Prayer Needs - Summer

One pastor recently shared that in some ways re-gathering is more challenging than pandemic
preparation.

Perhaps you are also in that place? Trying to figure out where the Lord is leading your church, your family, your particular counseling ministry in these days of “re-gathering”?

At CCEF, the Lord has been re-gathering us gradually. We are grateful for His hand of blessing in this transition. Here are some updates and prayer needs to share with you.

Faculty Happenings

• Julie Lowe has been recording a new course called “Protecting the Vulnerable.”
• Todd Stryd has also been recording our well-loved course “Theology and Secular Psychology,” formerly taught by David Powlison.
• We are thrilled to announce the addition of four new female faculty members: Darby Strickland, Laura Andrews, Lauren Whitman, and Esther Liu. All four have served on staff at CCEF, have counseled for years, and have been writing and speaking. It is a great privilege to have them join our faculty.
• June 9th marked the 2 year anniversary of our dear David Powlison’s passing. We were grateful to
  celebrate the anniversary with the publication of one of his posthumous works, Pastor as Counselor, a short and influential book on the fundamental calling of pastors to counsel. You can read the book description and purchase it here. Please pray that David’s book will have an impact on the next generation of pastors and on pastoral care in the church.

Events

We were able to host our first annual Pastor Care conference online. Over 1000 pastors attended from the U.S. and from many other countries including Indonesia, South Africa, and Australia. We praise God for the wonderful turnout and for the ways pastors, their wives and other ministry leaders were encouraged and connected.

Prayer Needs

• Rest and refreshment for staff and their families during vacations and time off this summer
• Continued wisdom for our executive director, Alasdair Groves, in leading CCEF as we re-gather
• Wisdom and discernment as we make a number of new hires and restructure some of our departments in order to keep up with the growth in ministry opportunities the Lord has blessed us with