Jabbok - About Us

Jabbok - What is it?

Jabbok is the river that flows between the countries of Jordan and Israel. It was at Jabbok that Jacob wrestled with God and yielded to the will of his Higher Power (God)! At that moment God changed Jacob's name to "Israel"; and thus he became the founding father of ISRAEL. (Genesis 32:22-28)

Therefore, for us, Jabbok means: "The Place or Way to come into the Fullness of God's plan for Our Life!"

The Jabbok Christian Health Center was established in 1986. In 1996 we changed our name to: "The Jabbok Center for Christian Living." This was done to have the ministry conform more completely with the scripture's mandate to PRAY for healing:

James 5:16: "Pray for one another, that you may be healed; for the prayers of the righteous have great power in their effect."

John 14:12: "Truly, truly I say to you, he who believes in me will also do the works that I do; and greater works than these will he do when I go to the Father."

Jabbok Pastoral Counseling Services

Spiritual Counseling
Family / Marriage Counseling
For Children / Adults who have been Sexually / Physically Molested
Anger Management
Substance Abuse
For Adult Children of Alcoholics
For Public School Children enrolled in Individual Education Programs (IEP)
For Youth Offenders enrolled in Probation and Parole Diversion Programs
Healing of Memories for Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) Recovery
Clinical Depression and other Allied Emotional Trauma

The Logo

Jacob wrestling with God - surrounded by the presence of the DOVE, the symbol of the Holy Spirit imparts the immeasurable Peace that comes when we give our Struggles-of-Life to our Great and Compassionate God!

Matthew 25: "For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thristy and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, I was in prision and you came to me..... Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brethren, you did it to me."

The Staff

The Rev. James Lupton founded the Jabbok Center for Christian Living with the vision of providing a safe, comfortable and spiritual haven to meet the needs of: battered women, abused children, substance abusers and many other spiritual and clinical needs that rob individuals of living a happy and healthy life to the fullest. Rev. Lupton has a B.A. degree in History and Psychology from Fairmont College in West Virginia and a M.Div degree from Union Theological Seminary in New York, majoring in Psychiatry and Religion.

David Hunter, a retired Pastor of the United Methodist Church is the Pastoral counselor. He also shares teaching at the second and fourth Thursday of the month.

David Hunter has a B.A. degree in Mathematics and Physicsa from the Albany State University in New York, and a M.Div. degree from Drew University School of Theology. He was ordained in the Troy Conference of the United Methodist Church in 1968. He served churches in Port Henry and Moriah, NY. In Vermont, he served churches in the towns of Ferrisburgh, Moretown, Middlesex, Elmore, Worcester, East Calais and Woodbury. David and his wife Linda, a teacher, live on Elm St. in Montpelier, VT.

The volunteer office staff is coordinated by Jaya Lupton, herself a volunteer, who has a B.S. degree in Nursing and has done postgraduate studies in Obstetrics at Boston Lying-In Hospital in Boston, Massachusetts.

The volunteer Prayer Counselors are coordinated by Margaret Tanner who has a Master's Degree in Education.

Fees and Contributions

Jabbok is funded primarily by contributions and a schedule of sliding fees paid by those recipients of the ministry who can afford some level of payment.

However, because NO-ONE is ever denied counseling because they cannot afford to pay - and many of our participants cannot afford payment - we are mostly dependent upon God's providence that flows through the prayers and generosity of others, for our needs!

We believe that through the Obedience and Generosity of His Faithful, that He will look after us, and has called us to look after those whom He sends to us!