ICTG - Building trauma informed ministries
  • About
    • Who We Are >
      • Board of Advisors
      • Board of Directors
      • Program Directors
      • Trusted and Supported By
    • What We Do >
      • What's the Problem?
      • Mission, Vision, and Values
      • Projects and Programs
      • Press Room
      • FAQs
    • Who We Help >
      • Impact Stories
      • Testimonials
  • Donate
    • Donate Online
    • Donate Offline
    • Paid Services
    • Other Ways to Give >
      • Legacy Gifts
      • Donate Stock
      • Donor-Advised Funds
      • Shop and Give
  • Blog
    • Blog Letter Archive
  • Resources
    • Downloadable Guidelines
    • Organizational Care Plan >
      • Coaching
    • Learning Banks >
      • Seminars, Shorts & Podcasts >
        • Trauma Terms
        • Response – In Congregations
        • Response – In Community
      • Articles
      • Infographics & Charts
      • Tools for Worship & Ministry
      • Research >
        • Surveys >
          • Congregational Trauma Survey
          • Congregational Growth After Trauma Survey
          • Children & Youth Ministry after Trauma Survey
    • Resources by Trauma >
      • Abuse
      • Natural Disaster
      • Violence
    • Resources by Ministry Type >
      • Faith-based Nonprofit Ministries
      • Spiritual Formation
      • Youth Ministry
      • Campus Ministry
    • Denominational Resources >
      • Denominational Relief Organizations
      • Disaster Preparedness for Houses of Worship
      • Denominational Research
  • Training
    • Webinars >
      • Past Recordings
    • Purchase Training
    • Access Paid Training
    • Internships
  • Phases of Disaster Response
  • Contact

Formation Interrupted: Congregations

5/11/2016

0 Comments

Picture
The development of spirituality and a rich inner life depends upon, in great part, our ability to be reflective.  One’s ability to be open to experiences in life and to say, “Yes” to discovering Holiness in them is another key component.  As John Calvin was famously quoted, “True wisdom consists in two things: Knowledge of God and Knowledge of Self.”  If this is true, then disruptions, like trauma, which cause us to become disconnected from ourselves, will necessarily also impede our experience of the Divine.  Trauma has the potential to be a roadblock that hinders us not only from moving with ease through the tasks of daily life, but also from experiencing connection with the Source of Life that brings healing.
 
A professor of mine in seminary once defined spirituality as a way of living out what we believe.  I like this definition because it acknowledges the interplay of faith and action and allows for the “messiness” of discovery.  Much of this mess shows up as we grow, literally and metaphorically, into the fullness of what it means to be human.  Bringing the unconscious to consciousness and challenging formerly adhered to dogmas can be painful, but usually, this hard work results in an understanding and experience of God as greater and more loving than previously imagined or experienced.
 
The experience of trauma often comes with some new piece of knowledge.  Some undeniable sense that the world is not as we thought it was.  Once our bodies and congregations are safe, this new knowledge can continue to pierce and disturb our spirits.  A traumatic experience can catapult us into a new place of knowledge that forces us to rediscover ourselves and to rediscover God.  This spiritual component of trauma often lingers and can be the last place to find resolution.  We often need the dust to settle before we have the interior space to rename and redefine what we know about ourselves and God. Before we can enter into our new understanding of Presence.
 
As leaders and ministers, we must take into consideration the effect trauma has on the spiritual formation of individual congregants and congregational bodies.  This may begin with accepting that, without question, members of our faith communities have experienced dark times in their lives that have left them with shattered senses of trust and safety in their relationship to God and others.  We need to be modeling and reflecting, “from the front,” a humility and appropriate vulnerability that normalizes doubt, insecurity, and struggle.  We must set the tone of honesty in telling our stories.  This requires a great deal of courage.  We live in a culture that values and praises authoritative leaders.  People who are bold and confident.  I believe this is often a projection borne of deep insecurity.  We demand that our leaders give us an image of what we hope to be true about the world.  That there is predictability, someone with confidence and a sure path to follow, someone who knows all the answers and never struggles with doubt or fear.
 
What might it be like to reflect truth rather than fantasy?

 
Research has shown over and over that telling the truth in safety, and having the truth of our stories honored is essential for healing from trauma.  As leaders we can begin, now, to develop in our congregations habits of telling the truth and listening well.  We can begin to train and develop in our congregations the responses that will best foster healing, both for those who have already been wounded, and those who may yet experience deep wounds in their spirits.  This posture of openness from leadership will help to weave together the types of communities that are spaces where people thrive.  Having the loving expectation that people can participate in, and be responsible for, their own formation in relationship to God, also disperses the burden of responsibility on leaders when crisis happens.  If we have been the center around which ministry has grown (intentionally or unintentionally), then we will be the spot on which the congregation lives or dies when disaster strikes.  Part of leading people who are in the process of being spiritually formed is acknowledging that we, too, are in process.  By joining the congregation on the journey instead of separating ourselves, we contribute to spiritual health and resiliency for all.
 
We know that when one part of the body suffers, the entire organism feels the shockwaves.  What would it be to develop a congregational body that is attuned to those shockwaves and that knows how to respond?  This might take the form of:

  • Creating listening groups where people gather for the express purpose of learning to listen to and honor the stories of others.
  • Beginning a spiritual direction ministry where congregants can begin to have the experience of how meaningful being listened to can be and where the Presence of God can be experienced in all its nuance.
  • Using ourselves, our personal stories, as examples and object lessons in responsible and appropriate ways.
 
There is also a need to listen to the story of the congregation as a whole.  The history of the location of this gathering as well as those who have called it home. 
 
-What things have happened in this place?
-What needs to be lamented?
-Repented of?
-Celebrated?

 
All of these events and stories have shaped and are continuing to play a role in the formation of the spirit of the congregation.  Acknowledging them and integrating them into the conscious life of the community creates a sturdy sense of connectedness that can further the process of healing from past traumas, as well as provide resiliency in the event of future difficulty.


* Discover more spiritual formation practices and resources on the ICTG Training page, including the Spiritual Formation Resource Guide and Spiritual Formation Assessment.



Picture
Erin Jantz serves as the ICTG Program Director for Spiritual Direction. She is a member of both the Spiritual Director’s International and Evangelical Spiritual Director’s Association professional groups and a staff director for the Center for Spiritual Renewal at Biola University. She is also on the leadership team for Ruby Women and a frequent speaker on topics of femininity and spirituality. She and her husband, Scott, live in Southern California and are happily engaged in raising their four children.

0 Comments



Leave a Reply.

    ICTG Blog

    Exploring the changing landscape of long-term congregational care.

    SUPPORT
    Do you find ICTG posts helpful?

    Please consider giving $1/month to encourage this generative service. 

    ​We strive to provide you with current research on best practices and field experts who share examples of what has worked well.  Thank you!

    Archives

    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    October 2016
    September 2016
    August 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016
    December 2015
    November 2015
    October 2015
    September 2015
    July 2015
    June 2015
    May 2015
    April 2015
    March 2015
    February 2015
    January 2015
    December 2014
    October 2014
    September 2014
    August 2014
    July 2014
    June 2014
    May 2014
    April 2014
    March 2014
    February 2014
    January 2014
    December 2013
    November 2013
    October 2013
    September 2013
    August 2013
    July 2013
    June 2013

    Categories

    All
    ACEs
    Aftermath Series
    AHyun Lee
    Anabaptist
    Anger
    Art
    Arthur Gross-Schaeffer
    Baptist
    Books
    Burnout
    California
    Calming
    Carolyn Browning Helsel
    Catholic
    Children And Youth
    Christian
    College Ministry
    Communication
    Compassion Fatigue
    Congregations
    Cynthia Eriksson
    Danjuma Gibson
    Darryl Stephens
    David A. Holyan
    Dawrell Rich
    Depression
    Divorce
    Doug Ranck
    Education
    Emotional Spiritual Psychological Care
    Episcopal
    Erin Jantz
    Event
    Faith Leaders
    Fire
    Flooding
    Forgiveness
    Free Methodist
    Gordon Hess
    Gregory Ellison
    Grief
    Harvey Howell
    Healing
    Ictg Advisors
    ICTG Board Of Directors
    ICTG Program Directors
    Iyabo Onipede
    Janet S. Peterman
    Jeff Putthoff
    Jesuit
    Jewish
    John Tucker
    Jonathan Leonard
    Joseph Kim Paxton
    Kate Wiebe
    Laura Bratton
    Libby Baker
    Lutheran
    Margaret Manning Shull
    Maureen Farrell Garcia
    Meet The Board
    Melissa M Bonnichsen
    Mental Health
    Military
    National Tool
    National VOAD
    Natural Disasters
    Non Denominational
    Phases Of Disaster
    Philip B Helsel
    Presbyterian
    Press Releases
    Preventative Pastoral Care
    Protestant
    PTSD
    Quaker
    Racism
    Red Cross
    Reformed
    Relaxation
    Rev. Jessica Bratt Carle
    Ritual
    Roy Yanke
    Ruth T West
    Self Care
    Sermons
    Sexual Abuse
    Shaun Lee
    Sophia Park
    Spiritual Direction
    SSJE
    Stories
    Suicide
    Surveys
    Suzanne Cooley
    Teresa Blythe
    Theologians
    Tools
    Training
    Trauma Informed Care
    Trauma Response
    Uncovering
    United Church Of Christ
    United Methodist
    US - Mexico Border
    Vicarious Trauma
    Violence
    Worship
    Youth Ministry

    Tweets by @ictgorg

    RSS Feed

Picture
ICTG is a 501c3 nonprofit. 
P. O. Box 3498
Santa Barbara, CA 93130
office@ictg.org

ICTG is a proud member of:
Read our reviews:
Picture
Picture
✕