Ministering to Families in Crisis: The Essential Guide for Nurturing Mental and Emotional Health

Empower Your Ministry to Walk Alongside Families in Their Toughest Moments

When crisis strikes, families often turn to ministry leaders for guidance―but are you prepared to help? Edited by Jennifer Ripley, James Sells, and Diane Chandler, Ministering to Families in Crisis equips you with the tools, insights, and resources to provide help for those in need.

From navigating the complexities of trauma, abuse, and mental illness to providing wise counsel addressing marital conflict, support for aging parents, and the management of screens for parents and kids alike, this essential shelf-resource empowers ministry leaders to be a source of hope and support for their communities. Each chapter offers evidence-based strategies, expert insights, and practical suggestions to help families find healing and strength.

Whether you're confronting issues like relational conflict, financial crisis, or addiction, Ministering to Families in Crisisprovides a roadmap for caring for those you lead while also providing guidance on when to offer referrals.

Key Features

• Comprehensive Guidance for Ministry Challenges: Learn from Christian leaders with unique expertise as they address real-world issues like trauma, divorce, addiction, and caregiving.
• Practical Tools for Immediate Impact: Learn evidence-based strategies and actionable recommendations for effective familysupport.
• A Broad Range of Topics: LGBTQ+ issues, divorce, mental health, disability, and more are all addressed compassionately and thoughtfully.
• When to Refer: Understand when professional referrals are necessary and how to guide families toward additional support.

What’s Inside

Gain wisdom from expert contributors with chapters like these:

• Ministering to Families When Children Come Out by JanetB. Dean, Stephen P. Stratton, and Mark A. Yarhouse
• Adults and Screens: Preventing Crisis Through Digital Discipleship by Arlene Pellicane
• The Challenge of Helping Couples in Conflict by David C. Olsen
• Screens, Children, andTeens: The Challenges Are Real, and You Can Help by Kathy Koch
• Domestic Violence and Church Ministry by Darby A. Strickland

The church is a spiritual family, designed by God to shape members' lives and provide a sense of belonging, regardless of their background or experience. Ministering to Families in Crisis equips you―whether you’re a minister, pastor, counselor, or volunteer leader―with the tools and encouragement you need to help families find hope during life’s storms. More than just offering advice, it serves as your essential guide to walking alongside families in their toughest moments, fostering healing, hope, and deep spiritual growth.

Get your copy today and learn how you can minister well to those experiencing crisis.

Jennifer S. Ripley (PhD, Virginia Commonwealth University) is professor of psychology, Hughes Professor of Christian Thought and Mental Health, and codirector of the Charis Institute at Regent University in Virginia Beach, Virginia. She is lead editor of Ministering to Families in Crisis and coauthor of Couple Therapy: A New Hope-Focused Approach.

James N. Sells (PhD, University of Southern California) is professor of counseling, shares the Rosemary S. Hughes Professor of Christian Thought and Mental Health, and codirects the Charis Institute at Regent University. He is coeditor of Ministering to Families in Crisis and the author of several books including Family Therapies and Beyond the Clinical Hour.

Diane J. Chandler (PhD, Regent University) is associate professor of spiritual formation and leadership at the Regent University School of Divinity. She is the author of Christian Spiritual Formation: An Integrated Approach to Personal and Relational Wholeness.