Spiritual Abuse Awareness Month

January is Spiritual Abuse Awareness Month. This is not known to many, yet the fact that spiritual abuse is being talked about at a level that has risen to the creation of a month dedicated to more people becoming aware of the pain caused by such abuse is telling. Religious trauma, spiritual abuse, and church hurt are unfortunate realities for far too many people. The pain is real. We must talk about it, we must be aware of the hurt so many are carrying. We must work for change.

At Restor(y) we believe the church is the most beautiful community on earth when living as it was created by God to live. We believe the gospel of Jesus is the most healing story ever told, and the only remedy for spiritual abuse and religious trauma. These two convictions lead us to a third, the church and followers of Jesus must engage in this conversation about spiritual abuse and religious trauma. We cannot minimize the pain, we cannot dismiss the concerns. At the same time, we cannot condemn the church and abandon the gospel of Jesus. No, instead we seek out a middle way. We join what we at Restor(y) have come to know as God’s tender voice and we work for healing.

Our director, Kayleigh, wrote an article for Light & Life Magazine describing this tender call of God and the way those of us who love Jesus can join him in working for healing for the church. As you consider how to engage in Spiritual Abuse Awareness Month, we encourage you to read it. You can find it here.

May we join God’s tender voice and may his church be restored as we do so.