Safe Church is confronting the pervasive darkness of the sex industry as an evil that destroys lives not just "out there," but in our homes and neighborhoods.
How can church leaders maintain appropriate boundaries that ensure safety, without discriminating or feeding into sexism or legalism?
This piece, by counselor Krispin Mayfield and originally published by Off the Page (here), offers compassionate guidance for families reeling after the disclosure of abuse within their family.
What concrete steps can each congregation be doing to make your church a safer place? These ten guidelines offer a helpful place to start.
Safe Church Ministry only works when we ALL work together. Here are some practical ways you can include Safe Church at your next classis meeting.
Participating in Assault Awareness Month is not nearly as difficult or uncomfortable as many assume. How will your church make survivors feel safe this month?
A truly safe church environment is one where the congregation is aware of the many ways in which abuse is normalized in both secular and Christian cultures and is prepared to help survivors.
When we are confronted with an allegation of abuse, there are always two paths we can take, two stories we can choose from. And one story will always be easier to believe.
How many lives could be changed if the church talked as openly about abuse as any other chronic and life-threatening issues their congregants faced?
A moving firsthand account of the impact of habitual sexual harassment on women.
This is a painful election that is in many ways dividing this country and the church. But please, when it comes to assault against women, let’s not be divided.
Spiritual abuse is difficult to talk about because often those who spiritually abuse have sincerely held intentions. But as Jesus clearly saw, the cost of a faith that is driven by fear and legalism is too high for us to ignore.
During the Rio Olympics, a disappointing report was unveiled, detailing years of USA Gymnastics ignoring allegations of sexual abuse of gymnasts by coaches. The report is a stark reminder that fighting for justice is never an easy task.
Dr. Danjuma Gibson offers helpful guidelines both for understanding the nature of trauma and responding compassionately as a church.
Check out this powerful introduction to Samaritan Safe Church's approach to keeping children safe, written by Linda Crockett, a speaker at the upcoming CRCNA Safe Church Conference.
How can the church do justice to the reality of abuse—which means we need to hear more allegations, not fewer—without being controlled by a fear of false allegations?
Social media can be and is a powerful force for advocacy, but the battle cannot be fought solely there. The real battle is the day to day struggle to confront misogyny and deep-rooted injustices.
When we tolerate subtle abuses of power on a daily basis, drawing a line in the sand once a situation has gotten out of control becomes incredibly difficult, almost impossible.
“You will never fully heal until you forgive,” is a phrase I’ve heard more times than I care to acknowledge. Is it possible that modern ideas about forgiveness do more harm than good?
The most powerful agent for hope, healing and justice for abuse survivors in the church is something both simple and surprisingly elusive: people of compassion.
In her recent book Black and White Bible, Black and Blue Wife, Ruth Tucker offers a compelling and harrowing account of the ways in which unchallenged assumptions about gender hierarchy can create a climate of enabling abuse within the church.
When is it the right decision to leave an abusive marriage? This anonymous author shares her painful journey of wrestling with the decision to leave an emotionally abusive marriage.
The “Cosby effect” is a sober reminder to churches to do whatever possible in their power to make it very clear to their congregations that they desire abuse to be reported.
Fully confronting abuse by spiritual leaders in the CRC is a necessary first step to a safe church: if we cannot hold accountable even those entrusted with the souls of the church, called to be “blameless” how can we effectively address other forms of abuse?
The film Spotlight reminds the church it will take the committed effort and support of an entire community to both support abuse survivors and prevent abuse.