Helpful guides to greater understanding

Meryl Hill* | The Baptist Times | 21.02.08

This series has been designed to help people understand and face some of theissues of today, bringing understanding and godly insight to bear.

The material comes from seminars held at CWR on stress, bereavement, self-esteem,eating disorders, anxiety and anger.

As always with CWR, the language is readily accessible and straightforward, textis well laid out and obviously comes from a teacher well versed in their subject.

Practical, without waffle, the books manage to cover all the areas you want andmaybe more.

Insight into Bereavement deals with all areas of loss.

In the main of course, it deals with the aftermath of death, whether it is anunexpected death, the death of a child, a child dealing with death, or the death ofa loving older person.

Stages of grieving, funerals and remembering and discovering God's love inbereavement are all covered.

Whether you are bereaved and not coping or whether you feel impotent inhelping a bereaved friend, this is just so practical and helpful.

Insight into Stress identifies causes and symptoms of stress and looks atcontributory factors such as changes in our lives, self expectation and expectationfrom others.

We must recognise that even as Christians we are vulnerable people and seek tostrengthen ourselves.

Each chapter ends with personal application pointers and there are usefulreferences to other books quoted in the text.

Individual case studies, many taken from the Bible, illustrate points made.

These books ooze common sense and wisdom.

Maybe people who need them are not in a state to buy them, but at £7.50 youcould give one to a friend, or a pastoral team could lend one from the churchlibrary as appropriate.

People in any of the above categories are often unable to access the help that isavailable; they are stuck. Help them to reflect and move forward.

__________
*Meryl Hill is a member of Alvechurch Baptist Church