While children who are abused are at increased risk of suffering from numerous medical and mental health conditions, we also know from a large and growing body of research that many maltreated children also suffer spiritually.

As the Witness/Victim Support Coordinator at GRACE, I encounter this distressing narrative time and again. Abuse is uncovered, yet church leaders opt for silence, shielding the perpetrator. Far too frequently, victims, survivors, and whistleblowers are unjustly shamed and vilified for bravely speaking out and seeking justice.

The church is called to care for those who have been abused.  While the church has fulfilled that calling with some survivors of abuse, she has also failed countless people and sometimes created more harm. This article provides guidance for becoming a more trauma-informed church.

Blue Sunday is an opportunity during worship to come together in solemn reflection and unified prayer to remember and support survivors of abuse and those who tirelessly advocate for them. We invite churches and ministries worldwide to unite in prayer, lifting up their hopes and desires for healing and justice to God. Together, let us stand in solidarity, a beacon of light amidst the darkness.

This scholarly publication will discuss how trauma informed care provides a framework for the use of child sexual abuse materials during a forensic interview. It further assists forensic interviewers in identifying alternatives to this potentially harmful practice.

As Christians read and discuss the response of the Southern Baptist Convention to the sin of child sexual abuse, GRACE has prepared a statement highlighting five reforms we have long advocated for--reforms that every denomination, every seminary, every church, every Christian should work for. It is by our fruits that we will be known (Matthew 7:16-20).

It can be challenging to know what questions to ask when trying to determine if your church or camp ministry has set up proper safeguards or if there is real accountability for those who violate the safeguarding policy. This resource will equip you with some basic informed questions that will help you discern if the environment you are sending your child or teen into is safe.

Abuse leaves survivors vulnerable to significant health concerns, prompting up to 36% higher lifetime healthcare costs for a person who experienced abuse as a child. Jesus showed throughout His ministry on Earth that He cares for our physical health, and multiple Bible passages urge stewardship of the bodies we have been given. Understanding the physical health impact of abuse equips us to care for our bodies and for the children God has placed in our care.

Harassment should be taken seriously as it “strikes at a person’s dignity and self-esteem precisely because it is sexual,” and may serve as a precursor to more serious violent acts, such as sexual assault, rape, and murder. When sexual harassment is present in church culture, the spiritual impact can be great. Below are some guiding principles that churches and church leaders can implement to help combat a culture of sexual harassment in their environment.

Children are abused at alarming rates. In the United States, roughly 2/3 of children go through at least one “adverse childhood experience.” The heavy physical, emotional, and relational toll of abuse are widely accepted, but the spiritual impact of abuse has often been overlooked. Churches, ministries, and all Christians must better understand and respond to the spiritual impact of child maltreatment.

This interview on Uncertain is about abuse in the church and it features GRACE’s Director of Safeguarding, Mike Sloan. Uncertain is a podcast of TearsofEden.org, founded by Katherine Spearing, which is a community and resource for those in the aftermath of spiritual abuse.

For 30 years I kept a secret that almost killed me. That same secret was kept by many other little boys. We were all victimized by the same man, yet none of us knew it was happening to the other. Those secrets caused pain, shame, guilt. And it cost one of us his life.

Watch the recorded discussion about child safeguarding and survivor care during COVID-19 led by Boz Tchividijian, with special guest Rachael Denhollander, and including GRACE board members Laura Thien, Justin Holcomb, and Victor Vieth.

Diane Langberg, psychologist and speaker, gives an address at the 2019 Caring Well Conference on suffering and the heart of God and how trauma destroys and Christ restores.

There has been much discussion about what a church should do when confronted with an abuser in its midst. Such a question cannot begin to be adequately or wisely answered unless we first grasp the truth of what it means to be an abuser of the vulnerable.

Former students who attended US missions schools overseas tell CBN News about the child abuse they endured at the hands of missionaries.

While it is unfortunate there are not flashing lights or hazard signs in our church, there are warnings that communities can heed when navigating issues around known offenders.  

GRACE Board Member, Laura Thien, and Reverend Carrie Walker Nettles explain how the words we use can unintentionally be sources of great injury for the survivors of abuse within our faith communities.