The author makes it quite clear what he thinks the church should accomplish in the lives of its members and in the community. He writes, "Churches should be supportive, extended family for everyone who wishes this, including those who live alone and those who are married or live in other committed relationships" (Clinebell 277). It is refreshing that he includes everyone, regardless of their marital arrangements, which shows he is an open, honest individual that does not judge others. I believe this is another key element to being a good spiritual counselor, and that attitude would well serve my (and anyone's) congregation. It is not the role of a pastor to judge his members, but to give them guidance and help them grow as people and grow spiritually. Later, he gives specifics on how to counsel alternative lifestyle couples, noting that they have many of the problems and concerns as any married couple, and they should be treated as such. He writes, "If churches are to become healing and wholeness centers for human brokenness in our world, they should seek to become so for the persons in the variegated-lifestyles of our society, not just for those in traditional marriages" (Clinebell 276). I think it is extremely important to remember that, every day.

The author even tackles issues such as sex counseling in marital counseling, and offers advice from a variety of experts about how to counsel effectively in this situation. He also offers suggested reading at the end of each chapter, so the student can find additional resources to learn more about each aspect of counseling. This is a nice touch, and it is extremely helpful to know where to look for additional information.

He encourages pastors to train others to help in counseling, creating a lay ministry of church counselors. He writes, "The caring ministry of the laity is essentially a ministry to persons in need - in the congregation and in the community" (Clinebell 395). This is also a refreshing concept, and it could certainly...

It is good to know that there is help available, especially in crisis situations, and that Clinebell does not thing that a minister must "go it alone" when it comes to counseling. In large congregations, that could be quite difficult to manage, and it could create a feeling of distance between the pastor and the congregation.
Another helpful part of the book is the last chapter, where he outlines ways to continue personal growth in counseling techniques. He writes, "Develop a list of personal and professional growth goals toward which you need to move in order to maximize your effectiveness in caring and counseling. Write down these goals" (Clinebell 430). Again, he offers concrete exercises that help the reader build skills and knowledge, which is another thing that helps make this book so successful. It think that it is extremely important to continue building skills and assessing those skills in order to grow as a pastor and as a counselor. Time change, people change, and situations change. A pastor must be flexible enough to grow with those changes, so they can consistently meet the needs of their congregation.

In conclusion, this was a highly enlightening book that made pastoral counseling much more real and attainable. The author writes well, but more importantly, he imparts his knowledge extremely effectively. The book was interesting to read, but more than that, it was inspiring and very motivational. I would certainly recommend keeping this book on a bookshelf in the pastor's office, where it would be available for easy reference. I would say that it left me with a very positive view of pastoral counseling, and I see that as part of a pastor's calling as seen in the scriptures.