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There has been a long history of separation between conventional psychology and the church’s approach to pastoral care. This week, Gary Wilkerson, Dr. Mark Mayfield and Matthew Ward sit down to discuss how psychology can become part of the way pastors support the people in their congregations.
Key Points from the Podcast
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Why is it so challenging for pastors and church leaders to talk about mental and emotional health issues?
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The Greek word psuche, translated as soul or life in the New Testament, is where we derive the word psychology.
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A lot of pastors and church leaders are not properly equipped to help people heal from the deep soul wounds that hinder them from living in the fullness of abundant life that Christ offers them.
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The answers to our deep hurts and struggles don’t need to be either the Bible or psychology but can be both working in tandem.
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We are created in the image of the triune God. He is concerned about our spirit, soul, and body.
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The human brain in wonderfully complex: composed of 100 billion neurons with 10,000 to 100,000 connections per neuron, 2.5 million gigabytes of storage, neurons fire at 260 miles per hour.
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The Bible—and now science confirms it—tells us that we can change the physical structures, or neuropathways, of our brain using our mind.
Bible Verses Referenced in the Podcast
Matthew 22:37; Matthew 16:26; Psalm 139; Romans 12:2; Philippians 4:8; Jeremiah 17:9; Genesis 1:26; 1 Thessalonians 5:23; Isaiah 35:8
Episodes in this podcast series:
About Matthew Ward
Matthew Ward was one of the voices that helped create the sound of contemporary Christian music. He started as part of the 70s group, 2nd Chapter of Acts, which is credited with changing the sound of Christian music. Matthew is a singer, songwriter, and producer. He has released 9 solo albums, and 15 albums as part of the 2nd Chapter of Acts. He has recorded or performed with more than 50 contemporary Christian artists. As well as singing a duet with pop-diva Donna Summer and background vocals on other songs including the No. 1 hit She Works Hard for the Money.
About Dr. Mark Mayfield
Dr. Mayfield is a former pastor, a licensed professional counselor (LPC), a board-certified counselor, and founder and CEO of Mayfield Counseling Centers.
He has more than 14 years of professional counseling experience in clinical, judicial, and faith-based counseling settings across a wide range of patient demographics. Mayfield has professional experience in treating and addressing anxiety, depression, and PTSD, substance abuse, domestic violence, self-injury, and suicide. He is passionate about the integration of faith and mental health.
Dr. Mayfield recently launched his book, titled “HELP! My Teen is Self-Injuring: A Crisis Manual for Parents” which addresses his own suicide survival story, self-injury, and how to help your child who might be going through this. His second book “The Path Out of Loneliness: Finding and Fostering Connection to God, Ourselves, and One Another”, published through NavPress/Tyndale House, released September 2021.
He has been featured in prominent media outlets including Woman’s Day, Hello Giggles, NBC, Reader’s Digest, Byrdie, and more. Dr. Mayfield is on a list of mental health professionals that was invited to the White House in December 2019 and has had periodic calls with the White House to discuss mental health in America.
