Trauma

Trauma gathers Christian Standard articles that address the lasting impact of painful experiences and offer a Christ-centered path toward healing. Here you’ll find biblical encouragement for those carrying deep wounds, practical guidance for rebuilding trust and safety, and wisdom for churches seeking to care well for survivors with patience and compassion. These articles aim to validate suffering, promote healthy support, and point readers to the hope of restoration found in Jesus.

September 7, 2011

Christian Standard

Care & Counseling Trauma

Help, hope, and lives . . . Forever Changed

By Darrel Rowland Perhaps none of us can forget where we were and what we felt when we first heard of the September 2001 terrorist attacks. But perhaps many of us don”t know how God has worked through individuals and the local church to bring redemption and hope since then. This week we want to tell that story. Chip Gilgen was staring at the burning World Trade Center from a 25th-floor window of his FBI office when he saw the second plane slam into the other twin tower. Lisa Gilgen was still at work near Rockefeller Center while a coworker

February 10, 2011

Christian Standard

Care & Counseling Trauma

Story of Abuse, Rescue Featured on “˜Oprah”

On Tuesday, Oprah Winfrey devoted her show to the story of Kathie and Kellie Henderson, sisters who were molested and abused by their father and brothers for years””and the family from Countryside Christian Church (Wichita, KS) who rescued them. Jim Vasey, an elder at Countryside and a member of the board of trustees at Ozark Christian College (Joplin, MO), and his wife, Shelly, lived in the same neighborhood as the girls but never suspected the abuse. When the sisters finally confided in them, the Vaseys contacted the police and walked with the girls through the difficult days that followed. Shelly

January 25, 2009

Christian Standard

Care & Counseling Trauma

The Testimony of a Chaplain: Ruined

By Chaplain (Captain) Craig Honbarger Since returning home after a 15-month deployment, I”m completely and perfectly ruined. Sure, I suppose I have changed””I”m not sure I would call it post-traumatic stress disorder, but still I”m ruined just the same. I”m ruined in part because all of my old hobbies don”t matter much anymore. I used to strap on spandex and Styrofoam, jump on my bicycle, and ride sometimes a hundred miles a week. Those miles did not include the back-and-forth-to-work mileage and my normal physical training with the troops. Now that I”m ruined, my bike sits with the drive chain

April 27, 2008

Christian Standard

Care & Counseling Trauma

Recovery at Virginia Tech

By Steve Wilkin The Virginia Tech community just observed “A Day of Remembrance” on the one-year anniversary of the tragic shootings that shook the campus and the nation April 16, 2007. Classes were canceled all day so people could attend the University Commemoration, candlelight vigil, and numerous smaller gatherings planned by various groups to help us grieve our loss in healthy ways. News coverage of this landmark anniversary has prompted many across the nation to reflect on the events of that blustery, terrible day last spring. How could such an event happen?” As much as I loathe it, still I

November 11, 2007

Christian Standard

Care & Counseling Trauma

The Secret That Must Be Told

By Faith Ingraham I have lived with a secret for the majority of my life. Many others are living with the same secret and they, like me, are suffering from the damage and pain it causes. I was born into a pastor”s home, the sixth of nine children and the only girl. We attended church regularly and seemed to be the normal pastor”s family. My mother worked full-time as a secretary to support the large family. My father pastored several small churches. I accepted Jesus Christ as my Savior when I was 5 years old. I wanted to please God,

September 13, 2006

Brad Dupray

Care & Counseling Trauma

Interview with Doyle Roth

After a head-on collision left Doyle Roth with severe injuries, he faced a long recovery filled with pain and discouragement. In this interview, he shares how his church cared for him and what he learned about hope, heaven, and hospital visits.

August 7, 2005

Larry W. Bailey

Care & Counseling Trauma

Caring for Those in Crisis

A Christian-oriented model for helping people in crisis, built around the “Five R’s”: relate, release, recognize, redirect, and reflect. Practical guidance for supporting others through shock, loss, confusion, and change.

March 29, 0010

Christian Standard

Care & Counseling Trauma

Long Story Short

Â By Becky Ahlberg The letter was sitting in my box out in the main office. It had already been opened, so I wondered what was up. It was a short note from a heroin addict who had been arrested for selling drugs and who was in the county jail on her way to prison. Her children were living with her mother now, and her mother lived right across from the church. Her request: “Could you please check on my girls? I”m worried about them.” Great. How do I get these? I am ashamed to tell you that my first