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Covenant Care & Counseling Ministry (CCCM)
CCCM is helping to develop ways to provide pastoral care through several venues at Covenant. This includes mentoring and mentoring training- a ministry we are call ‘Emmaus Ministry,' and small group leader training and coaching. To this point CCCM has also hosted a marriage conference, trained couples to do pre-marital mentoring, and hosted a Sunday school class on relationships. We have also developed a book list covering various life topics that are suggested reading by various members of CCCM's team (See below).
The following is a suggested topical reading list. We're providing it as a resource for those who may be interested in exploring a particular issue in depth. These are all books that someone on the Care and Counseling team has read, and where we were able we have provided notes about the suggestions.
As with any almost any list of books by different authors on disparate subjects, we'd like to provide this one with a caveat. While we hope that these books are helpful, it's important to see them as starting points rather than the final word on any of these subjects. We don't agree with or endorse everything in every one of these books; indeed, some of these books disagree with each other! So, please read them with discernment and care as well as anticipation for the benefit they will bring.
-Pastor Aaron Baker
Who is CCCM
Pastor Aaron Baker
Michele Dillon (Ministry Head) – Michele has attended Covenant since 1983 and has volunteered in many capacities including the deaconate, hospitality, small group leader, women's ministries and mentoring. She received a M.A. in Counseling Ministries from Trinity Divinity School and is currently enrolled in the Spiritual Formation and Leadership program at Spring Arbor University in Michigan . She loves learning what it means to be a disciple of Christ and talking with others about that too. She is married to David and has two daughters – Lauren (25) and Caroline (17).
David Hoover – David has attended Covenant since 1983, and has served as an Elder for many of those years. David runs his own energy consulting business. Since his involvement with the Navigators in college and graduate school, Dave has always had a heart for mentoring other men. His desire is to be with other men in an honest relationship, where men can mutually encourage one another by sharing their struggles and weaknesses. David is married to Jeanie, with 2 daughters (Kelley and Lindsay) and one son (Adam).
Emily Gorenz – Emily is a Licensed Clinical Professional Counselor. She received her M.A. in Clinical Psychology from Covenant Theological Seminary in St. Louis and has worked in a church setting, a nonprofit agency, and currently works in a small group practice in downtown Chicago . She works both with individuals and couples. Emily is passionate about walking with people on their journey of healing. She has lived in Chicago and attended Covenant since 2006.
Beth Reece – Beth is a certified hospital chaplain and serves at the Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago. She is currently finishing her Masters of Divinity at Loyola University with special emphasis on pastoral counseling and the grief process. A founding member of Covenant, she has a special heart for women and has worked on many committees within the church: women's ministries, the deaconate, hospitality and mentoring. She is a trained spiritual director and has been married to Barry since 1987.