Since 2003, an Argyle-based ministry called The Healing Place has extended its service beyond church walls, creating several support groups and making licensed counselors available to the public at low cost.

DRC/Barron Ludlum

Shannon Moran is the director of The Healing Place, a ministry of Cross Timbers Community Church.

Year round, this Cross Timbers Community Church ministry has anywhere from 12 to 15 groups meeting at its Argyle, Denton and Keller campuses. The groups address topics including substance abuse, body image issues, grief, sexual addiction, chronic illness and job-hunting.

“Our goal was always to reach the community,” said Healing Place director Shannon Moran. “I don’t need to convince the people I know. We are more interested in people out there who don’t have any connections, who don’t know who to connect with.”

Moran said the genesis of The Healing Place was the experience of Cross Timbers Senior Pastor Toby Slough, who was seeing a counselor for his own panic and anxiety disorders. The church also recognized that many members were dealing with divorce and adultery issues.

But rather than just aiming inward, the church aimed out.

“He [Slough] wanted the cornerstone of this church to be a place where people could come, who were broken, and could come talk about it and not be embarrassed,” Moran said. “And instead of the church having to refer them out, we would have a place here for them to seek support.”

Currently, the counselors see a combined 85 patients a week.

“We don’t turn anyone away,” Moran said. “When we started in 2003, we charged $100 an hour, because they [the counselors] are licensed. What we found was that when people are struggling, financially is a part of how they are struggling. So what Toby didn’t want to see was the church turning people away, saying, ‘If you don’t have $100, sorry.’ He wanted to make sure people got help.

“Hence, the beginning of the support groups, because those are free.”

She cited the Celebrate Recovery group, started in 2005, which meets Friday nights and then divides into several subgroups so members can discuss problems in a smaller, more personal atmosphere.

“That model reaches the masses,” she said.

Moran’s own background is a key to her involvement. When she was 16, her father was killed by a drunken driver. She lost her husband to lung cancer in 1999, then joined a Healing Place grief group in 2003. In 2004, she became director.

Today, The Healing Place is her full-time job, after 10 years with American Airlines as an accident investigator.

“I have a real passion for people to be connected and to feel connected, if you don’t have anybody — to just not feel alone,” Moran said.

For more information about The Healing Place, call 940-240-0029 or visit www.crosstimberschurch.org .

These support groups are made available through The Healing Place, a ministry of Cross Timbers Community Church. Campuses are 1119 S. U.S. Highway 377 in Argyle; 2525 Florence Road in Roanoke (known as the Keller campus); and 1304 Bernard St. in Denton, inside Cumberland Presbyterian Children’s Home.

For times and locations, call 940-240-0029 or visit www.crosstimberschurch.org .

Beauty for Ashes: This group is intended for women affected by childhood sexual abuse. It begins in January, time and location not yet announced.

CrossRoads: This group assists job seekers with networking, interviewing and resume-writing skills. Meets at 7 p.m. every second Tuesday at the Argyle campus.

Celebrate Recovery: Fellowship for people suffering from destructive habits such as drugs, alcohol or sexual addiction. Meets every Friday evening at the Argyle campus. Registration is not required, and dinner and child care are available.

Divine Design: Support group for women who struggle with body image issues and compulsive behaviors. For time and location, call 940-240-0029.

Healing Hearts Together: Support group for women whose husbands struggle with sexual strongholds. Meets at 7 p.m. Wednesdays on the Keller campus.

HopeGivers: Seven-week support group, currently on hold, for people who suffer from chronic illness and pain.

Journey Toward Joy (for adults): Eight-week bereavement support group for adults. Groups are available on the Argyle and Keller campuses.

Journey Toward Joy (for survivors of suicide): Eight-week bereavement support group for those who have lost a loved one to suicide. The group includes input from trained facilitators and group members who have experienced this loss. This group is available at the Argyle campus.

Journey Toward Joy (for adolescents and teens): Eight-week bereavement support group for adolescents and teens who are grieving the death of a loved one.  This group meets on the Keller campus.

Making Peace With Your Past: A 12-week study to help find healing, understanding and freedom from past experiences that still affect your daily life. Sessions are offered three times a year, at all campuses. Study groups are limited to seven members. Day and evening groups are available. The next session begins in January. Materials fee is $20.

Night of Prayer: This is a weekly prayer group for people desiring healing in any area — physical, emotional, spiritual or relational. This group meets at 7:15 p.m. Tuesdays on the Argyle campus. No registration is required.

Out of the Shadows: A ministry for men who struggle with sexual temptation. This group meets at 7 p.m. Wednesdays at the Keller campus.

Open Arms: Six-week support group for women who have lost a child during pregnancy. Separate groups are offered for loss from miscarriage and abortion. This group meets the first and third Mondays of each month at the Argyle campus.

Renewed Hope: Twelve-week support group for people who are divorced or going through a divorce. Meetings are on the Argyle campus.