Safeguarding

After decades of trying to understand my experiences with faith-based coercion—and later, the term spiritual abuse—I found a faith-affirming path to clarity and healing. Art by Sabrina Paredes I write from lived experience, more than twenty years of serving as a church youth leader, and ongoing learning about evidence-based safeguarding that names harm without undermining faith. I know many wrestle with this question: If painful experiences in faith-based relationships are re

A faith-affirming framework for understanding behavior in faith-based relationships, offering clarity, language, and a way to respond with wisdom and compassion.

A Christ-centered guide for responding with empathy when someone shares a painful experience in a faith setting or family—how to listen, validate, and respond with wisdom and care.

It can be easy to see an unhappy camper at church camp as a problem to fix rather than a person to love. But what would Jesus do? Church-camp goers come in all forms—some youth count down the days to go, while others count down the hours until they can go home. Emotional stress at camp can come from changing friendships, shifting hormones, a faith crisis, or simply physical and social exhaustion (especially for introverts!). Whatever the reason, here are a few practical ways

You may have seen the phrase “high demand church.” Is that an accusation? A description of discipleship? A miscategorization? Discipleship can require a lot of us at times, yet Jesus said His yoke is easy and His burden is light. This post explores the difference between human pressure and what Christ does, and does not, require of us on the path of discipleship. Photography by Wesley Tingey Is My Church High Demand—or Is Something Else Going On? When the phrase “high demand