Friday, September 08, 2006

Welcome to the Affinity Ministries Inc. Blog

Affinity Ministries Inc. is located in the twin cities of Minneapolis and St. Paul, Minnesota and is committed to its vision of providing Faith based counseling and psychotherapy, individual mentoring, coaching, and discipleship, and yearly short-term medical mission opportunities.

For daily and weekly news and other thoughts from Todd, please check out his personal blog at:

http://affinityministriesnews.blogspot.com/

or the latest mission from August, 2006 to
San Andres, Guatemala at:
http://guatemala06.blogspot.com/
or the 280 pictures from the mission to the orphanage at:
http://pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/affinityministries/album?.dir=/9758re2&


AFFINITY MINISTRIES COUNSELING SERVICES
RESOURCES FOR LIFE


AFFINITY MINISTRIES HAS A PASSION FOR HELPING THE HURTING AND BROKEN BY PROVIDING COUNSELING AND PSYCHOTHERAPY THAT IS CENTERED AROUND A PERSONAL RELATIONSHIP WITH JESUS CHRIST.

Life may present you with diverse challenges, demands, and disappointments. You may experience new, confusing, ongoing life events that challenge your ability to understand and resolve the problem. As a result, you may experience prolonged stress, worry, discouragement, and self doubt. Alone and unsupported, your problems may seem to become more serious. At times like this you may need additional resources that will help you deal with these life challenges. Affinity Ministries counseling services is a resource you can call upon in these times. If you prefer, we will bill your insurance company when there is a need for treatment for specific clinical issues.

Just as you may need to utilize the services of a medical doctor, a lawyer, or a pastor, you may need to draw upon those who are associated with Affinity Ministries counseling services as a personal resource for yourself, your family, friends, or colleagues. Our office is located at Apache Medical Complex, 4001 NE Stinson Blvd., Suite 404, Minneapolis, Minnesota 55421.

Linking the Community

When difficulties occur, you may feel alone or confused. In a Christian therapeutic setting that is committed to your wellness in body, soul, and spirit you may feel encouraged to draw on other resources in the community. Affinity Ministries counseling services help others to learn and grow socially, emotionally, intellectually, physically, and spiritually.

Personal Partnership

Every individual and situation is unique. We believe that therapy involves working together in partnership to obtain an agreed plan for change and development. We are committed to establishing a professional relationship that involves care and respect and also encourages personal empowerment. Together, we can create an effective life plan for positive changes and growth.

AFFINITY MINISTRIES IS COMMITTED TO BIBLICAL MENTORING, COACHING, AND DISCIPLESHIP

Mentoring needs to be biblically based. It is to be founded upon God's call to be His people, true disciples. Mentoring is the empowering of one person by another through their personal life, prayer, conversation and example.

It is making of disciples to go into the entire world who then will in turn reproduce others to do the same. Mentoring can take deliberate to less deliberate forms. Relationship is at its heart. Attraction, responsiveness, and accountability are important to the working of that relationship. Effective mentoring must take the person out of the classroom and provide that person with growth in Christ-likeness, real-life situational training, understanding, skill building, and feedback.

Affinity Ministries is committed to mentoring, coaching, and discipleship centered around the person of Jesus Christ through the process of gathering, training and empowerment, and deployment of young people to be released to be both lovers and liberators to bring the message of the gospel of Christ to the lost who are both in the church and the world.

AFFINITY MINISTRIES HAS A PASSION TO EQUIP YOUNG PEOPLE TO FOLLOW THE CALL TO MISSIONS

Most of us would agree that we have had a certain anxiety about our call to missions. Church mission is simply a journey with the purpose of sharing the message of Christ and God's love with other people. Mission journeys are essential for the Body of Christ if we are to fulfill the Great Commission.


Thanks for stopping by today. If you are in the Minneapolis/St. Paul area and you're wondering if we can help, feel free to give us a call at 612-706-9630. Or you can email me at goaffinity@comcast.net

Rev. N. Todd Riggs, M. Div., L.I.C.S.W
Licensed Independent Clinical Social Worker / Pastoral Psychotherapist
Executive Director, Affinity Ministries Inc.


Affinity Ministries Inc.
Apache Medical Building
4001 N.E. Stinson Blvd., Suite 404
Minneapolis, MN 55421
Fax (612) 706-9617 Voice Mail (612) 706 9630

Community and Other Resources*
After Hours Counseling Service(nationwide, fee-for-service program offering phone counseling service after business hours for employee assistance programs, mental health clinics and public agencies)
612-852-2214
Center for Grief (support groups)
651-641-0177
The Crisis Hotline (24-hour crisis phone line)
612-379-6363
Eagle’s Wings (homosexuality issues)
612-781-4110
FamiLink (community resources)
952-975-0444
Family Conflict Resolution Center(Nyquist Mediation Services)
763-549-8952
First Call for Help (community resources)
651-291-0211
Focus on the Family (resources and national referrals)
1-800-232-6459
Hazelden Treatment Center (chemical dependency)
651-213-4000
Love Lines Crisis Center (crisis hotline)
612-379-1199
The Men’s Line(24-hour phone line for men and others who wish to discuss issues of abuse and violence)
612-379-6367
Minnesota Teen Challenge (chemical dependency)
612-373-3366
New Life Family Services (crisis pregnancy)
612-866-7643
New Life Ministries (resources and national referrals)
1-800-639-5433
Peacemaking Ministry (conflict resolution)
952-224-3149
Teen Education Program (provides teens with access to mental health info and crisis counseling)
612-852-2223
The Workline (24-hour phone line for MFIP members moving from Welfare to work)
612-852-2225
*Not all of the Community resources listed are Christ-centered. Inquirers will need to “screen” the desired resource to their own satisfaction.