Languish:
1. to become weak, feeble, enervated; to be or live in a state of depression or decreased vitality
2. to become dispirited; to suffer neglect
In the past 15 years, the mental health community has created a new model for care. This new trend, Positive Psychology, is not as “new age” as it sounds. It challenges professionals to consider individuals with chronic depression, not from the perspective of illness but rather from a point of view created by asking this question: “How do we help this person move from languishing to flourishing?”
Instead of trying to fix people, the counselor’s job is to help identify and encourage already present strengths, positive character traits and virtues. How does the counselor take the good that exists and use it to create a greater sense of well-being and health? How do they encourage greater functioning and hopefulness?
Those who endorse this model of care have discovered that as they work with a patient in the area of “wellness” and encourage the strengths that presently exist, emotional pain and depression naturally decrease.
This makes me think of the Retool Kit.
Too often in our churches, we throw the baby out with the bath water. Aware that we have lost our missional point of view, we might start to look for the “pathology” of our church. Some have even taken drastic measures that may be unnecessary in hopes of finding a cure.
We, at Pinnacle, love looking at the local church from a wellness point of view. Who are you? What in your church history needs to be celebrated? How have past victories shaped your church and is there a way to capitalize on those high points? What are the needs of your community? How can you help meet those needs and show the love of Christ? What are the strengths of your leaders? What new skills and attitudes are they ready to learn? If you have lost some of your vitality, how do you take the good that exists and profit from it so you can move on to a place of greater functioning and hopefulness?
How does your church move from languishing to flourishing?
Thrive and prosper are synonyms for flourish. Wouldn’t it be amazing to see your church thriving and spiritually prospering? Retool Kit provides a pathway for your church to do just that. To find out more, check out the Becoming A Church of Impact Conference.
May our Lord Jesus Christ himself and God our Father, who loved us and by his grace gave us eternal encouragement and good hope, encourage your hearts and strengthen you in every good deed and word.
– 2 Thessalonians 2;16, 17
(Definitions from Merriam Webster Online)
