Restoring the Fallen: A Team Approach to Caring, Confronting & Reconciling [Paperback]

Earl D. Wilson (Author), Sandy Wilson (Author), Paul Friesen (Author), Virginia Friesen (Author), Larry Paulson (Author), Nancy Paulson (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: March 28, 1997

When brothers and sisters in Christ fall into sin, how should the church respond? Very often, Christians stumble in their attempt to address this issue. Either they ignore the wrongdoing or they banish the wrongdoer. The authors of this groundbreaking book advocate another way: the spiritual care team. A spiritual care team is a small group of mature Christians who voluntarily commit themselves to support and guide another through the process of repentance and restoration. This community-based and community-oriented approach emphasizes the importance of acknowledging sin, making repentance complete and reestablishing personal spiritual discipline. Restoring the Fallen offers practical guidance on how to form a spiritual care team, as well as how to support the spouse and family of the one working through the process of restoration, how professional helpers and the whole church body might contribute to restoration, and how to provide ongoing care after the main work of the spiritual care team is complete. It is an essential book for pastors, counselors and church leaders.

Product Details

• Paperback: 201 pages
• Publisher: IVP Books (March 28, 1997)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0854110585
• ISBN-13: 978-0830816194
• ASIN: 0830816194
• Product Dimensions: 8.3 x 5.5 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 9 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #282,521 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Beautiful Biblical Comprehensive Plan, September 7, 2003

By A Customer

This review is from: Restoring the Fallen: A Team Approach to Caring, Confronting & Reconciling (Paperback)

All of the authors were directly involved in shepharding a christian counselor/speaker/writer/teacher back to full reconciliation - which by the way was a several year process. Sexual sins thrives in darkness and secrecy. They tend to make people uncomfortable so most are happy to just brush them under the rug, move on, and never bring these temptations and acting out tendencies up again. WRONG!!It is not 'only' the sexual sins, but the sins of selfishness, long histories of bad choices, lying, deciet, twisting the truth. Just getting the acting out to stop is actually only scraping the surface. He needed to get to the point of humility in admitting what a mess his way made of life. He needed to willingly submit to God's direction as laid out for him through his psychiatrist, Spiritual Care Team (two other couples) and his wife. They recognized how important it is to include the wife in the process. Involving the wife help short circuit any twisting or hiding of the truth of what is or is not happening. He stated that the abuser may never be the one to declare himself healed. This showed a wholistic approach of not only dealing with acting out, but the deeper individual levels and marraige habits that needed retraining with follow-up. They deal with the objections such as who am I to judge someone else, or thinking that by not bringing up bold love questions such as how is your spiritual walk going this week? Have you watched anything that might bring comprimises? Are you lying to me? We ARE our brothers keepers. Not in a pharisaical or judgemental way but in an encouraging way to keep on the right track. This is a must read for church leaders in a church such as mine that doesn't practice discipline much. It helps to lay out a great healing process. I needed this book two years ago. Now that my husband's accountability group wanted to hold him accountable for very specific things each week, he declared that the group had finished serving its original purpose and he didn't need them anymore. His unwillingness to submit is heartbreaking. At least read the book to understand how many relationships are hurt with these sins and for a broader view on the depth of deciet that must be rooted out.

11 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars The Best in Help, Hope, and Healing!, December 12, 2000

By 

T. Pedigo "The Rev." (Colorado Springs, CO USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Restoring the Fallen: A Team Approach to Caring, Confronting & Reconciling (Paperback)

As a former fallen pastor, I wish this book would have been available a decade ago. After doing years of research and helping other religious "restorees," I believe "Restoring the Fallen" is the most comprehensive and insightful book on the market. The writers (multiple authors) convey workable truths obtained from practical experience. Every "nook and cranny" of restoration is dealt with in an easy-to-read and understandable style. These authors believe that there is life after a fall - and for religious leaders hurt by sin, it is needed help, hope and healing.

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Helped save our marriage, October 5, 2004

By 

Grateful for Recovery (Elk Grove, CA) - See all my reviews

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This review is from: Restoring the Fallen: A Team Approach to Caring, Confronting & Reconciling (Paperback)

This is a very practical book for those supporting a recovering person. I should make clear that it is only for supporting those truly committed to their own recovery. The authors have experience in this area first hand as both recovering addicts & as their support team. As far as I am aware, this is the only book of it's kind. I highly recommend this book for after the initial shock of the addiction is out in the open when those involved are ready to take those next difficult steps toward getting better. My husband & I were able to share this book with our committed support team as a guideline for how best to help us reconcile. Though it was only a part of our recovery plan, this book was invaluable. Almost 4 years later, we are still in active recovery & still meeting with our recovery team on a regular basis. Huge thanks to the Wilsons for sharing their story!