Introduction to Trauma in the Pews Resources
Background Information for the TITP Resource page content.
This section of my Substack is being repurposed to share the many resources gathered during the two years since publishing Trauma in the Pews: The Impact on Faith and Spiritual Practices. The content will include my resources as well as those of my friends who are also involved in helping churches become trauma-responsive.
Paid subscribers will have access to video content and occasional Zoom group conversations based on the content of these posts.
My writing is always from the perspective of survivors and is often helpful to those impacted by trauma even when the intent is to address ministry leaders.
Always feel free to unsubscribe to specific newsletters that are not what you wish to read!
Go to Trauma in the Pews 2.0 to see the series that builds on the trauma-sensitive spiritual practices suggested in the original book.
Background Information about My Approach: Publishing Trauma in the Pews launched my life in unexpected directions. Some directions were personal, while others were professional. It became clear that the audiences who embraced the book included all of the following (with overlaps):
Ministry leaders (intended audience)
Childhood trauma survivors (secondary audience)
Religious trauma survivors (surprise!)
#3 on that list should not have been a surprise, but since I had never fully addressed my own story of Religious Trauma outside of the impact of my childhood trauma, it was easy to miss it as a purpose for the book. Yet, there I was.
The problem I began to face in my writing was that the topic of building trauma-sensitive spiritual practices and addressing the harm done by Religious and childhood trauma got complicated because people sit in so many chairs. These four are the most common among my readers:
Some have chosen to remain in the church and pursue spirituality alongside healing (TITP 2.0 is for you!)
Some have chosen to leave the church or are searching for another while continuing to pursue spirituality (TITP 2.0 is for you!).
Some are justifiably angry at the church and are uncomfortable with spiritual encouragement but are pursuing healing (Religious Trauma newsletters will be a good fit.)
Ministry leaders with a desire to understand the impact of trauma and better serve those who sit in their pews. (You are in the right place!)
Inquiring minds will likely want to know which chair I sit in. I have spent enough time in each chair to feel comfortable addressing all of them. This includes those who have left religion behind. Many who sit in this chair remain deeply spiritual, while others do not adhere to any form of faith. There is not one chair that everyone must sit in to glean from my writings.
Finally, my writing does not attempt to convince anyone what chair to sit in. That is an individual choice. If the life that I live and the love I show to others shines a light in this dark world, that is enough. It is how I live out my faith. People will gather at fires that provide warmth on a cold night. They will run from the fires that spew sparks of judgment and leave scorched souls in their wake.
You don’t have to say everything to be a light.
Sometimes a fire built on a hill will bring interested people to your campfire
–Shannon L. Alder