FIND YOUR FOOTING
Whatever is affecting joy in your faith—there is a way forward with Christ.
Not away from your faith—but toward the One who has been there all along. Here are four ways to begin.
Whether you're trying to understand an experience, find language that acknowledges harm without abandoning belief, or figure out what to do next—the answer is Jesus Christ. He overcame not even this, but especially this.
He can help us as we reflect Him.
01
FAITH-BASED RESOURCES
Understand It
Personal stories and evidence-based frameworks that give language for confusing experiences—while increasing faith in Jesus Christ.
A Faith-Affirming Framework
Naming difficult experiences without abandoning belief
A Spectrum of Behavior
A framework for understanding patterns of behavior in faith-based relationships
Reclaiming Agency
How I navigated ongoing impacts after difficult experiences in faith-based settings and relationships
For Leaders & Parents
How to respond when someone shares their painful experience in a faith-based setting or relationship
The Research
What researchers and safeguarding experts know today about behavior in faith communities, creating cultures of belonging, and the role of religious freedom and literacy in every day lived experience.
02
FAITH-BASED RESOURCES
Professor Lisa Oakley's Research
Her research-informed framework, A Spectrum of Behavior, helps explain patterns of behavior in faith-based relationships.
Wheatley Institute
Religion & Mental Health: What Decades of Research Show
A large-scale analysis of studies catalogued in Oxford University Press’s Handbook of Religion and Health found that positive associations between religious involvement and mental health outnumbered negative ones by nearly 10 to 1.
Safeguarding Resources
Faith communities are continually strengthening their safeguarding policies and trainings. They are also learning to respond well to those who have been harmed. This collection brings together resources from various denominations.
Religious Literacy & Religious Freedom
Why understanding different religious traditions matters, and how it shapes our lived experience, strengthens communities, and helps protect freedom of conscience.
03
NEW TESTAMENT PARALLELS
Jesus & This
Jesus' encounters reflect A Spectrum of Behavior. Here is how He responded—both to those who were hurting and to those who caused harm.
JOHN 8:1–11
Shame in a Place of Worship
He did not add to her shame. He ministered to it.
JOHN 4:5-42
Feeling Like an Outsider
He crossed every boundary just to speak with her.
MATTHEW 23
Misuse of Authority
He named unnecessary burdens and called for mercy.
MATTHEW 11:28-30
Pressure to Perform
His yoke is easy.
His burden is light.
LUKE 22:41–44
When Situations Feel Impossible
He prayed from inside His anguish, then carried ours.
Real Conversations
Different ways to explore the same ideas, so you can start where you are.
04
THE PODCAST
For Faith Leaders & Parents
How to respond when someone shares their painful experience in a faith-based setting or relationship
Mentoring Like a Good Shepherd
The difference between a good shepherd and a hireling and how to mentor teen faith without hurt, anger, or fear
Lived Experience
People sharing their own stories of healing through faith
Understanding the difference between human pressure and Christ's yoke
A Christ-centered understanding of the phrase "high demand church."