Abuse

Discount? Why, yes please! A friend asked if I was interested in attending the Courageous Conversations Conference, with her to be a part of a group rate. Courageous Conversations is “an annual gathering that unites Black voices from both conservative and progressive spaces and believes in the power of diverse thought to foster growth and understanding.” Get a discount? To attend a conference I already planned on attending? Yes, Ma’am! The conference, organized by Jude 3, had already been on my radar since I saw some of their content on social media.

Trigger Warning: this blog references abuse, victimization, and manipulation tactics  

Words are powerful. With God’s mighty power, He only had to speak the words, “Let there be light” for light to be created into existence. While not as powerful as our Lord Almighty, the words we use are also impactful, filled with meaning and associations. Used with good intentions, they can evoke powerful emotion, inspiration, courageous action, and provide support and healing. They can be a vehicle for praise and contrition, discipleship and sharing of the Gospel.

Many congregants love their church, love their church community, and love how the community loves their church. Members may be proud of their outreach programs, their community garden, increasing church numbers, or their amazing praise teams. Some may have been members of their church for decades, while others may have only recently joined a church where they finally feel they belong. Many know when a new member has been born into their church or when a member passes on to be with our Saviour, Jesus.

This blog has references to sexual assault and trauma. 

Have you ever heard a story or seen something that seemed impossible, unimaginable, or incomprehensible to fathom even though you are told it is true? Perhaps you watched the video of the child who made their violin debut performance at the age of 3 or you heard the news story of the baby who was swept up in a tornado and survived. Perhaps over the Easter season, you are overcome again with wonder and puzzlement over the miracle of the birth, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ!