Articles for tag: Child Abuse

November 1, 2021

How Churches Are Serving Their Communities

By Kent E. Fillinger Some churches create “holy huddles” that are internally focused and address only the needs of their own members. Their mantra could be, “Us four, no more, close the door!” Other churches are more externally focused and spend time, energy, and resources serving their local communities and meeting practical needs. Church leaders should periodically ask, “If our church were to close today, would our community realize it and miss us?” Answering that question will help a church assess where they fall on the internally focused versus externally focused spectrum. Local Community Involvement Our annual church survey for

June 8, 2020

David Faust

Bible Study Theology & Bible

Application for June 14: The Cross Examination

By David Faust The prosecuting attorney approached the bench with a confident stride. He had done his homework. Eager for the trial to begin, he came armed with a long list of grievances against the defendant. It was time for opening statements. The prosecutor paused for dramatic effect and then began. “This trial will be an unusual one because, Your Honor, the one on trial today . . . is you!” A murmur filled the crowded courtroom. The Judge himself was on trial? Who dared to bring charges against the court’s presiding officer? Questions for God The prosecutor began to

July 30, 2016

Christian Standard

Discipleship & Spiritual Formation

It Just Keeps Getting Better

By James Book I met Jackie when I began my ministry with First Christian Church of Kissimmee, Florida, in May 2011. Her father was a military man who became very violent and abusive toward her from the time she was 10 years old until she later moved out. Jackie worked full-time while attending high school, graduating in 1975. She married the first man to ask her in 1978. Jackie shared with me that she felt so worthless and unloved that she literally sabotaged her own marriage. She got a job shortly after the wedding and started having an affair with

April 25, 2014

Christian Standard

Church Leadership

Ministry Confidential

By Eddie Lowen “Can I speak to you, confidentially?” A church leader is asked some form of this question at least several times a year. Normally it comes from within the church, but it can also be voiced by nonattendees. For relationally gifted leaders with a pastoral bent, requests for confidential conversations are more frequent. The most important response to a request for confidentiality is the initial one. Many church leaders feel an ethical or pastoral obligation to grant the request without qualification. With no clue about what will be reported or confessed, many church leaders indiscriminately reply by saying,

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

March 9, 2008

Christian Standard

Care & Counseling

Policy on Confidentiality (a Proposal)

By Tim Woodroof and Leland Vickers Policy statements are frequently viewed as imposing unnecessary structure and tending to give churches a more corporate flavor. However, developing a policy statement in an area as critical as how we interact with those who are hurting provides a method of doing much preplanning and prevents some of the mistakes made in the heat of an emergency situation. Below is the text of a brief policy statement being proposed for our home congregation. As church leaders (elders, ministers, staff, counseling volunteers), we welcome and encourage members and friends to come to us with spiritual,