Father wounds. Far too many of us in today’s culture have been and continue to be hurt by them. Left unhealed they can cause untold damage to our relationships with others. They can also create distance between us and God.
For good or bad, the relationship we have or had with our earthly father has a profound impact on the relationship we have with our Heavenly Father. More often than not, we view God through the lens of our dad. For those with great relationships with their fathers, that means God is seen as loving, encouraging, and forgiving. But for those who have been deeply wounded by their fathers, God may be experienced as uncaring, critical, or angry.
When Father is a Bad Word, a highly-acclaimed book written by Dan Kuiper, acknowledges how we are impacted by strained relationships with our fathers. And it shares that healing from our father wounds can only be found in one place—in the arms of a Heavenly Father who loves us more than we could imagine, who longs to be close to us, who wouldn’t think of leaving His kids.
Since his book was published, Dan has traveled the country giving Finding Father’s Love seminars to a number of recovery-based organizations, including several Teen Challenge centers.
Response from Teen Challenge participants has been overwhelming. Among the comments received:
- “It gave me insight and awareness as to how my past affects my present.”
- “It was life-changing.”
- “It truly helped me to see the many dynamics from the absence of a father’s love.”
- “Dan’s teaching and humor were greatly enjoyed.”
- “I am free at last.”
Andy Collins, Executive Director of the North Central Indiana Teen Challenge, remarked, “It is so enlightening to see how our family structures and relationships can have such an impact on our walk with God. Dan is engaging and genuine in his teachings and experiences. I highly recommend Finding Father’s Love as a resource for your Teen Challenge ministry. Your students will benefit tremendously from the healing they receive.”
Said David Wilinski, Director of the Teen Challenge Men’s Center in Tucson, “Dan talks openly and honestly about the pain caused by dysfunctional family dynamics, something every Teen Challenge student can relate to. He offers to the students not only a deeper understanding of these dynamics but healing from them. I would absolutely recommend his seminar at any Teen Challenge Center.”
To schedule a Finding Father’s Love seminar for your group, fill out the speaker application form found on Dan’s website, dankuiper.com.
