Encouragement: The Key to Caring [Paperback]

Larry Crabb (Author), Dan B. Allender PLLC (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: June 18, 1990

Encouragement. It's more than a compliment or a pat on the back. According to Drs. Larry Crabb and Dan Allender, it is the most basic form of counseling -- a skill that can be mastered by laypeople as well as counselors. What must we know in order to fulfill the biblical exhortation to 'encourage one another'? Encouragement: The Key to Caring tells you. Part one deals with understanding encouragement, and part two explores the process of encouragement, including such practical how-tos as - developing a careful selection of encouraging words - cultivating active listening skills - using biblical fellowship to move beyond superficial smiles and shallow greetings - recognizing subtle opportunities for encouragement -- Without the encouragement of a caring community, biblical truth taught in church tends to just thicken people's defense layers. But authenticity, freedom, and greater love for God and others are the fruit of encouragement, and evidence of the tremendous power God invests in individuals and churches who practice it.

Editorial Reviews

Review

Encouragement. It’s more than a compliment or a pat on the back. According to Drs. Larry Crabb and Dan Allender, it is the most basic form of counseling—a skill that can be mastered by laypeople as well as counselors. What must we know in order to fulfill the biblical exhortation to “encourage one another”?

Encouragement: The Key to Caring tells you. Part one deals with understanding encouragement, and part two explores the process of encouragement, including such practical how-tos as ? developing a careful selection of encouraging words ? cultivating active listening skills ? using biblical fellowship to move beyond superficial smiles and shallow greetings ? recognizing subtle opportunities for encouragement

Without the encouragement of a caring community, biblical truth taught in church tends to just thicken people’s defense layers. But authenticity, freedom, and greater love for God and others are the fruit of encouragement, and evidence of the tremendous power God invests in individuals and churches who practice it -- Publisher

From the Author

Dr. Larry Crabb, Ph.D., is a well-known speaker, author of numerous best-selling books including God of My Father, Finding God, and Men and Women, and Distinguished Scholar-in-Residence at Colorado Christian University in Morrison. He lives outside Denver. Dr. Dan Allender, Ph.D., is professor of counseling at Western Seminary in Seattle and the president and founder of Wounded Heart Ministries. He maintains a private counseling practice in Seattle and is the author of The Wounded Heart, Bold Love, Cry of the Soul, and Intimate Allies. Dr. Larry Crabb, Ph.D., is a well-known speaker, author of numerous best-selling books including God of My Father, Finding God, and Men and Women, and Distinguished Scholar-in-Residence at Colorado Christian University in Morrison. He lives outside Denver. Dr. Dan Allender, Ph.D., is professor of counseling at Western Seminary in Seattle and the president and founder of Wounded Heart Ministries. He maintains a private counseling practice in Seattle and is the author of The Wounded Heart, Bold Love, Cry of the Soul, and Intimate Allies. Dr. Larry Crabb, Ph.D., is a well-known speaker, author of numerous best-selling books including God of My Father, Finding God, and Men and Women, and Distinguished Scholar-in-Residence at Colorado Christian University in Morrison. He lives outside Denver. Dr. Dan Allender, Ph.D., is professor of counseling at Western Seminary in Seattle and the president and founder of Wounded Heart Ministries. He maintains a private counseling practice in Seattle and is the author of The Wounded Heart, Bold Love, Cry of the Soul, and Intimate Allies. Dr. Larry Crabb, Ph.D., is a well-known speaker, author of numerous best-selling books including God of My Father, Finding God, and Men and Women, and Distinguished Scholar-in-Residence at Colorado Christian University in Morrison. He lives outside Denver. Dr. Dan Allender, Ph.D., is professor of counseling at Western Seminary in Seattle and the president and founder of Wounded Heart Ministries. He maintains a private counseling practice in Seattle and is the author of The Wounded Heart, Bold Love, Cry of the Soul, and Intimate Allies

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 18 and up
  
• Paperback: 144 pages
• Publisher: Zondervan (June 18, 1990)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0310225914
• ISBN-13: 978-0310225911
• Product Dimensions: 8.2 x 5.4 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 7.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (10 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #100,236 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

13 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Encouragement is inspired by love and directed toward fear, December 30, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: Encouragement: The Key to Caring (Hardcover)

"A few well-timed words suited perfectly to the need of a particular moment can yield enduring results in someone's life. When layered Christians meet together, their purpose is to protect themselves from each other or to use each other to enhance their own self-esteem. The basis of our fellowship is our shared life in Christ by promoting fuller appreciation of Christ through mirroring Christ to one another, treating each other as valuable bearers of the image of God, and accepting one another in spite of shortcomings. We are to understand the fears, defenses and needs of others and to become committed, not to sharing ourselves, but to sharing the Lord by ministering to those needs. We handle negative emotions three ways: repression, unrestrained expression or acknowledgement and proper expression to God. Change takes place when truth is presented in relationship. The essence of encouragement is exposure without rejection by conveying confidence to change. Encouragement is the fruit of a self-examined heart and a compassionate, discerning sensitivity to the needs of others. The work of restoration is to help self-centered, unbelieving, fearful people to become Christ-centered, trusting and bold."

I read this book as an assignment for a Bible Counseling course and found it extremely helpful. One new idea I learned was "My desire is to be encouraged, but my goal will be to minister to others." I've been struggling with my own need for encouragement and Chapter 5 helped clarify it for me: I need to learn to trust God for my own encouragement and focus my attention on ministering to others - only then will I know true joy.

10 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Short but powerful!, August 1, 1999

By 

Ray Powell ([e-mail]) (Virginia) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Encouragement: The Key to Caring (Paperback)

A great book! Dr. Crabb shows us how to move beyond "surface community" and into true encouragement...first by confronting our own desires to be encouraged ourselves. He'll lead you to some surprising conclusions.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Spiritual Friendships, March 22, 2007

By 

Robert W. Kellemen "Doc. K." (Crown Point, IN United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Encouragement: The Key to Caring (Paperback)

Some books age well. Normally that's because they present timeless truth in timeless ways. They avoid dating themselves by wedding themselves to the latest fad or passing fancy. Encouragement is just such a book. It describes the power of timely spiritual conversations motivated by grace and spoken heart-to-heart.

This work is the most practical and immediately applicable of the many works by Crabb and Allender. Extremely useful for equipping lay counselors and caregivers.

Reviewer: Bob Kellemen, Ph.D., is the author of Spiritual Friends: A Methodology of Soul Care And Spiritual Direction, Soul Physicians: A Theology of Soul Care And Spiritual Direction, and Beyond the Suffering: Embracing the Legacy of African American Soul Care and Spiritual Direction .