I was pleased to be able to connect with my friend and colleague in trauma-informed ministry, Sanghoon Yoo (@thefaithfulcity), a few weeks ago to present insights into how trauma-informed care connects with the heart of the Christian gospel.
God is continuing to work through the amazing churches, pastors, ministry leaders, and participants in the Arizona Trauma-Informed Faith Initiative, and it was encouraging to see how many were able to turn out, even on a busy Monday afternoon. We discussed how adversity in childhood is much more likely to cause traumatic injury to biological, developmental, and relational development. This, of course, impacts an individuals spirituality and religious experience!
Sharing experiences and expertise in the realm of trauma-informed ministry is vitally important, and I believe that everyone who attended connected to what both Sanghoon and I shared. A number of people expressed interest in the Bible study, "Bruised Reeds and Smoldering Wicks," that I wrote two years ago. It is a first of it's kind look at the intersection between Christian faith, ACEs science, and the practical ministry implications of a local church addressing the trauma and adversity that people have experienced within their various communities. (That curriculum can be found HERE on Amazon.com)
Of course, the aim of trauma-informed ministry should always be to build healthier, more resilient communities. I believe the dialogue was hopeful and uplifting, as we shared with one another the growth we see in relationships and how people are connecting through the transparency and authenticity that a trauma-informed ministry context builds within local church communities.
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