LCI: The Lay Counselor Institute

We are not always the same person. We are not always our true or best selves. We are not always in control, or even aware of how we are acting or presenting. And we are not always easy to be around.

In 2015, Pixar released the ambitious film, Inside Out. An attempt to simply and humorously capture something of how the human mind operates was presented (and won the Academy Award for best animated feature film).

Most people probably had little difficulty identifying with the concepts of "core memories," and the five primary emotions. We know we are complex, somewhat emotional and unpredictable. And so is everyone we interact with! It's complicated. And not easy.

Join us for The Glorious Mess: A Saturday workshop exploring a biblical perspective on human nature, change, and relationships; a different way to consider us from the "inside out." Understand more about yourself, while getting a glimpse into what could be going on in the lives of those around you. REGISTER TODAY @ lciministry.org/trainings/calendar

Three Options this Fall:
1. Saturday, Oct 13
Fairfax Community Church /Fairfax, VA
2. Saturday, Nov 17
Christ Our Shepherd Church /Washington, D.C.
3. Saturday, Dec 1
Gateway Community Church / South Riding, VA

LCI went INTERNATIONAL!

Catch up with the latest from Bill Clark and LCI in Bulgaria...

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The (European) Glorious Mess

The Glorious Mess is happening in Sofia, Bulgaria!
Read more . . .

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Addiction: A Bonding Problem - The Lay Counselor Institute

What if we looked at addiction a little differently? What if there's something each of us could do to help? Read more...

lciministry.org The world tends to blame the addict for his or her addiction. What if we looked at addiction as a bonding problem? How would our perspective change?

Learning to Grow in a Season of Grief - The Lay Counselor Institute

Grief is all around us. Re-posting this post on growing in a season of grief hoping that there is a nugget that might help.

lciministry.org While winter and grief may have things in common, God can use our seasons of grief to expand our view of Him and give greater meaning to our stories.

Rescuing the "Fair Lady" of Dignity in Us All - The Lay Counselor Institute

“I am just not good at relating to anyone and that’s why this is all my fault! I never learned any of this, and it feels like it’s too late now.” Read more about how to move toward relational wellness in today's blog post by Dr. Bill Clark. LCI: The Lay Counselor Institute

lciministry.org

LCI: The Lay Counselor Institute

Still time to sign-up for The Glorious Mess. This Saturday, Jan 20, at Bay Area Community Church, Annapolis, MD. More details at http://lciministry.org/event/glorious-mess-arnold-md/

The gospel doesn’t replace our story; it actually gives it even greater meaning. LCI: The Lay Counselor Institute

Learning to Grow in a Season of Grief - The Lay Counselor Institute

The gospel doesn’t replace our story; it actually gives it even greater meaning. LCI: The Lay Counselor Institute

lciministry.org While winter and grief may have things in common, God can use our seasons of grief to expand our view of Him and give greater meaning to our stories.

How are you feeling this winter?

In the bleak mid-winter... time for some encouragement! LCI: The Lay Counselor Institute.

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What's your New Year's Resolution?

Happy New Year from LCI: The Lay Counselor Institute! We want to help you start 2018 with an opportunity to invest in yourself and your relationships. The Glorious Mess is being offered Saturday, January 20, at Bay Area Community Church (Annapolis, MD area). Read more.

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Level 1B - Glorious Mess Lab - The Lay Counselor Institute

LCI 5-week Lab Group beginning at Reston Bible Church on Tuesday, January 9, 6:30 - 8:30 pm. Register today. Lab Groups are limited to 6 participants.

"I think this lab gave me a better understanding of people. I see the framework being helpful in any number of situations - specifically, the relating styles because it's helpful to understand the levers people pull to get emotional needs met."
~Recent Attendee

lciministry.org The second part of the Glorious Mess is a Lab, an experiential small group that quickly follows the Glorious Mess seminar. It involves personal sharing and intimate exercises designed to “flesh out” the content from the Glorious Mess Seminar. The Glorious Mess Lab is 5 weeks of a meaningful smal...

LCI: The Lay Counselor Institute

Encouragement for enjoying a more peaceful, joy-filled, Christmas season... read on.

The FGH’s for Coping with Christmas Anxiety and Depression - The Lay Counselor Institute

Encouragement for enjoying a more peaceful, joy-filled, Christmas season... read on.

lciministry.org Sometimes the Christmas season isn't as joyful as we hope it to be. If you're suffering from Christmas anxiety, here are a few tips to help you cope.

Reason 5 to Engage: Because it matters how we treat each other - The Lay Counselor Institute

In light of recent events leading to the #MeToo response, it's more important than ever that we talk to our kids about the right ways to treat one another. LCI: The Lay Counselor Institute #MeToo

lciministry.org It matters how we treat each other. The show, 13 Reasons Why, can help parents set up discussions with their kids about appropriate ways to treat others.

[10/13/17]   Sign up today for The Glorious Mess Seminar, LCI's foundational training event. It's a full day of content, testimony, and exercises addressing the nature of man, suffering, change, conflict, need and desire, and how our stories fit into the Larger Story. Learn more about who you are and how you relate.

"I've had a lot of leadership and discipleship training, but this is something really different!" GM Alumni

The Glorious Mess features Dr. Bill Clark and other LCI leaders and is open to anyone. You don't have to be a counselor to attend.

5 Things I Learned About Myself And Attachment - The Lay Counselor Institute

Lessons from Dr. Curt Thompsons workshop, Attachment: Shame and the Embodiment of Beauty.

Last month, we had the honor of hosting Dr. Curt Thompson, local psychiatrist and author, as he spoke about different types of attachment styles. It was a wonderful and eye-opening event.

In case you missed the event, we've written this summary to give you a glimpse into this transformational workshop.

lciministry.org Five things I learned at Dr. Curt Thompson's Attachment: Shame and the Embodiment of Beauty workshop presented by The Lay Counselor Institute.

REGISTRATION FOR LEVEL 2 PRACTICUM CLOSES AT 5PM, TUESDAY, OCT 3.

http://lciministry.org/event/level-2-training-counseling-model/

If you are interested in attending this fall's 10-week session, please register before then. In the event we don't reach the minimum number of participants for this session, we will be postponing it until Spring, 2018. Don't miss out!

The Heart of Man: Our brokenness is a bridge, not a barrier - In Theaters Sept 14

"What if shame was a bridge . . . and not a barrier?" The Heart of Man
ONE NIGHT ONLY (Thursday, September 14)...Check out the trailer and consider inviting others who need encouragement to believe that God would not say He is ashamed of them.
P.S. Don't we all need this encouragement!

Follow up with "Attachment: Shame and the Embodiment of Beauty" on Saturday, Sept 16. LCI: The Lay Counselor Institute

heartofmanmovie.com The Heart of Man” is a story inviting the sons and daughters of God to leave behind our broken, moralistic and religious way of thinking and relating to God and to others.

Exciting things are happening at LCI this fall!

Check out the fall line-up of LCI: The Lay Counselor Institute training opportunities. Join us for an LCI workshop featuring Dr. Curt Thompson this Saturday, Sept 16 to learn about Attachment: Shame and the Embodiment of Beauty.

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Why It's Possible To Have Healthy Attachment Styles - The Lay Counselor Institute

Healthy childhood attachments can positively influence the way we connect and relate with others. The converse is also true. Read more on LCI's recent blogpost by@Cindy Schott Hunter.

Help us to spread the resources that help people, help people. 'Share' with others by clicking the facebook, twitter and/or instagram buttons on the blog.

lciministry.org We all have attachment styles that are developed in our youngest years and that often stay with us. Here's how you can learn to have healthy attachments.

Reason #4 to Engage: You Can Model How to Judge (Without Being Judgmental) - The Lay Counselor Institute

Reason #4 for Engaging in "13 Reasons Why" is posted.

Consider how to model the awareness of life, and the openness to hear about that life that Jesus reflected, “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened…”

Please "Share" this resource blog using your social media buttons so that others may be encouraged to engage. Thank you!

lciministry.org 13 Reasons Why Can Help You be a Better Role Model by: Dr. Bill Clark “Artists always get there first!” – Dr. Steve Garber, author of The Fabric of Faithfulness The past few weeks we’ve walked through a series called “Reasons to Engage,” focused on the popular Netflix series, 13 Reasons Why. If you’...

Attachment: Shame and the Embodiment of Beauty—featuring Dr. Curt Thompson - The Lay Counselor Institute

Save the Date (September 16)... or better yet, REGISTER TODAY for LCI: The Lay Counselor Institute fall seminar featuring Dr. Curt Thompson.

lciministry.org Are we not vessels in the Potter's hands? Can we imagine God repairing us? Can we overcome shame, experience healthy relationships, and grasp the beauty in ourselves and others despite our brokenness? Dr. Curt Thompson, local psychiatrist and author of The Anatomy of the Soul, and The Soul of Shame,...

Conversation Starters About "13 Reasons Why"

When that show gets "blamed" for fostering despair and encouraging suicide, we should pay attention–not just to the show but to the nerves, fears, hurts and stories being triggered by the show.

The Netflix series, 13 Reasons Why, has done just that. It has touched a national nerve and created an opportunity for discussion. It has exposed flaws and needs, especially in the adolescent world, that kids are aware of–but lack adequate resources to handle.

How can we foster that discussion? Read more...

lciministry.org Inevitably kids who watch the show will have thoughts and opinions. So how can parents, teachers, and others engage in the conversation around it?

Reason to Engage #2: It Exposes Powerful Questions About Life - The Lay Counselor Institute

Curious what value may be in a show like "13 Reasons Why"? Dr. Clark discusses the second Reason to Engage in today's article. #13reasonswhy #suicide #hope

http://lciministry.org/reason-engage-2-exposes-powerful-questions-life/

lciministry.org Reason to Engage #2: It Exposes Powerful Questions About Life by Dr. Bill Clark The past few weeks we have been walking through a series entitled, Reasons to Engage, focused on the popular Netflix series, 13 Reasons Why. (Read the series). The show captured something (the risk, the drama, the dang...

Reasons to Engage "13 Reasons Why" - The Lay Counselor Institute

Dr. Bill Clark shares his review of some of the themes the show presents/exposes. This series is his attempt to make a vehicle for meaningful dialogue and more involvement.

You can help to share this resource by simply clicking the social media buttons that appear above the post.

lciministry.org [PROLOGUE] Reasons to engage 13 Reasons Why by Dr. Bill Clark Over the next 6 weeks, we’re posting a series of blogs for the Lay Counselor Institute website discussing the Netflix series, 13 Reasons Why, based on the 2007 book. The show depicts the trials of a teen named Hannah, who decides to end…

What does Tim Keller say about relationships?

So why are relationships messy? Especially when it is between two, Bible-believing Christians? How can we break the cycle of messiness? Join us The Glorious Mess Seminar on Saturday, May 13. Find out more at lciministry.org

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[04/26/17]   Did you gain a helpful nugget at the LCI Lonely Together Workshop this past weekend? Learn anything that will help you help couples?
Please take a minute to share your take-away here as a comment so that others might benefit.

BFirst.in

This is a great illustration of lay counseling. Lord, give us a heart to be brave enough to get into the stream with those You place around us. #laycounseling

http://www.bfirst.in
Baby Elephant is Lia, and helped by her aunt Kery. This video was shot at Barumun Nagari Wildlife Sanctuary-Indonesia.

When marriage gets stormy

When marriages get stormy, are you prepared to help?

myemail.constantcontact.com Yet later in the journey, marriage can sometimes feel more like a ship lost at sea. The waves get rough. The boat rocks. The passengers are desperate. They may hide in the lower deck, or want to jump ship.

There is no marriage manual.

Why is it so hard?!?

lciministry.org Marriage can be tough. So many times we wish that we had a marriage manual to help us navigate certain situations, conversations, and seasons of life.

What does "drift" look like in marriage?

Lonely Together: Helping Couples Workshop is for those who are helping couples. The Lay Counselor Institute invites you to learn more about the signals of relational stress and how to help. Take a risk. Get involved. Saturday, April 22, 9am-noon at McLean Presbyterian Church. All welcome! Register today at lciministry.org

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NOW WHAT? If you have attended the Glorious Mess Seminar, the answer is The Glorious Mess Level 1b, an experiential Lab!
The Lab is a 5-week small group that involves personal sharing and intimate exercises designed to “flesh out” the content from the Glorious Mess Seminar.
For a listing of LCI Lab Groups beginning in April and to register, visit http://lciministry.org/event/glorious-mess-labs

"One day I will see everything clearly, just as clearly as God sees into my heart right now..." (1 Cor 13:12, The Living Bible).

The Bible is quite clear on two things: The world and its inhabitants are in trouble, and God is determined to rescue those willing to be rescued. He has a surprising plan to save stubborn slaves first. Once we respond, we join in the process of recovery and replication. Eventually, Earth itself will be rescued. How we long for this!

We believe this because we know God. And we fear because we know ourselves. Our faith expresses how we have changed and our doubts reflect what is unchanged in us; we are a glorious (rescued) mess (of faith and fear).

Still time to sign up for The Glorious Mess: Who We Are and How We Relate. Sign-up today! This one-day workshop is for anyone trying to know themselves, the role of pain and suffering in our growth process, and how we can be more loving and free in our relationships. Essentially who we are, and how we relate. We'd love to have you join us! MARCH 25 in Laurel, MD.

Just when we think we are part of a great masterpiece— it dawns on us that life is messy.
LCI: The Lay Counselor Institute presents The Glorious Mess: Who We Are and How We Relate. March 25 in Laurel, MD.

The good news is that brokenness is not the end of the story. If you have ever found yourself feeling stuck personally or relationally, wondering things like “why does this keep happening to me?” or “why am I like this?” or “will I ever heal?”— join us at To Be Told. March 17, 2017

The Glorious Mess: Who We Are and How We Relate: Who We Are and How We Relate seminar will be hosted in Maryland on March 25 at Bethany Community Church in Laurel. Co-host, Laurel Pregnancy Center.
It’s a great location, the hub between Annapolis, the metro area, Columbia and Baltimore (and parts south!). It will be the only GM in Maryland this year. Look forward to seeing you there as we gather to prepare believers to care well for others.

LCI: The Lay Counselor Institute

Congregational care and groups pastors...Still a few seats open...

Breakfast & Introduction to Lay Counselor Institute. Tuesday, January 17, 7:30 - 9:00 am at Metro 29 Diner in Arlington, VA. RSVP to pam@lciministry.org

Those in a position to expand a congregation or ministry's capacity to care for others are invited to join Dr. Bill Clark, President of Lay Counselor Institute (LCI), for breakfast and introduction to this local non-profit that exists to help DMV churches prepare people to care well for others.

Please share this invitation with your congregational care or groups pastors.

Congregational care and groups pastors...Still a few seats open...

Breakfast & Introduction to Lay Counselor Institute. Tuesday, January 17, 7:30 - 9:00 am at Metro 29 Diner in Arlington, VA. RSVP to pam@lciministry.org

Those in a position to expand a congregation or ministry's capacity to care for others are invited to join Dr. Bill Clark, President of Lay Counselor Institute (LCI), for breakfast and introduction to this local non-profit that exists to help DMV churches prepare people to care well for others.

Please share this invitation with your congregational care or groups pastors.