Fellow Travellers

Fellow Travellers: Grateful for the Living Wholeness Community

By Dr. John Warlow

Why am I so grateful for the Living Wholeness Community?

Three reasons come immediately to mind.

It is through this distinct community that God has helped me grow personally. It has extended my capacity far beyond my own limitations. And although the journey has been costly, I would not exchange it for anything.

I am now in my early seventies. Jill and I have been married for forty-four years and have been blessed with five children and eight grandchildren. I continue to work as a counselling clinical psychiatrist, walking alongside adults, children and families each week.

Many people know me as the “finder” of the Christian Wholeness Framework (CWF) and as one of the co-founders of the Living Wholeness Community with David and Susanne Nikles. For more than thirty years I have also had the privilege of partnering with Dr Carolyn Russell. Together these relationships have produced conferences, training, books and a growing movement that has spread far beyond anything I could ever have imagined.

Yet that is only the visible story.

The deeper story is how this community has changed me.

1. Community – From Aloneness to Belonging

Perhaps this story really began long before Living Wholeness.

I grew up as a missionary kid in India. Although I had a wonderful family, I often felt alone. As a teenager I was introverted and socially anxious. I longed for meaningful relationships but found them difficult.

Over time I intentionally built friendships and gradually experienced the richness of genuine connection. God also gave me Jill, and together we have enjoyed a strong, growing and deeply connected marriage.

Looking back, I can now see that God was preparing me for something much bigger than I realised.

Thirty years ago Dr Carolyn Russell and I began building what became the Christian Wholeness Counselling Centre in Brisbane. Three times it seemed to die. Three times we wondered whether the journey had come to an end. Yet each time God kept us going. Carolyn remained a faithful partner as together we learnt, taught, wrote and explored what God was revealing.

Then, twenty years ago this year, another chapter began.

On Friday 13 January 2006, seated around the round table that still sits in our home today, David and Susanne Nikles joined us. Together, there, we founded the Living Wholeness Community.

As we finished that first meeting, my final words to them were simple:

“How can I serve you?”

Those words have continued to shape the culture of our community.

We were not simply building another organisation. We were learning what it meant to become fellow travellers—serving one another while partnering in the gospel for the growth of God’s Kingdom.

Over the years many others have joined this journey. Harry Hoffman, Jake Finn, Yoshi, Karen Lynch, Dr Reupah Phillips, John Allison, Prof Jill Willis, practitioners serving faithfully in restricted countries, and many others have become part of a rich shared history.

One memory captures it perfectly.

During a leadership gathering in Hong Kong in 2014, Harry Hoffman and I were walking along the beach. Harry was trying to describe what Living Wholeness actually was. Then he stopped, smiled (I think!) and simply said,

“So… Living Wholeness is a community.”

He was right.

Living Wholeness is not primarily a programme.

It is not primarily an organisation.

It is not primarily a teaching ministry.

It is a community.

When I turned seventy, around seventy people gathered with the theme, I gave what felt like my eulogy while I was still alive – “Most Improved.” We laughed together, but I realised how true it was.

If I have grown, so much of that growth has happened because of this community.

God’s answer to my aloneness was not greater independence.

It was belonging… in…

… a Distinct Community. Living Wholeness Community describes itself and is known as a community that learns, lives, servant leads and gives the Christian Wholeness Framework. I remember 35 years ago here in Brisbane knowing that if God was not with this, it was a waste of time, leading me to pray, as with Moses, “If your presence will not go with me, do not bring us up from here. For how should it be known that I have found favour in your sight, owned your people? Is it not you’re going with us so that we are distinct, owned your people from every other people on the face of the earth?” (Exodus 3315, 16: ESV)

The Framework has not simply been something I discovered.

It has become something that has continually reshaped me.

Looking back, I can see that God was preparing me for it throughout my life—from finding Christ as a seven-year-old in India, through seasons of brokenness as a young adult, to the desperate years of preparing for my Fellowship examinations in psychiatry.

The Framework was never something I invented.

It was something I found.

That has always made it easy to give away.

What began as a simple visual framework gradually became a way of connecting, understanding, responding and engaging help throughout every area of life.

Its picture language has shaped my marriage, my parenting, my friendships, my professional practice and, above all, my relationship with God.

Years ago I scribbled notes onto a table tennis ball to explain what eventually became “Relationship Tennis.” More than forty years later, that faded ball still sits beside me as I write these words.

Our children learnt to walk back down the Steps towards connection.

Sometimes they even reminded me how to do it.

The Framework continually reminds me that before I can give truth away, I must first live it myself.

I have learnt.

I have sought to live.

Only then have I been able to give, while connecting again in community, learning again and living again!

Perhaps nowhere has this become more precious than in my relationship with God.

Almost every day I remind myself of His Five Ps—His Presence, His Placement, His Purposes and His Provisions—because I already have Him.

The Shapes have become part of my prayers.

“You are my Centre.

You are my Source.

You are my Home.

You are my Goal.

You are my Head.”

Over the years those truths have moved from being theological concepts to lived realities. These sets of “five” (and so many more) are easy to put onto the fingers of my hand which are more in easy reach of my heart. They help me to embody the wholistic transformative language of the Christian Wholeness Framework, based on the Bible.

In reminding me that God is interested in my whole person, and yet also at times lighter and more relaxed. For someone who naturally lives in serious conversations and deep waters, learning the importance of fun, ordinary conversation, rest, sleep and caring for my body has been an important part of becoming more whole.

So grateful for this distinct community.

2. Capacity – God Multiplied What I Could Never Do Alone

As a teenager I often prayed one simple prayer:

“Lord, use me.”

Like many young people, I imagined that meant doing great things for God.

Years later someone gently reminded me of that prayer and observed,

“Perhaps this is one prayer God has clearly answered.”

Looking back, I think they were right.

God answered that prayer, but not in the way I expected.

He did not make me into an impressive individual.

Instead, He placed me within a community.

He surrounded me with people whose gifts complemented my own and whose lives extended far beyond my reach.

Living Wholeness has become like a healthy tree.

I do not need to run around trying to care for every branch.

My responsibility is simply to remain faithful to the branches God has connected to me, trusting that they, in turn, nurture others.

Recently, while on holiday, I found myself looking at photos of my break, mixed in with photos from Uganda where others within the Living Wholeness Community were training and serving. I was far away, resting with my family, yet the work continued.

That filled me with enormous gratitude.

Succession is already built into the community.

As we train others, they train others.

The tree continues to grow.

I remain where God has placed me.

That has been one of the greatest lessons of my life.

3. Cost – Every Meaningful Community Costs Something

None of this has been easy.

Relationships are wonderful because they are alive.

They are also costly because they are vulnerable.

There have been seasons when I wondered whether everything would collapse, just as happened during the early years of the Christian Wholeness Counselling Centre.

Many relationships never became lasting partnerships.

There were countless meetings, conversations and hopeful beginnings that appeared to lead nowhere.

Some opportunities never eventuated.

Some partnerships ended in disappointment.

There has been much apparent wastage.

My wife and family have also shared that cost. I hope the cost was not as expensive as what I had to pay as a missionary kid in India. And yet with these costs, I am deeply grateful that each of our children has developed passion – and most of us – a heart for God’s Kingdom and, in different ways, for His mission.

Looking back, I no longer see those experiences as failures.

They became God’s classroom.

He taught me perseverance and grit.

He taught me humility.

He taught me dependence.

He taught me to remain faithful regardless of visible results.

Community has been costly.

But it has always been worth it.

Looking Back

As I look back over the decades, I find myself filled with gratitude.

I am grateful for Jill.

I am grateful for my family.

I am grateful for the privilege of serving as a psychiatrist.

But I am especially grateful for the Living Wholeness Community.

As a lonely missionary kid in India, I could never have imagined this journey.

As a socially anxious teenager praying, “Lord, use me,” I had no idea how God would answer.

He answered that prayer, not by making me into someone extraordinary, but by placing me within an extraordinary community of fellow travellers.

The Christian Wholeness Framework and the Living Wholeness Community have not simply become my life’s work.

They have become part of God’s gracious work in me.

And that work continues.

For that, I am deeply grateful.

Fellow Travellers

By Dr. David Nikles

Living Wholeness, with the Christian Wholeness Framework developed by Dr John Warlow, has irrevocably altered the way I have lived these last 20 years. Looking back I am happy to share some of the challenges and highlights for me personally. I hope to write a follow up piece looking forward and what I sense may be ahead from my CEO seat.

Back in 2006, when Susanne and I had been in China for 12 months, learning language, finding our feet and supervising some counsellors, we returned to Australia briefly, in part seeking good ongoing Christian Counselling supervision. Numerous people suggested we contact John Warlow but I knew from past experience it was never quick to get to see him. We only had 6 weeks before we needed to return to China. Finally, after one more person made that suggestion I somehow got his number. John amazingly said – sure – come see me tomorrow!

John faithfully not only gave us ongoing weekly supervision of our work, but became a lifelong friend, encourager, mentor, teacher and so much more. Over time and many skype sessions (remember skype!) he drip fed us the CWF. On invitation he travelled at least every year to China to assist our training and also made himself available to speak into the development of the China Christian Counselling Community often as plenary speaker. Those were epic times for me – significant stretching refining and hugely challenging. Yes, all the way I felt the Lord supporting and encouraging me to take these steps of faith, step out into the totally unknown, with Him, and see what would happen. It was way beyond my natural ability and quite amazing to see how He worked it all out.

And stuff happened! A group of us formed the China Christian Counselling Community, (CCCC) which grew from strength to strength and later birthed the Asian Christian Counselling Association. Some of us formed Dawen, a Christian Counselling Consulting and Training Company in Kunming China, which also grew and offered Expat and Chinese Counselling, and later CWF Training. The Lord invited me to leave my 20 years of medical experience and capacity largely behind and focus instead on mental health counselling supervision and training others. He drew me out onto the waters and gave me gifting in leadership and training beyond anything I had known. I was invited deeper and deeper into days of prayer, retreats with Him, and also more deeply into friendships with others.

On the inner side as per Psalm 26: 2-3

Test me O Lord, and try me, examine my heart and my mind;

for your love is ever before me and I walk continually in your truth.

I was prompted to open my heart to the profound soul searching spotlight of the Holy Spirit, exploring my circles and sectors and the personal application of the steps and other shapes. This resulted in much deeper understanding of the material and a deepening respect for its accuracy relevance and reliability, as well as a much great understanding of self. I found significant growth as I dug into the Spirit circle and became interested in the contemplative stream of faith exemplified by authors such as David G Benner. I found I was also drawn to the art of spiritual accompaniment and being with self and others in the Heart / Spirit Circle interface.

One wonderfully nourishing group I was part of for several years met as 4 guys, simply coming together to listen and be most present with each other as we shared new things in our lives, around 20 minutes each. After one had spoken we then sat, with the speaker in silent prayer, followed by just one well chosen hopefully Spirit inspired question we offered that speaker. Rich fellowship where the CWF helped me get more deeply in touch with my inner core.

I became aware of a significant hole in my love sector.  I spent many times exchanging my shame and receiving His love with a frequent Romans 5:5 prayer that the Lord would pour out His love into my heart by the Holy Spirit.  I developed the practice of casting all my cares on Him. There were MANY cares in those days – so much involved in leading Dawen Counselling Dept, and the CCCC leadership team, with the ever-changing Chinese context as a backdrop. He was my strength inspiration and wisdom So many times!

Again prompted strongly by the Spirit, with minimal having been written on the CWF, and no prior book writing experience, I felt a calling to put this systematically on paper, along with Susanne. This we did in 2010 resulting in the Cycles of Transformation, soon after translated to Mandarin. This book used to sell like hot cakes at the CCCC conferences and seemed to provide a resource where there was none. The cover painting was an inspiration from the Lord; He soaked my brain in that image for several years until I just HAD to try and paint it out.

The years went by. Dawen grew and became a strong base for member care and counselling for Chinese and expats alike. Around 2014 we sensed the Lord’s invitation to focus more specifically on teaching counsellors as numbers had joined the Dawen team to offer the coal face work by then.

A few of us, especially Harry and Susanne, developed the LWTP – Living Wholeness Training Program commencing with the first intake in 2015. What a brilliant learning and teaching experience that was. I found that the quintet of counselling, supervising, training, writing,  and personally applying the CWF synergistically moved my understanding forward.

The ethos we pursued was using team teaching, training people how to counsel, but also work through their own issues, how to lead groups, teach others, and develop a specific project of implementation. We raised up trainers from cohort 1 to co train in cohort 2 and onwards. Obviously most students were Chinese but the Lord opened up links with Nepal and Mongolia, some expat counsellors working in China, and a few others. These links have consolidated especially with  Mongolia such that Iggy and Tsatsa have gone on to develop the Mongolian Association of Christian Counselling and also offer Bachelor in Christian Counselling at MAGBS Ulaanbaatar using the CWF.

When Dawen was monitored, investigated and closed by the PSB in 2018, the Lord didn’t seem to mind: many people continued to be trained over yet another 3 cohorts. The Graduates went on to develop all sorts of ministries – Christian Counselling Centers, Transformational Home Groups (one lady ran a group with 20 people each day – like 6 separate groups a week for some years!) Some led CCCC. Some grew as supervisors. Some developed Childrens and parenting programs. Others worked in deep and life changing ways with disabled orphans and teens. Others planted churches and had missional and  pastoral oversight.

A great memory was the time, after we had been deported and still had to complete the final unit of cohort 2 of LWTP, we invited the whole class to another nation and put them up for a month, without phones in case it was tracked, and finished the teaching. It was a fabulous time when relationships deepened and love and trust flourished as the Chinese trainers were equipped and also grew as a team. Simultaneously training students and apprentice trainers after being deported was a big strain and unfortunately this was a massive load for Susanne who was the course developer and lead teacher. She continued to struggle with her health for several years subsequently.

Trialogue was a fascinating discovery. Simply sitting with someone as they commit their issues to Jesus and accompany them while He takes their loads, so often give them hope healing and joy for despair struggle and gloom, was profound. We offered this, demonstrated it, and taught it so many times with massive effect. One highlight was when we taught it at CCCC’s  10^th anniversary conference and around 300 Chinese counsellors paired up and offered trialogue with each other. I had the sudden job of giving each pair a box of tissues – people often cry with the depth of release experienced. The whole room was in tears that day as God moved in the space.

The year 2017 was a big one. We had attended a Christian Counselling Leadership Summit and Conference in 2014 in Malaysia hosted by Dr Edmund Ng. While the general expectation was this would be followed up with another conference  2 years later, this didn’t eventuate, and a few years later the Lord one day gave me a vision of a soccer field with a stationary ball, waiting, inviting me to put it into play.  He impressed on me that if I was to host a follow up conference for Christian Counsellors across the Asian region it would be possibly the most important things I ever did in my life. What can one do! I spent time in prayer and bouncing ideas off with Chacko from India, the India Association secretary. He and Grant, my prayer partner, were a massive support, as were the CCCC Team who generously assisted with scholarship funds for numbers of nations’ participants, and really made the event financially viable. I think we hosted 167 participants in Chiangmai.

The big event arrived. Day one went well. Day two I developed a high fever and was quite sick. That evening I suggested Susanne sleep in a different room so she didn’t catch the illness.  As the evening progressed and my fever increased I began to wonder if the Lord meant this would be the most important thing I ever did because it was to be the last thing I ever did! A scary thought! I was stuck wondering if I should write her a goodbye note in case I died in the night or if that would be seen as a suicide note and so cause problems with insurance. Thankfully I was better the next day and could continue leading the conference – which Susanne had to take on at short notice when I was sick.

The reason for our 2018 China deportation was stated as ‘disrupting society using religion’ which we received a  5 years ban on return. The Lord had it all in hand and pretty much immediately opened a welcoming door in Chiangmai where we settled, spending half a year there in Thailand including with Ying establishing CCAT,  and half the year teaching in Bangladesh, Nepal, India, and Cambodia.  Interestingly when COVID hit in 2020 we had already made these connections which meant ongoing support and supervision could continue online. These nations also went on to establish Christian Counselling Associations and join ACCA.

Over time ACCA has grown substantially by Gods grace. We now have around 15 member nations and several exploring membership, regular webinars, a strong Board and Exec Team, great breadth of leaders, full registration in Philippines, and an upcoming 6^th Regional Conference.

Leadership Roles of CCCC, ACCA, and more recently as CEO of Living Wholeness, have led me to the 5 S’s of how I do leadership.

• Solitude- take time away from everything at least weekly (Withdraw in social circle)
• Silence –humble myself in silent adoration confession and listening to Jesus (Reduce external perception)
• Stillness – stilling myself so my mind is in receiving vs active mode (Thought Control Truth)
• Submission- submit and commit who I am and what I am thinking about to Him (Control and Center)
• Surrender – surrender – not my will but Yours Lord on this particular matter. The crunch. The difference. (Centre)

(I wrote this up in more depth in a previous article in Connect 2U)

Many the challenge where I have wanted a certain way or thought I knew best, even to the risk of losing relationship. It’s not a good way to lead! In one situation I was being pushed by another leader and felt unfairly done by and so was tempted to push back. God invited me to simply surrender to the person and Him, and let Him vindicate me. It had been an issue for some years so to let go was both hard and actually also a relief. The person soon left the leadership role and I had room to continue that ministry, in fact with God’s leading and grace I still work in that space now. Understanding the control sector was very helpful for me. Dominate vs surrender. And of course it involved Jeus as absolutely Lord in my Spirit and Centre Sector.

Fellow Travellers: The Story of Living Wholeness

By David Nikles

Dr John Warlow is the original developer of the Christian Wholeness Framework (CWF) on which Living Wholeness is based.  John was preparing for his psychiatry exams in the 1980’s when he ‘found’ the framework. John says he is more the ‘finder’ than the ‘founder’ of the CWF. God revealed it to him as a way to integrate biology, sociology, theology, psychiatry and psychology, to give a wholistic understanding of human nature. Although a few minor adaptions have been added over the years, the basic format remains the same as when John ‘found’ it.

Living Wholeness is the name of the Not-for-Profit Company registered with the ACNC in Australia since May 2019. This company forms the legal platform from which all Living Wholeness work is carried out globally. The Living Wholeness Community uses the CWF as it’s ‘operating system’ or ‘language’. Living Wholeness is also often used in the title of training materials.

Dr John Warlow is a Christian child, adolescent, and family psychiatrist. He was born in Northern India, to missionary parents, educated in Southern India and the UK. He then married Jill, a Kiwi/New Zealander, and now lives in Brisbane, Australia.  John teaches CWF within a Pastoral Care in Mental Health course at the Brisbane School of Theology. He also continues to see clients, supervise, train and develop CWF training materials for the Living Wholeness Community internationally.

Dr. Carolyn Russell is a Brisbane based family physician and counsellor, counselling supervisor and educator. Carolyn has journeyed with John for over 30 years now with CWF and was foundational in helping with the establishment of Living Wholeness in Asia. She is a valued member of the senior training team for Living Wholeness, training counsellors in Australia and the Asian region, and a member of the advisory board. She also lectures in pastoral care using CWF at Queensland Theological College, Brisbane.

Dr. David and Mrs. Susanne Nikles: David is an Australian family physician who entered the field of counselling training over the last 20 years. Susanne, also Australian, originally an Occupational Therapist, completed her Master’s in counselling in the 90’s. They were serving in China since 2005 and in response to the needs around them for personal transformation and counselling training, they sought a robust approach that could integrate psychology and theology. Dr. John Warlow introduced the CWF to them and has continued to journey with them as they learned and trained it in Asia for the last 20 years. They found it be most helpful approach to integrative Christian counselling they had encountered in their 30 years each of professional life.

As the work grew, in 2021, David and Susanne invited others who had extensive training and experience in using the CWF, and who had all served internationally, to become the Executive Team for Living Wholeness. The executive team oversee the strategic planning, development, and training for Living Wholeness, while the Board of Directors oversee policy, governance, finance, and strategy.

Broad Uptake: There is notably high uptake with Asian counsellors and pastors, which seemed to be because the CWF is a picture language, with shapes and steps, easily transferable across language barriers, theologically and psychologically robust, and personally transformative. Living Wholeness has also been effective in training counsellors and pastors and bringing personal transformation within wider Asia and beyond. One of the goals embedded in the trainings is that graduates take and train the material in their own language and culture. The graduates from these courses have formed a team of over 100 excellent volunteer trainers who are now training others across Asia. 

The Living Wholeness Community offers a range of training and courses, for a range of interested people from friends and family, pastors and leaders, small groups leaders, lay, community and pastoral counsellors, and professional counsellors, and educators. These courses are offered in broader Asia with some uptake in Europe and early days in Africa.

During the last decade more work has been done in the area of writing on the Christian Wholeness Framework, with now around 10 books either completed or in progress. Some of these are available through this website. Increasingly the team are being requested to train pastors in pastoral counselling at theological colleges both in Australia and Asia.

The team are also researching training outcomes using the Framework. There are two academic papers in the pipeline.

Graduates from the longer courses (PACT and LAMP) are invited to join the Master Trainer four-year training which takes them deeper as counsellors, supervisors, trainers, researchers, and course developers. The Living Wholeness community is made up of alumni who have found Living Wholeness to be so helpful, wholistic, thorough, foundational, and life changing, that they want to share this with others

Living Wholeness has thus grown to include a broad community comprising

• Board of Directors
• Executive Leadership Team
• Advisory Board
• Area Coordinators (National Team Leaders see below)
• National Teams
• Graduate Community (PACT and LAMP Master Trainer Graduates  and Living Wholeness Training Program Members) 
• Core Community of mostly course Alumni
• Broader community of over 1000 people

Philosophy

The emphasis in LW is servant leadership so much so that we have coined the phrase ‘servantship.’ LW seeks to empower those who are worked amongst, offering assistance where invited. Thus, growth needs to be ‘locally driven.’ LW formed a community of essentially national team leaders called Area Coordinators who lead teams within a nation or part of a larger nation (like India/China). These support each other and really are the backbone of future developmental steps.

LW comprises people keen to learn how to help others, how to counsel, and to train others, in their own language and cultural context. Thus, resources need to be available in those languages. LW does not just teach and release, but teach and walk with these people for the long term. Hence the 4 year Master trainer program, which then invites people to join a Graduate Community.

Relationship is central in Asia, in Christian life, and hence in Living Wholeness. LW is  relational!

What is the CWF?

The Christian Wholeness Framework provides a robust Biblical understanding of humanity, and God’s redemptive plan for this world.  It is comprehensive, cohesive, broad and balanced, effectively integrating theology and psychology.

The CWF offers a uniting picture language of five steps and five shapes which is transferable across cultures, languages, age, and gender. It is foundational across the Integrative Christian Counselling, pastoral care, wholistic evangelism, transformational discipleship, mentoring and coaching space.