Compassion—The Painful Privilege

Chaplain Dan Nolta

"Does God simply give you the gift you need to be useful in his kingdom?" For Dan Nolta the answer is "no." Nolta grew up in a family torn apart by alcohol and divorce. Restlessness and longing first ate a hole in Nolta’s soul but eventually chased him not only to Jesus but also to his unique giftedness and "divine appointment."
 
"No life experience is a throwaway with God," Nolta states. "With God, nothing is wasted—neither the good times nor bad times, neither the pain nor the privilege." In Compassion—The Painful Privilege, Nolta shares the process through which God gifted him with compassion and led him to work in the Pierce County (Washington) Sheriff’s Department as a chaplain. Vivid examples from Nolta’s ministry will give you a front row seat to see the inherent costs of exercising compassion—the stress, vicarious suffering, and fatigue. Nolta lets you in on what he’s learned about persevering through the difficulties of the compassionate life, and how to enjoy the rich rewards with appropriate humility.
 
This book can be purchased either from the publisher (Barclay Press) or from Amazon.  We've included a link for Amazon.  The book is at the reasonable price of $12 per copy in paperback.
 

Counseling Survivors of Traumatic Events

What do you do when the call comes from a distraught parishioner who needs help in dealing with a murder, rape, traffic accident, miscarriage, or the effects of a natural disaster or war? How can students of pastoral care and counseling learn in a seminary setting how to think about and counsel in those situations? An extraordinary number of survivors of such catastrophic events turn to clergy for help to deal with theirfds stress. The effects of such massive stress are typically known as Post-traumatic Stress Disorder. Knowing how to recognize PTSD and how to handle such crisis situations is critical for caregivers.

Weaver, Preston, and Flannelly use case studies to show how to handle such tough situations. Treatment options, referral possibilities and procedures are explained so that the caregiver knows how to help those in their care cope with catastrophic emotional distress. The authors suggest religious resources within the faith (mainly Christian and Jewish) community that can be of help in crisis situations.  The authors also list national, cross-cultural, and self-help resources (including street and internet addresses as well as phone information) which many caregivers and family members may prefer to access. This book is intended primarily as a teaching/caring resource and pastoral aid to be studied over time; however, the authors include a quick reference section for emergency aid.

 Counseling Survivors of Traumatic EventsThe First 48 Hours 

Kevin L. Ellers
 
First responders make the difference between life and death for trauma victims. But what is often not recognized is that when disaster strikes, spiritual caregivers are often among those first on the scene. For these caregivers response should also help propel survivors toward positive transformation. This book focuses on critical responses that are key in the aftermath of natural disaster, community violence, personal injury, and crime. These basics include: the power of presence, safety, assessment and triage, how we help, putting the pieces together, telling the story, hope, and caring in the long haul.

The Gift Of Presence
 

Joe E. Pennel, Jr.
 
In The Gift of Presence, Bishop Joe Pennel offers practical help to give confidence and skill to clergy and laity serving the broken hearted. With a central message on the importance of simply being there, Pennel combines practical "how-to's" with prayers, readings, and services. This small, casebound book outlines real ways to help through planning visits, writing notes, finding scriptures and prayers to read, avoiding cliches, and thinking through the theology of God, humans, and suffering.