LaCroix as He provides through therapeutic support. to prisoners...to comfort they prepare to be the LaCroix credits agents of that freedom all who mourn...” Bethel Seminary San in other’s lives. Diego with provid –Isaiah 61:1-2 ing a strong foundaFor more information for her work as a tion about the Marital marriage and family therapist. “Bethel’s and Family Therapy program at Bethel program stands out not only because it Seminary San Diego, please contact equips therapists to integrate a ChrisCaleb Hummel at 619.325.5233. To tian worldview with the best of social learn more from Molly LaCroix, see science theory,” she observes, “but also her article “Dealing with Grief” on this because as students we were required page. • to select a theory-approach to therapy –2–
by Molly LaCroix, M.A.M.F.T. (’09) veryone experiences loss. In addition to death, we suffer the loss of such things as relationships, health, and financial security. Yet, grief can be quite confusing and even considered unacceptable. Greater understanding of how we grieve can help all of us be better equipped to cope with our own and others’ experiences of loss. Generally, Americans are not very comfortable with grief. The expectation is that people will “get over it” fairly quickly; if they do not, the bereaved sometimes feel isolated because friends and family cannot tolerate their grief. Even in the church, well-meaning people will offer statements like, “It must give you so much peace to know he is in heaven with the Lord,” which sometimes relays a subtle message that grief is not allowed for believers. It is important to understand that common grief reactions encompass physical, emotional, psychological, social, behavioral, and spiritual dimensions. Considering all of the ways grief can influence our lives helps us realize that it takes time to heal from loss, and individuals can have very different grief reactions. Some are more feeling-oriented, while others work out their grief by doing tasks and thinking through the process. It is useful to think of bereavement as a process of working through overlapping tasks, including accepting the reality of the loss, working through the pain of grief, adjusting to the new environment, and maintaining a bond with the deceased while continuing to invest energy in living. If that sounds like a lot of work, it is! That is why bereavement takes time and energy, and can preoccupy the grieving person for a significant amount of time. Recognizing the complexity of bereavement, and the amount of time and effort required to work through the process of grieving, can help each of us be better equipped to provide unconditional love and support to those experiencing grief. •
E “Community of God” A Resource for Christian Education in Southern California BETHEL SEMINARY SAN DIEGO
Ten 20 Century Christian Lives: How Their Moments and Movements Transform Our World th
James D. Smith III, Ph.D. 7-8:30 p.m. Sundays September 26 - December 6, 2010 Bethel Seminary Chapel
Development Update The Annual Fund While Bethel Seminary San Diego (BSSD) continues to make progress in securing funds for its long-awaited campus expansion, support for the Bethel Seminary Annual Fund continues to grow. BSSD had hoped to raise $200,000 during the 2009-2010 fiscal year. Thanks to the generosity of donors, more than $220,000 was raised from more than 400 separate gifts. “There are many faithful people in San Diego who are committed to the mission of Bethel Seminary,” says Mark Pearsey, senior development officer for BSSD. “We had several new people who were recently introduced to Bethel Seminary, and they felt led to give as well. It was exciting to see that even during these tough economic times, God blessed our Annual Fund with the largest amount in the school’s history. God is faithful!”
mbark on an amazing journey through some of the most influential moments in 20th century Christian history. Learn: • how C.S. Lewis’ writings came to be • what happened at the Edinburgh Missions Conference of 1910 • about the influence Mother Theresa and Princess Diana had on each other • the stories behind movements led by Billy Graham, Martin Luther King, and many more. Cost: $50 per person, $75 per couple, $10 per student, free for Bethel staff and students. Registration: Contact Larissa Annen at laos.bethel@gmail.com • Vice President for Development Bruce Anderson notes the significance behind this accomplishment. “The really good news is that the donors and the development team exceeded their goal by securing a number of substantial gifts to the Annual Fund from new sources – individual households and a first gift from an interested foundation,” says Anderson. “We believe this will be an encouragement to the many faithful donors who are so committed to the mission of Bethel in San Diego.” The Campaign The capital campaign project for the campus expansion in San Diego continues. So far this year, several hundred thousand dollars have been raised, roughly half of that as a result of a matching gift challenge that expired at the end of March 2010. Proposals to two major foundations were presented in summer 2010 with the hope that they will be accepted and an additional $400,000 secured for the project. Rebidding on the many aspects of construction, and verification of all conditions for construction to begin, including building permits and other requirements, continue with the expectation that demolition and construction will commence when fundraising is complete and a full financial plan is confirmed with updated construction costs. A clearer –3–
Faculty Footnotes Glen Scorgie, Ph.D., professor of theology, was a visiting scholar and lecturer for two months at Renmin University and the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences in Beijing. John Lillis, Ph.D., dean and executive officer, facilitated a four-day faculty development workshop for seminary faculty and administration in L’Viv, Ukraine, July 6-9. Participants from seven different schools located throughout the country gathered for the workshop at L’Viv Theological Seminary. Lillis also was elected vice chairperson of the Evangelical Seminary Dean’s Council for the 2010-11 academic year, and is slated to assume the chairperson post in 2011-2012. Ben Lim, Ph.D., professor of marital and family therapy, conducted a July wedding in Malaysia, and together with his wife Soh Leong proceeded to Xiamen, China, to teach an intensive course in marriage and family counseling. The couple then spoke at a public seminar on “De-stressing for Greater Creativity.” Lim also coauthored the article “The Trajectory of Counseling in China: Past, Present, and Future Trends” in the Journal of Counseling and Development, and cowrote 11 articles for the Encyclopedia of Cross-Cultural School Psychology. Mark Strauss, Ph.D., professor of New Testament, spent three weeks in Whistler, British Colombia, working with the Committee on Bible Translation on the latest revision of the New International Version Bible. Professor of Old Testament Emeritus Ronald Youngblood, Ph.D., also serves on the committee. •
picture of the campaign’s conclusion and construction plans is expected by mid-October 2010. Interested in partnering with Bethel Seminary San Diego? Contact Mark Pearsey at m-pearsey@bethel.edu or 760.214.8372. •
CALENDAR OF EVENTS September 26 New LAOS series: “Ten 20th Century Christian Lives: How Their Moments and Movements Transform Our World,” featuring James D. Smith III, Ph.D. 7-8:30 p.m. Sundays, Sept. 26-Dec. 6, 2010. $50 per person; $75 per couple; $10 per student; free for Bethel staff and students. Find out more or register with Larissa Annen at laos.bethel@gmail.com. November 5 Training seminar “Crisis and Trauma Counseling” with H. Norman Wright. 9 a.m.-3 p.m., Bethel Seminary Chapel. For details, cost, or to RSVP, contact Mitchell Campbell at events-sandiego@bethel.edu or 619.325.5227 by Nov. 1. 5 Distinguished Lecture Series with H. Norman Wright on “Facing Loss and Finding Healing.” 7-9 p.m., Bethel Seminary Chapel. Free to the public. RSVP by Nov. 3 to Mitchell Campbell at events-sandiego@bethel.edu or 619.325.5227. 6 “Enriching Marriages: The Newly and the Mature” workshop for pastors, counselors, and lay persons with H. Norman Wright. Bethel Seminary Chapel, 9:30-11:30 a.m. Free to the public. RSVP to Mitchell Campbell at events-sandiego@bethel. edu or 619.325.5227. 9 Bethel Preview Night. Considering seminary? Here’s your chance to find out more! RSVP to JoAnne Wilmer at 619.325.5218. 11 Ministry Development Day, 3:30-7:30 p.m. Students meet with denominational and ministry representatives to learn more about internship opportunities, ordination, and ministry placement. For details, contact the Supervised Ministry Department at 619.325.5234 or brenda-valentine@bethel.edu. January 21 Christian Association for Psychological Studies (CAPS) gathering with Aaron Reinicke, M.F.T., on sexual addiction treatment. Bethel Seminary Chapel, 11:30 a.m.-1 p.m. $5 for therapists; $3 for graduate students, interns, and alumni. For details or to register, contact Christine Klein at christine-klein@bethel.edu or 619.325.5226.
Best of the Holy Land Trip
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ake a life-changing trip to Israel! The Bible will come alive as you explore the lands of the patriarchs, walk where Jesus walked, and experience firsthand the world in which He lived. Join Bethel Seminary’s John Lillis, Ph.D., and Mark Strauss, Ph.D., June 13-24, 2011, for the trip of a lifetime. To find out more, contact Mitchell Campbell at mitchell-campbell@bethel.edu or 619.325.5227. •
Looking west from the Garden of Gethsemane toward the double arched “Golden Gate.”
seminary.bethel.edu/sandiego Bethel Seminary San Diego 6116 Arosa Street San Diego, CA 92115
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