Set Apart Ministries History

A Personal Narrative

by

Barbara L. Klika, MSW,

Personal Life Coach,

Undershepherd

Founder

 

Set Apart Ministries was incorporated in January, 2000 but the story began long before that time. In some ways, it is my personal faith story as well as a story of community.

My  professional training as a Clinical Social Worker has been very helpful yet it provided a special challenge to my faith as well. As a life long believer and "church -goer" I always knew that underneath everything I learned about human nature and behavior there was always God and His design and plan. Needless to say, this was NOT fashionable to hold this perspective and led to many subtle and not so subtle conflicts over the years. Some times these conflicts were with other health professionals and sometimes just within myself. I seem to have been an integrator in many ways.standing with one foot in a faith perspective and one in a "mental health" psychological perspective. I stood between a family systems model of struggles and the medical or biological model.  I also found myself with one foot in a mental health perspective yet the other in addictions or alcohol and other drug abuse perspectives; and in the early 1980's this was a difficult issue, perhaps best pictured in the idea of a double yellow line metaphorically between the two camps of intervention strategies.

Perhaps the most difficult issue was standing with one foot in a faith perspective and one in a "mental health" psychological perspective. Then imagine the complications when I began to comprehend that spiritual issues included the reality of demonization, even in this day and age.

As I studied and saw the spiritual issues mixed in with the psychological ones, I began to offer presentations to anyone who would allow me to speak, particularly about the influence of "New Age" ideas into a more orthodox Christian theology.

This ultimately led to the appearance of people among my more usual clients who wanted to come out of various forms of witchcraft, satanism or other occult involvements; and finally to dealing with those with Disociative Identity Disorder, formerly known as Multiple Personality Disorder.

I attended every training and read all materials I could find on these subjects from both secular and faith based resources. It was made clear to me that it was time to decide if I was among the sheep or the goats, if I was to be of any help to these spiritually traumitized people.

As their numbers grew and the needs became evidently more than I could provide support for, I looked for volunteer support people, and instead found more people in need of help.

 

 

 

A period of fasting and prayer led to a prayerful understanding one morning that I would need to form a separate entity, with the name I understood to be "Set Apart Ministries."  It was equally made clear that our mission statement was Hebrews 10:32-39.

My husband, Bob, and prayer partner, Janell, formed the non profit corporation and the journey began.

Individual work with traumatized people gave way to group work, using the Life Model materials listed elsewhere in the site, and as we also were coming to a Hebraic understanding of our faith, it also became clear that we were to be a Messianic ministry, and a few years after that, that we would be assisting many people, not just those with spiritual trauma, to return to the ancient paths of our Messiah, Yeshua.

I remember being startled and a little intimidated when I was understanding the name to be "Set Apart."  I distinctly remember being a little argumentative if you know what I mean, as in:  "Lord, are You sure that's what it should be? That sounds a little scarey."

The confirmation was clear: yes.

Though I didn't know yet that the Hebrew word -Kadosh -usually translated as "holy" literally means to be "set apart for a special purpose" it sounded profound to me anyway.

Now, at the end of 2018, we are nearing 20 years as a Messianic community with local members and "extended family" around the world. We have grown together and see more of His purpose; enough to know that there is MUCH more to come!

We are in the process of dropping the 501(c) 3 status in favor of operating as a free church.

Our early series of foundational teachings is being updated as we have understood more of how He has been preparing us as I understood in prayer: "slowly, deeply, and quietly so that we would not be easily shaken."

May His Name be praised as we all grow up into the likeness of our Messiah Yeshua!