Reflecting on Adverse Childhood Experiences and Trauma
Tara Boer’s webinar, Why the ACSs Adverse Childhood Experience Study (ACEs) Matters, is an effective resource to address both awareness and response.
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Tara Boer’s webinar, Why the ACSs Adverse Childhood Experience Study (ACEs) Matters, is an effective resource to address both awareness and response.
Watch the recorded Zoom Webinar from July 29th with Prof. Tara Boer (Dordt University) about the ACEs study and implications for ministry with those who have experienced trauma and adversity.
Domestic violence, child abuse, and pornography are on the rise right now. We need to be aware and support our community that is hurting right now.
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.
We'd rather not hear it, but it's important to listen—and the way we respond to a child's disclosure of abuse can make all the difference.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Safe Church not the only organization working to end the devastation of abuse. Today we feature an article from the Ed and Nancy Hanenburg Children’s Advocacy Center of Ottawa County.
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 is a joy and a privilege to work with organizations like Dove’s Nest for the building up of Christ’s body in a loving and faithful way. Sign up for their free newsletter to stay up-to-date with great resources!
Sharing our new Circle of Grace video and other resources from Safe Church!
Did you know that Safe Church Ministry started out as the Office of Abuse Prevention? Think of the heartache avoided by preventing abuse before it happens. Surely churches belong at the front lines.
A recent article in Christianity Today highlights a few of the reasons why it can be difficult for those who have survived abuse to be in church.
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.
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.
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.
This bulletin insert includes a general definition of child abuse and a brief list of the common signs of child abuse.
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.”
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...
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.
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.
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?
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?”