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CRISIS CARING
A Guide for Ministering to People in Crisis
Roslyn A. Karaban, PhD
Paper, $17.95
136 pages, 5˝" × 8˝"
ISBN 0-89390-612-3
View Table of Contents
View Excerpt
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This is a guide to the ministry of crisis counseling for both community
and individual settings. Methods and strategies are presented and then
demonstrated in vignettes of specific cases to illustrate the methodology.
Included are guidelines for assessment, intervention, and referral and
a list of additional sources.
Roslyn Karaban, PhD, is a tenured professor of ministry studies at
St. Bernard's School of Theology and Ministry in Rochester, N.Y., where
she is also director of field education. She works as a pastoral counselor
and as a supervisor and teacher in a training program in hospice chaplaincy.
Contents
Preface
Acknowledgments
Part 1: Background
Chapter 1: What Is a Crisis?
Definitions
Types of Crises
Situational Crises
History of Crisis Theory
Chapter 2: The Unique Role of the Pastoral Minister As Crisis Caregiver
Crisis Ministry As Pastoral Care
Crisis Ministry of the Whole Community
The Unique Role of the Crisis Minister
Crisis Ministry As Theological Affirmations
The Unique Position of the Crisis Minister: Before and During Crisis
The Prophetic Dimension of Crisis Ministry
Chapter 3: Individual and Communal Models and Theories of Crisis Ministry
Three Ways to Lessen Anxiety for the Crisis Minister
A Variety of Individual Models and Strategies
Assessment
Models and Strategies: For Individuals
Models and Strategies: For Family Systems and Communities
Chapter 4: Responding to Crises: Pastoral Qualities, Values, Skills,
Principles, and Conditions
Qualities and Values of the Crisis Minister
Skills Necessary for Doing Crisis Ministry
Principles and Conditions for Doing Crisis Ministry
Chapter 5: Crisis and the Community: Teaching, Preaching, Worship, Prayer,
and Prophecy
Teaching
Preaching
Worship
Prayer
Prophecy
Part 2: Cases
Chapter 6: Suicide
1. Description of Event
2. Assessment, Analysis, and Response
3. Understanding the Crisis in a Broader Context
4. Theological Reflection and Resources
Chapter 7: Loss and Death
What Actually Happened:
1. Description of Event
2. Assessment, Analysis, and Response
3. Understanding the Crisis in a Broader Context
4. Theological Reflection and Resources
What Might Have Happened (The Young Priest’s Perspective):
1. Description of Event
2. Assessment, Analysis, and Response
3. Understanding the Crisis in a Broader Context
4. Theological Reflection and Resources
Chapter 8: Violence
1. Description of Event
2. Assessment, Analysis, and Response
3. Understanding the Crisis in a Broader Context
4. Theological Reflection and Resources
Chapter 9: Community Crisis
1. Description of Event
2. Assessment, Analysis, and Response
3. Understanding the Crisis in a Broader Context
4. Theological Reflection and Resources
Notes
Bibliography
Part 1
Background
What Is a Crisis?
Definitions
Over the years the word crisis has become part of
our everyday vocabulary. We often hear—or find ourselves saying—I’m having
a crisis; he must be going through a midlife crisis; she’s having a crisis
of faith. We use the word as if it is some thing that happens to us, over
which we have no control, an unwanted enemy. This is one part of the definition
of crisis, but there is much more to this word that warrants our attention
as pastoral ministers who are continually called upon to respond to people
and communities1 in crisis. Understanding crisis and knowing how to better
respond to those experiencing crises are pivotal to ministering in today’s
world and church.
The word crisis comes from the Greek word krinein
meaning “to decide.” It is defined as a crucial time, a climax, or a juncture
and is often depicted by the Chinese symbol that means danger and opportunity.
Too often we have thought of and ministered to someone in crisis as if
crisis is primarily, if not exclusively a danger, overlooking the opportunity
for growth. It is important for us to know more about this complex word.
The most basic definition of crisis is that it is
an internal reaction to an external event (Stone 19). This reaction may
be experienced by an individual, a family, or a community; early crisis-intervention
literature focused almost exclusively on the individual. The external event
may be called a crisis event, although the event itself is not what defines
a crisis. This is the first and most frequent mistake we make in talking
about crisis; we define an event as a crisis, rather than our reaction
to the event as the crisis. The same event that happens to different people
will be experienced by some as crisis and by others as non-crisis. We experience
an event, internally assess the event, and call upon our internal resources
and coping mechanisms to respond to the event (ibid.). Only when these
usual ways of dealing with things do not work does a crisis reaction develop.
It would be helpful, then, to distinguish between a crisis event and a
crisis reaction and to understand that the two are not the same.
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