In 2016, on the "old" ACEsConnection site, I posed the question: Was Jesus' Ministry Trauma-Informed? What resulted was a definition for a trauma-informed ministry that has been used and cited by others (based on the SAMHSA guidelines for a trauma-informed organization), a post that has been viewed over 4,000 times (LINK) and a curriculum that I wrote as part of my doctoral program at Multnomah Biblical Seminary in Portland, Oregon: Bruised Reeds and Smoldering Wicks. It is an eight-week Bible Study for the Christian faith community that helps believers explore the topics of trauma-informed ministry in a format familiar to most church settings.
Once upon a time, I had thought that God would lead my ministry into more teaching, training, and writing projects... but a pandemic happened as well as the needs to attend to my own trauma-affected family members (and myself!). I have found myself ministering part-time to a small congregation in Eastern Washington State and that has given me the opportunity to revisit the topics that so drew me in seven years ago. The result is a short six-week sermon series based on the curriculum and the passages I visit within that study. The production value is what you might expect from a small church setting that is interested more in investing in mission and outreach than in audio/visual equipment. Still, the message is as powerful (I believe) as what first connected with individuals on this site back in 2016 in a written form. Perhaps you will find some encouragement from this and would be willing to share it with others?
Blessings, Pastor Chris Haughee
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