Shepherding Well--Abuse Response & Prevention for the Church

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Welcome to Shepherding Well--Abuse Response & Prevention for the Church! Consider these statistics:

-Did you know that one in four women and one in six men will be victims of domestic abuse in their lifetime ? Lifeway says these statistics are the same wihin the church

-At least 1 in ten children will be sexually abused before 18 and in over 10% of cases, their abuse will happen within the church or a ministry setting

-79% of Southern Baptists ministers self-report of having endured spiritual abuse

-Sexual predators usually abuse between 50-150 victims before they are charged

-The average age of a victim coming forward about their sexual abuse is 55

-75% of women in domestic abuse told their pastors about it. Only 4% say they would do it again, that the church's response actually further harmed them or put them in more danger

-Pastor/missionary/seminary student or another ministry profession is among the top five career choices that abusive men gravitate toward

ABOUT OUR EVENT

There are 61 churches in the Surry Baptist Association. Imagine if just one person came from each church, how much safer would our churches be for victims of abuse? For those who are not believers and are enduring abuse, caring well for them is an evangelistic and kingdom-expanding event that leads many to see the love of, and consider following, Christ. For those who are in the church and enduring abuse, it is a faith-building exercise to be cared for and Biblical principles and commands to be followed

Amber & Blake Bowman with Good Shepherd Advocacy Ministries will be hosting a free training for all who want to attend, regardless of denominational affiliation, on how to identify, prevent & biblically respond to abuse. Whether you are a survivor or just want to learn how to make your church safer, we will discuss a wide array of topics such as child sexual abuse and mandatory reporting laws, the prevalency of domestic abuse even within the church, and the harms of spiritual abuse. We will discuss local resources and hear from professionals and from survivors. This event is paid for by a grant from Provision Financial Resources, a ministry partner of NC Baptists

Due to the sensitive nature of topics discussed, this event is for those 18 and over

Also check out other Workshops in Westfield.