As the coming of the Lord draws near, pastors are being faced with complex situations within the church, many involving new converts. DayStar Ministries was established in 2012 to help with those complexities, specializing in marriage and pastoral counseling.
“There has been an all-out attack on marriage in the church,” said Bro. Daniel Sirstad, founder of DayStar Ministries. “Even in our ranks, pastors seem to be recognizing divorce more and more as an option, but there is an alternative when God is involved.” Often, disagreements on finances and sexual relationships affect the intimacy of the marriage. Bro. Sirstad feels that social media has done more damage than help, and emotional adultery is on the rampage. Pornography is not only affecting Christendom as a whole, he said, but is impacting Oneness congregations as well.
The purpose of DayStar Ministries is three-fold: 1) To provide counseling to Apostolics by Apostolics, 2) To provide instructional seminars, customized to the local church need, and 3) To offer a degree transfer program in pastoral counseling. The ministry also initiated the Partners in Counseling program for churches. Information on that program is available through the Partners in Counseling tab at www.dsministries.com.
Bro. Sirstad, who holds a Ph.D. in Clinical Pastoral Counseling and has been a UPCI licensed minister for over 30 years, explained his reason for starting DayStar Ministries: “My personal experiences in life drove me back to school to get the education necessary for this ministry when I was in my forties. This ministry was instituted to fight the implosion of families and marriages, particularly in the preachers’ families and marriages.” Bro. Sirstad noted that marriage is under attack more than ever before and the pastor/preacher/church leaders’ marriages are not immune. He said, “Having an Apostolic resource or safe place of someone who understands Apostolic values and is trained, is a major blessing.”
Many marriages have been restored and enhanced through this ministry. A comment Bro. Sirstad hears many times is, “Now we have hope.” He has witnessed healing from childhood abuses in the lives of men and women that brought healing to the marriage. He continued, “It is awesome to see people understanding themselves and their spouses better.” One couple was trying to raise their children to be like themselves, but God had given their children different temperaments. Once the parents made adjustments and focused on raising their children to be what God created them to be, the difference was incredible.
Bro. Sirstad travels mostly weekends, teaching seminars on Friday and Saturday and preaching on Sunday. He speaks mainly to couples about marriage. He said, “There is a desire, especially among wives, for help with marriage and building intimacy. I deal with fun issues and not-so-fun issues. We laugh openly and at times cry inwardly. I also teach on forgiveness, depression and shame.”
He and his wife, Jeanie, attend Apostolic Worship Center, pastored by Bro. Ted Graves, in Gresham, Oregon.
DayStar Ministries may be contacted through the website, www.dsministries.com. He may also be contacted by email at dsirstad@dsministries.com or by phone 503.481.2934.