In the months leading up to our time at Alongside, we were rapidly approaching a crisis point. Between the relevant seminars, skilled counselors, group therapy, the beautiful space, and personal prayer, we turned a corner both personally and as a couple. It’s hard to pinpoint when exactly the changed happened, since the whole setting immersed us in a healing.
We will be forever grateful for this time of renewal and growth at Alongside. The resources, people, and wealth of knowledge are things we’ve been hungry for, for a long, long time. We have been seeking and asking for this kind of training and counseling for several years.
This has been a magnificent time of healing for my family and I. We hobbled in here with our heads down, hurting, and sad and felt like we were embraced, cared for, and healed from hurts we didn’t even know we had. God has blessed the ministries here greatly and they return the blessing to those who come.
Words can’t fully describe or encapsulate how grateful I am to this ministry. I came in incredibly confused, broken, weak and with wavering hope. I leave with a greater sense of clarity, feeling heard, receiving healing and strengthening.
Alongside was a complete and thorough immersion into truth. Truth about help, truth about ministry, and truth about who God made us to be. I had high expectations and hopes, and they were all exceeded. Just get yourself here and open your heart; I promise it will be worth it. Worth the time you spent packing, worth the travel with family, worth the money, and well worth your time.
I arrived at Alongside broken, weary, and tired. And from the moment I arrived until the moment I left, I was surrounded by staff that were full of love and sincerely cared about me. I spent three amazing weeks learning, healing, and refueling. This is the perfect place for a weary worker in full time ministry who needs to rest and regroup.
Amazing program. I had no idea what these three weeks entailed. It was highly recommended, so we came. Whether you have a severe problem or are just a little burned out, this place can change your life. I experienced it and saw miracles happen to other attendees. The value highly outweighs the monetary cost. God is present here.
I highly value the community aspect of our time here. The seminars were very encouraging. The topics and subject matter were relevant to every aspect of our lives. Our kids were taken care of well, loved, and poured into. It was very encouraging.
Every detail of the whole experience was thought out, down to the sheets on the bed. It all had a purpose. Laser focused on their goal—to revive, to bring community. They allotted time to process. It was a safe place. The combination of skills they all had in their area of expertise were demonstrated in true care and love for us.
Their focus is health: emotional, physical, spiritual health. People who are missionaries may lose sight of the balance necessary, the basic life fundamentals – realizing for instance, that your body needs sleep, that you need to take breaks to be effective. This is the practical side that supports the ministry – keeping the basic pillars of the individual and family healthy, so the ministry stuff can continue. We also have a ministry in how we love our family, our spouses, to take care of our everyday living, instead of just living on heights of ministry work. At Alongside, we could let our guards down and address the real issues we were facing.
Alongside cares for pastors and their families in ways a congregation cannot, helping them develop self-awareness and move toward health.
It was a good experience for us. For me, it was dealing with anxiety and anger. We also had group time and couples counseling. Younger kids had a program. The surroundings and facilities were great. Our counselor was very down to earth, with a good sense of humor and perspective. The staff was pleasant and helpful.
All was so good. The therapy was amazing, both couple and group. The lessons were super helpful! The way they created community established strong bonds. It was all good!
The greatest gift is the restoration of relationship – vertically and horizontally.
There’s a foundation built on faith and prayer that I believe has developed a safe and secure environment, very grace based.
The setting is fantastic. The housing is wonderful, far better than any home we’ve ever had.
So relaxed. It was incredible. We had our own little kitchen. No paper plates. We were worthy of real dishes and laundry facilities. We felt loved. Dignified.
It was beautiful. Great hospitality.
They pampered us by surrounding us with beauty and top-notch facilities. I recommend Alongside to anyone!
The care of the facility and grounds – it was all done so well.
Transforming atmosphere.
It was here, after thirty-eight years of marriage , that we’ve finally been given good tools that can guide us into the hope of better communication and understanding each other.
I have a better relationship with my wife. And a new view of myself.
It’s been a 180° change, where God began moving us from striving to thriving. I changed how I saw myself. I am having new thoughts. It has saved our marriage.
I was the first to go there from my agency. Now we send everyone there. We get good results.
High-quality clinical care for missionaries – this is what makes them stand out, what makes them different. And no other program has community as part of it.
I have a sense of trust in their competence. I’m putting my people into the hands of people I know and trust. It’s a safe environment.
High quality, beauty, community, and morale of team – all developed in a way that flows so smoothly.
Alongside is a resource that helps us meet the needs of people in difficult situations in ways we trust. They do it with excellence.
Having a resource to send people when they need it. Priceless.
Alongside provides clinical, professional-level care in a supportive community. This helps to normalize struggles and takes away the shame. There is a growing need in missionaries due to the isolation and loneliness they feel. The community is important.
I’ve heard missionaries say, “Why didn’t I do this sooner?”
They go in fractured and isolated and go on to develop community and togetherness; they find encouragement. Counseling time is used well and honestly – much is resolved in that time.
We love their children’s program; we’ve heard ravings from our families. We’ve seen it grow. You need to treat the whole family. The kids need help too. If we have a family with children, we send them to Alongside.
The depth and length of time to address the hard issues, (Clients) feel loved and heard. There’s a newfound hope. It’s precious beyond belief. I’m not sure of everything that goes on under the hood over there, but that’s the impact. Clients feel they’ve been able to get to bottom of issues.
Alongside has been awesome in every way. We lean heavily on their experience and their ability to speak into our missionaries’ lives.
Alongside is the gold-standard for intensive counseling and complicated debriefing.
