Light and dark, evil and good, right and wrong, mercy and justice. These concepts work in opposites. How do we, the church, walk in the tension of the in-between space where we all live?
Of all The Network articles floating around in my mind I wanted to write, all important topics for Safe Church Ministry—this is what came out when I sat down to write. It's a hopeful reflection on life with God.
This handy guide to our denominational position statement about abuse, and summary of related church order may be helpful, especially to church councils, in responding to allegations or disclosures of abuse.
Silence is no longer an option. In this watershed #MeToo moment, the Church must be ready to respond to sexual abuse. How will it happen in your classis?
We’ve seen various responses to stories of sexual harassment and abuse, in the political realm and in the celebrity realm. What about in the Church? What will our response be?
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 find someone with passion for this ministry, we’re quick to label them a “team member.” Join our team! Help us assist the CRC in abuse awareness, prevention, and response.
Three CRC ministries, Race Relations, Disability Concerns, and Safe Church Ministry, are excited to put on a free, four-hour workshop on Sept. 9 that will bring together resources and opportunities to learn from each other. Come!
In contrast to God’s beautiful design, the sex industry takes an incredible gift and uses greed, violence and coercion to exploit God’s image in people and to destroy God’s design for relationship.
What does your congregation do to create safe spaces, where people feel safe enough to share honest struggles and untold stories?
That's a very good question. I have no formal legal training and would recommend that you consult with a legal professional to find out the possible implications of live streaming a church service...
Power, Deception, and the Church, is a plenary presentation by Diane Langberg to the 2018 National Conference of the American Association of Christian Counselors in 2018. It's a powerful video!...
Yes!
Thank you for your thoughtful clarification; yes, I agree that true mercy must also include justice and that we owe it to both the one who has been harmed as well as to the one who has offended. ...
I think you are absolutely right. Pastors (and church leaders and all of us) need safe spaces where we can go to share our struggles - to find help and healing and grace in the midst of the...
I agree that embracing what's positive and justice-building is a good place to be. Linda Crockett, a person I admire a lot, who is working to build a movement to end child sexual abuse, talks...
Thanks for posting this article Philip. Assessing the culture of which we are a part is so very challenging, because it's so much a part of us. Questions about how much the culture outside the...
What a great story!
Thanks Jane for your sensitivity here to those who have experienced abuse. And even though this is an aside, you are absolutely right that the trauma of abuse often has long-lasting effects, and...
Thank you for all the thoughtful comments on this article. When it comes to policies to prevent abuse, a criminal background check is widely considered standard best practice, and many insurers...
