I recently completed the reading of Making Your Church a House of Healingby Michael Gemignani, M.S., PhD, JD. (Judson Press) Our church, Harrison United Methodist Church, is looking at ways that we can be more intentional about bringing about greater healing to members of our congregation. In that regard, reading this book has been timely.
The author does an excellent job of making a case that the local church should play a major role in bringing about healing of its members. I found that this book was laid out in a helpful manner as it addressed the role that an individual plays, the role that the church community plays, and the role that the leaders of the church play in the healing of individuals. The author is not only talks about physical healing but emotional and especially spiritual healing that all of us must experience to be able to live the complete and full life that God wants us to live.
One statement that the author writes as he makes the case for the church being a house of healing resonated with me. “If we find ourselves being healed, than our most ardent desire is that others be healed as well.” Similarly, another statement is so true – “We pray that the whole world will be aflame with the love of God.”
Leaders of churches who are considering going deeper to make healing more available to their congregation would find reading this book to be helpful.
