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In a recent blog with Rhymes with Religion, Boz Tchividjian asserts the need for seminaries to provide formal training for church leaders in preventing and responding to child abuse.
If you think that sex trafficking doesn’t happen where you live, think again.
In the last year or so, I have observed a disturbing trend: the introduction and acceptance of a mindset into our culture.
In our very broken world, training up a child is not an easy task. How could our church communities be more helpful to parents?
One in four girls and one in six boys are sexually abused before the age of 18. We cannot bury our heads in the sand and ignore this issue.
I am not advocating for us to raise unruly, disrespectful children. Yet, there must be a bridge in which we can disciple our children to be Christ-like AND have a voice.
"The God I serve is a God of presence, not a God of protection."
Yet, there was a question burning in my heart, as my eyes searched Bella’s face hoping to glean more insight. It was a question I wanted to ask but never could: “How did you know to fight back?”
The publicness of the Duggars' lives has created space for a wider conversation about abuse. What will it take to move the church to speak more openly and courageously about abuse?
SafeChurch raises up the dry bones and calls churches to turn from lifeless policies that require “compliance” to a fully awake process where people of faith become leaders in their churches AND communities.
I can still remember the hurt and anger in her words as she explained why the abuse she endured from her father as a child has made returning to the church impossible for her.
I once spent 18 months working at an emergency children’s shelter. These children came with many stories and traumas. Yet I saw firsthand the transformative power of love and care...
What stuck in my head were the words, “No one in the family knew...”. I immediately said aloud to the other people in the room who were watching this with me: “That’s a lie, someone did know.”
When we feel safe, we can be curious, learn, and grow—attributes that we especially want to foster in our children and youth. As faith communities, we need to invest time and resources into safety.
On January 21, Classis Hamilton had another gathering of Safe Church Leaders at Meadowlands Fellowship CRC where we heard a presentation from Hamilton Wentworth Children's Aid Society.
It's important to remember that social media is simply a communication tool and, like all tools, must be used in appropriate ways. As leaders it is up to us to create and maintain appropriate boundaries. Here are some guidelines.
As many people who experience suffering from mental illnesses know, this affliction often causes extreme psychological and emotional anguish. I’ve personally found my most meaningful Scripture text in Lamentations.
Who needs protection in our current world? This story reminds us about the global crisis of child marriages and the need to continue to work towards a safe world, free from abuse.
How can we find time for abuse prevention training? Mission CRC brought in Dove’s Nest, an organization whose sole mission is to equip churches to prevent child abuse.
Child abuse prevention begins at home, and churches, schools, and the entire community all have a part to play. It's up to all of us to protect our children from abuse.
Tara Boer’s webinar, Why the ACSs Adverse Childhood Experience Study (ACEs) Matters, is an effective resource to address both awareness and response.