VINEYARD PLACE COUNSELING CENTER A Certified Academic Institute Where we Teach – Train – License – Counsel the whole Person. Dr. Alma Allen, A Board Certified Licensed Clinical Pastoral Counselor – Advanced, Certified Temperament Pastor Counselor, also hold a Doctorate Degree in Theology, Christian Counseling and Ministry. The Dean of Vineyard Place Biblical Seminary since 2006. Since I received credentials as a CAI God has blessed me with 14 students and has allowed two of the credentialed counselors to open their own practices and has opened up opportunities to be an Inspirational Speaker, Counselor, and a Panel Advisor with our local Harris County Crime Victim Department under Vineyard Place Counseling Services. Our teaching and Counseling method allows Christian Counselors to utilize, the gifts of the Holy Spirit in their sessions. They impart wisdom, knowledge, and counsel to the afflicted. In some cases, they become confessors, spiritual mentors, and spiritual directors to their spiritual children. The Paul-Timothy relationship as found in Scripture develops between spiritual parent and spiritual child. The program at VPCC in Christian Counseling attempts to teach or enhance already existing knowledge of counselors or clergy who everyday give counsel to the doubtful. The courses are aimed at introducing the student to Christian Counseling themes and ideas for mentorship. The program also carries a pastoral level of care which is complemented in other programs at Vineyard Place Biblical Seminary, Christian Grief Counseling and Pastoral Care. It is the hope of VPCC that those who become certified in this program continue to share the light of Christ to their spiritual clients and find in Christ, the ultimate paradigm. Christ ultimately is the greatest counselor who can heal our inner suffering and despair. Reverend Dr. Julius C Allen, Sr and I have established and walked together as a Pastoral Team since 2006 in ministry at the Vineyard Place International Ministries and the Vineyard Place Community Development Corporation. In Which they are all under IRS – approved 501c3. Our Goals are to Provide spiritual assessments of clients. Provide spiritual support based on a Christian perspective. Assist clients with spiritual issues that may be affecting their health care status or conditions. Teach clients principles related to Christianity when issues come up regarding, health care and health decision making. Participate with clients in prayer as requested by the clients and/or families. Provide spiritual assessment and support to health care professional staff when requested. Provide a common spiritual bridge for clients who are facing challenging issues with their health care and need support in decision making. Refer clients to proper clergy based on defined assessment of the client’s spiritual needs. Supply spiritual support and education to client’s families when it is appropriate and requested. Help clients by providing spiritual support and education when they are faced with issues related to death and dying. Be a liaison with the client’s church community when they are away from the community due to health challenges. Maintain ongoing education in spiritual practices and in Christian counseling for professional development and continued competency in spiritual work and counseling. Our focus is relying on our foundational scripture of John 15 15 “I am the true vine, and My Father is the vinedresser. 2 Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit He [a]takes away; and every branch that bears fruit He prunes, that it may bear more fruit. 3 You are already clean because of the word which I have spoken to you. 4 Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in Me. 5 “I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing. 6 If anyone does not abide in Me, he is cast out as a branch and is withered; and they gather them and throw them into the fire, and they are burned. 7 If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, you[b] will ask what you desire, and it shall be done for you. 8 By this My Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit; so you will be My disciples. “As the Father loved Me, I also have loved you; abide in My love. 10 If you keep My commandments, you will abide in My love, just as I have kept My Father’s commandments and abide in His love. 11 “These things I have spoken to you, that My joy may remain in you, and that your joy may be full. 12 This is My commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. 13 Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one’s life for his friends. 14 You are My friends if you do whatever I command you. This role is always in a dynamic development and is practiced with strong legal and ethical considerations at all times. The role is strongly supported by solid and sound spiritual and Christian teachings, principles, and philosophies. If you haven’t yet applied for your (NCCA) courses in Counseling, please prayerfully consider doing so today. We as Counselors/Persons know that this world needs to hear God’s last-day message—and He is calling you and me to join in this exciting harvesting work for the kingdom of heaven! As a graduate of National Christian Counseling Association and ongoing as becoming one of the world’s most active Certified Academic Institutions, I’ve seen first-hand the positive results our training makes in people’s lives—they become bold witnesses and better Christians. They make lifelong friends too. So, if you want to help spread the good news and hasten the return of Jesus, I know that NCCA is the place for you. Our gifted, compassionate instructors will teach you everything you need to know about sharing your faith and will guide you every step of the way. Even better, you’ll put your training into practice with our Arno Profile System Reports—working directly with the person at hand by discovering one of their five temperaments.

Each month I wait on the Lord to prompt me to write a message. When He pointed me to this Scripture, I knew to stay out of the way and let Him do all the talking. Be encouraged! "I solemnly urge you in the presence of God and Christ Jesus, who will someday judge the living and the dead when he appears to set up his Kingdom: Preach the word of God. Be prepared, whether the time is favorable or not. Patiently correct, rebuke, and encourage your people with good teaching. For a time is coming when people will no longer listen to sound and wholesome teaching. They will follow their own desires and will look for teachers who will tell them whatever their itching ears want to hear. They will reject the truth and chase after myths. But you should keep a clear mind in every situation. Don't be afraid of suffering for the Lord. Work at telling others the Good News, and fully carry out the ministry God has given you.” [2 Timothy 4:1-5]

THE IMPORTANCE OF HELPING PARENTS BECOME AWARE OF THE NEED FOR THEIR MELANCHOLY YOUTH TO GO THROUGH THE GRIEVING PROCESS OVER THE LOSS OF A SURFACE AND/OR DEEP RELATIONSHIP. Proverbs 22:6 tells us to: “Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it.” This includes teaching them about death and dying. Since COVID-19 struck in 2020 all over the world, the youth and adults have been deeply affected by the deaths that have occurred, such as the loss of parents, grandparents, and friends. Sometimes parents can become so engulfed in their grief over the death of a spouse, parent, or friend that they do not realize their children are also grieving. Now, more than ever, we, as Christian counselors, need to help the parents become aware that when there is a death in the family or of a close friend, their youth will also be grieving. The parents must also understand that if they have several youths, each youth will handle their grief differently, as each youth will usually have a different temperament. Webster II defines grief as “Deep sadness as that caused by bereavement.” The Five Steps to Grief: Denial, anger, bargaining, depression, and acceptance. If the Melancholy youth does not receive help to understand and move through the grieving process, they may become stuck in the anger stage. This anger can be directed toward God, their parents, and/or others. We will review the Inclusion, Control, and Affection areas of the Melancholy youth. MELANCHOLY YOUTH IN INCLUSION REVIEWING GODLY WAYS, PARENTS CAN HELP THEIR MELANCHOLY YOUTH IN INCLUSION WORK THROUGH THE GRIEVING PROCESS. Brief description of some of the tendencies of the Melancholy Youth in Inclusion: Low self-esteem, and, at times, can “appears arrogant,” withdrawn/loner, suicidal, perfectionist, genius-prone, distrustful, faithful/loyal friend, fears rejection, lives in their mind/moody, critical, fears economic failure, creative/artistic, thirst for knowledge/ information and understands tasks and systems. Regarding the death of a relationship, the Melancholy youth may tend not to want to open up and talk about death; however, they will tend to dwell on it and replay everything over and over again in their mind. This will tend to cause them to spiral downward and become depressed, moody, and angry. Since they are task-oriented, they may appear to go about their daily tasks without acknowledging the death of a friend, and others will tend to think that they were not affected by this death. This is because they do not feel comfortable sharing their feelings as they are very private and may be afraid that people will think there is something wrong with them if they share their feelings. They tend to feel more comfortable doing tasks for the deceased’s family. They tend to feel uncomfortable going to the funeral home or memorial services as they can’t relate to the emotional aspect of people grieving, hugging, and crying. They do not know how to comfort them as they are hurting themselves. Since the Melancholy youth in Inclusion tends not to share their thoughts, they may harbor anger towards the deceased because they do not want to lose them. HOW CAN PARENTS HELP THE MELANCHOLY YOUTH IN INCLUSION MOVE THROUGH THE GRIEVING PROCESS? FIRST: They need to be aware that they are grieving and that their youth will also be grieving. SECOND: They should share with their youth that they are grieving and that grieving is okay. Grieving is a normal emotion, not a sign of weakness. THIRD: They need to know the depth of the Melancholy youth’s grief. They can initiate a conversation and encourage them to open up and share their thoughts. FOURTH: They also need to understand that this Melancholy youth is a deep thinker and may try to overanalyze why the person died and left them; therefore, they need to have someone to talk to for them to process their thoughts and deal with their anger. FIFTH: They need to know they can also make an appointment with one of our temperament counselors for their youth. The temperament counselor will then generate an APS report on the youth and counsel them according to their temperament. MELANCHOLY YOUTH IN CONTROL REVIEWING GODLY WAYS PARENTS CAN HELP THEIR MELANCHOLY YOUTH IN CONTROL WORK THROUGH THE GRIEVING PROCESS. Brief description of some of the tendencies of the Melancholy Youth In Control: Task-oriented, Independent, fears the unknown, rebels against authority, rigid, inflexible, fears failure, good at making decisions in their known area, good leadership abilities in their known areas. Regarding the death of a relationship, the Melancholy youth may tend to not want to open up and talk about this death as they want to have time to deal with their loss in their own way. Since they tend to have the fear of the unknown, they will need time to figure out how they can adjust to getting along without them. They may also harbor anger towards the deceased because they did not want to lose them. They tend to feel very uncomfortable going to the funeral home or memorial services as they can’t relate with the emotional aspect of people grieving, such as hugging and crying; therefore, they tend to feel more comfortable doing tasks for the deceased’s family. HOW CAN PARENTS HELP THE MELANCHOLY YOUTH IN CONTROL MOVE THROUGH THE GRIEVING PROCESS? FIRST: They first need to be aware that even though they themselves are grieving, their youth will also be grieving. SECOND: They can share with the youth that they, the parents, are also grieving and that is okay to grieve and that grieving is not a sign of weakness. Therefore, they need to share with them that it is okay to grieve; as it is a normal emotion. THIRD: They need to be aware of the depth of the Melancholy youth’s grief. They can do this by initiating a conversation with them and encouraging them to open up and share their thoughts. FOURTH: They need to also understand that this Melancholy youth tends to be very private, rigid and inflexible and may be angry at the deceased for dying and leaving them. In other words, the Melancholy youth tends to need time to “process” the death and learn to adjust to the unknown without this person. FIFTH: They can also make them an appointment with one of our temperament counselors for their youth. The temperament counselor will then generate an APS report on the youth and counsel them according to their temperament. MELANCHOLY YOUTH IN AFFECTION REVIEWING GODLY WAYS PARENTS CAN HELP THEIR MELANCHOLY YOUTH IN AFFECTION WORK THROUGH THE GRIEVING PROCESS. Brief description of some of the tendencies of the Melancholy Youth In Affection: Tender hearted, can empathize, sensitive, faithful and loyal friend, self-sacrificing, capable of making deep commitments, low self-esteem, emotionally guarded, can be vengeful, sexually oriented, not very romantic. Regarding the death of a relationship in the deep Affection area, the Melancholy youth may tend to show little emotion as they are task oriented and do not express love and affection the same as a relationship-oriented person does. They tend to feel that showing emotions is a weakness. Therefore, they do not express their emotions; they tend to keep everything bottled up inside. Since they have deep, tender feelings for their loved ones in this area, it hurts too much to lose them. They may tend to become angry, depressed, moody and sometimes even suicidal. If they do not receive counseling, they can grief for this person the rest of their lives. They tend to feel more comfortable doing tasks for the deceased’s family. They tend to feel uncomfortable going to the funeral home or memorial services as they can’t relate with the emotional aspect of people grieving, hugging and crying. HOW CAN PARENTS HELP THE MELANCHOLY YOUTH IN AFFECTION MOVE THROUGH THE GRIEVING PROCESS? FIRST: They first need to be aware that even though they themselves are grieving, their youth will also be grieving. SECOND: They can share with the youth that they, the parents, are also grieving and that is okay to grieve and that grieving is not a sign of weakness. Therefore, they need to share with them that it is okay to grieve; as it is a normal emotion. THIRD: They need to understand that this youth has deep, tender feelings, but tends not to express these feelings as they prefer doing task for their deep relationships. FOURTH: They need to be aware of the depth of the youth’s grief and that when they lose a deep relationship, they are devasted over the loss and may mourn over this person the rest of their life. This is because they do not allow many people into this area. FIFTH: They can also make an appointment with one of our temperament counselors for their youth. The temperament counselor will then generate an APS report on the youth and counsel them according to their temperament. CONCLUSION It is so important that the parents become aware of the fact that their Melancholy youth in Inclusion, Control and/or Affection will need to go through the grieving process when they lose a close friend or relative. If they are not helped through the grieving process they may get stuck in the anger stage of grief. They may even carry this anger throughout their life and blame God for taking their friend or loved one. SCRIPTURES FOR THE MELANCHOLY YOUTH IN INCLUSION, CONTROL, AND AFFECTION. Psalm 31:24 “Be of good courage, and he shall strengthen your heart, all ye that hope in the Lord.” Psalm 71:14 “But I will hope continually, and will yet praise thee more and more.” Jeremiah 17:7 “Blessed is the man that trusteth in the Lord, and whose hope the Lord is.” Ephesians 4:26-27 “Be ye angry and sin not: let not the sun go down upon your wrath: Neither give place to the devil.”

We hope this message finds you well. We want to remind you that time is running out to take advantage of the early bird registration discount for this year's conference. Don't miss out on saving money, as the discount ends on May 31st. After that date, the registration cost will increase to $380.00. To help make registration more accessible, we are pleased to offer interest-free payment plans, which are still available for you at checkout. Take advantage of this opportunity to secure your spot at the conference. We look forward to welcoming you to Memphis, TN, this October 20-21st for what is sure to be a memorable conference. Register now and take advantage of the early bird discount before it's too late!

In 1981, Doug Stringer was a fitness instructor running his own exercise studio. He knew there was a God..., but he lived as if God didn't exist. Tired of his hypocrisy and disgusted with his life, he sat down one night and prayed, "Lord, if You can use someone like me after all I have done to wound Your heart, I make myself available to You." God listened and immediately started to send needy people to Doug. Runaways. Strippers. Drug addicts. Homeless people. And Doug’s ministry, Somebody Cares, was born. Mending the Net: Bringing Hope in a Hurting World is the story of how one man with a servant’s heart was led to help others with the basic necessities of life while sharing the good news of Jesus Christ. Doug’s ministry has grown exponentially from its humble beginnings, now reaching tens of thousands of people around the world who are dealing with personal crises or disasters such as hurricanes, tsunamis, tornadoes, or floods. Through it all, what has not changed was Doug’s firm belief that we are all called to show the lost and hurting that Somebody Cares and be part of the mended net that saves souls with love and compassion.

We are excited to announce that former NFL player Shawn Harper will join us as the keynote speaker for NCCA's 2023 conference in Memphis, TN, on October 20-21, 2023. During our Friday night special session, Shawn will share his powerful story of overcoming adversity and fulfilling God's calling on his life. We believe that his testimony will inspire and encourage us to continue to fight the good fight in ministry and in our lives. Whether you prefer to attend in person or online, you can register now to secure your spot. This two-day conference will be filled with instruction, fellowship, and growth as we seek to advance our collective mission. If you want to register for the conference, in-person or virtually, click the button to secure your spot! Want to learn more about our speakers? Click the button to read more about those speaking at this year's 2023 conference!

Revolution: Here's one definition: "In the fields of history and political science, a revolution is a radical change in the established order, usually the established government and social institutions". Encyclopedic Entry Vocabulary May 19, 2022 Okay, so here's where we set the Wayback Machine to the time of Jesus. Wherever He went, whenever He spoke, harassment came from the religious leaders or the lawyers. Oh, and demon-possessed people too. Jesus was bringing miracles of healing, and the dead were coming back to life. These things were happening all the time, but it wasn't lawfully accepted by the leaders. They wanted to kill Jesus for doing what He did and saying who He was. "…a revolution is a radical change in the established order,” Are we willing to bring a radical change in the established order? -Jesus did Are we willing to bring a radical change to social institutions? -Jesus did If we follow Jesus and also follow His ways, we may be called "revolutionaries" or other things, but remember, we are partnering with the Holy Spirit to change the world. There are Christians all over the world who are being killed for radically believing in and following Jesus. Believers in Jesus were called "followers of The Way.” Are we believers and radical followers of “The Way” (Jesus), or are we too comfortable? It's a question we should ask ourselves every day. Revolution?

Head to Heart Restoration Ministry An NCCA Certified Academic Institution The Power of Words Al H. Jones, PhD Dr. Al Jones formed Head to Heart Restoration Ministry in 2006. In 2008 Head to Heart expanded to include being a Certified Academic Institution of the NCCA. The mission of Head to Heart Restoration Ministry is to bring emotional and spiritual wholeness to wounded and broken people through the power of Jesus Christ. Head to Heart Restoration Ministry is located in Round Rock, TX, a suburb of Austin. Three of the five counselors minister predominately from home through remote counseling. One of Head to Heart Restoration Ministry’s commitments is to raise up counselors to serve the community in and outside of the central Texas area. All of the Head to Heart counselors were students of Dr. Jones. The CAI program within Head to Heart utilizes the NCCA courses and the APS as the foundation for training students. In addition to the NCCA courses, Dr. Jones teaches interested students prayer ministry and inner healing techniques to help counselees receive deeper healing from damaged emotions, liberty from the past, and freedom from bondages. He is currently writing a course for counselors on inner/emotional healing prayer and how to utilize these prayer techniques with counselees. At the 2023 NCCA Annual Conference, Dr. Jones will be teaching on The Power of Words. “Sticks and stones will break my bones, but words can never hurt me.” I believe this is one of the greatest lies we have ever told ourselves and others. As counselors, you have spent years helping people receive healing from the wounds of words. Bones often heal much quicker than words. The greater level of authority that someone has in our lives, the more deeply their words can wound us. For this reason, most often the deepest wounds come from our parents. Critical words such as, “You are so stupid”, “You are so lazy you’ll never amount to anything”, “Can’t you do anything right?”, often said in anger or frustration can impact a persons self-esteem for years beyond the comments made. Often, as an adult people live out the comments or wounds they received as children. They may be extremely intelligent and successful, yet constantly tell themselves that they are stupid and worthless. They find it almost impossible to receive the acceptance and encouragement that others give. Each compliment is responded to with words that negate what was said. The wounds of words can also lead to a performance-based view of God. You may be trapped in the cycle of thinking that God’s love and acceptance is based on how well you “perform.” The mindset that you must meet every need and follow every man-made rule in order to be approved by God causes false guilt and shame because you can never do enough to earn the approval that is already there. “Hurt people hurt people.” It is a sad fact that the people that are most hurt and wounded by the words of others often keep the cycle alive by in turn hurting others. Instead of seeking help and learning how to release the wounds of words in healthy ways, the release comes by lashing out at others. So how do we heal the wounds that have already occurred and stop the cycle of wounding others? We begin to heal by acknowledging the wounds are real and not trying to justify them as “no big deal.” Release forgiveness to those who wounded us. Begin to learn and believe what God’s word says about you. It is easy to look at the wounds of words and try to justify that they really did not hurt that badly. The reality is that if you continue to obsess over the words spoken and feel the sting of the wound, it is still impacting your life. Acknowledge the hurt. Releasing forgiveness comes in the decision to no longer hold the person hostage to the wound. Forgiveness is not an acknowledgment that what was spoken was okay. Just as Jesus has forgiven you, you in turn forgive others. Jesus paid the price for all of our sin. He opened the door for us to fully receive God’s love, acceptance, and approval. Take time to meditate on scriptures that affirm how God sees you. Replace negative self-talk with life-affirming words of encouragement. We all make mistakes but we are not defined by them. Shift your focus off of your mistakes and failures. Tell yourself daily that you are loved and approved of by God just as you are. Become aware of the words you speak to others especially when angry or frustrated. “Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful in building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen.” Ephesians 4:29 (NIV). By encouraging others, affirming that they are loveable, valuable, capable, and forgivable, you play a role in releasing them from their own wounds caused by words. Oh, and the next time you hear the childhood rhyme, “Sticks and stones will break my bones, but words can never hurt me” take the opportunity to turn this into a teachable moment to share the truth that words often have a long-lasting impact on our lives.

We are thrilled to announce that Pastor Belinda Gruber will join us as a speaker for NCCA's 2023 conference. Her insights and experiences will inspire and equip you to overcome the challenges that threaten to take you out of your ministry and hinder your counselees from receiving the care they desperately need. To glimpse what Pastor Belinda will share, check out her video above. We're confident you'll be excited to hear more from her in October. To view more about Pastor Belinda Gruber, click the button to read her biography. If you want to register for the conference, in-person or virtually, click the button to secure your spot! Want to learn more about our speakers? Click the button to read more about those speaking at this year's 2023 conference!

NCCA is excited to welcome back Dr. Al Jones as a speaker for our 2023 conference. Join us in October to hear all the Lord has laid on his heart in his two sessions, "The Ins and Outs of Rejection" and "The Power of Words." Check out his video above to get to know him better. To view more information about Dr. Al Jones, click the button to read his biography. If you want to register for the conference, in-person or virtually, click the button to secure your spot! Want to learn more about our speakers? Click the button to read more about those speaking at this year's 2023 conference!

What do YOU see? “The wicked run away when no one is chasing them, but the godly are as bold as lions.”[Prov. 28:1 NLT] “Then everyone--the kings of the earth, the rulers, the generals, the wealthy, the powerful, and every slave and free person--all hid themselves in the caves and among the rocks of the mountains. And they cried to the mountains and the rocks, ‘Fall on us and hide us from the face of the One who sits on the throne and from the wrath of the Lamb’.” [Rev. 6:15-16 NLT] What are your thoughts when you look at this image? I could be really spiritual here and say, “the power and glory of the Lord! Awesome!” But…truthfully, when I see this picture I see every unclean thing within me and I am confronted with His purity and righteousness. What my heart and mind must remember, and more importantly must accept, is the Blood of Jesus, shed at the cross to cover my sin. “And so, dear brothers and sisters, we can boldly enter Heaven's Most Holy Place because of the Blood of Jesus. By his death, Jesus opened a new and life-giving way through the curtain into the Most Holy Place.” [Heb. 10:19-20 NLT] Knowing our identity in Christ and what He has done for us is what keeps the Armor of God in place.(see Eph. 6). Come on! The enemy knows when God’s Armor is slipping and we’re trying to hold it up with “carnal suspenders”! These suspenders may stretch for awhile but they fail every time because we can't battle spiritual enemies in our own strength and win! Remember, He is the Lion of the Tribe of Judah who emboldens our hearts. He is the Lamb of God and worthy of our praise. Let us, therefore, carry this vision to a world that may see only clouds. SO LET US ARMOR UP WITH THE WORD OF GOD AND BE BOLD! ​Love ya,

We expect this event to sell out, so register soon before it is too late. These networking social events allow you to connect with NCCA Members and staff. Our special events are designed to create a relaxed atmosphere as we explore an activity unique to our host city. The NCCA staff considers getting to know you better through these activities a blessing!