What Does Being Trauma-informed Have to Do with Church? Part 1
Photo credit: Volkan Olmez, Unsplash.com
Nearly 70% of your congregants have suffered some form of childhood trauma. One out of five are currently suffering from some sort of mental illness. Which means - in your kids’ ministry and student ministry - the numbers are the same. And for many of those adolescents the trauma is fresh, recent. As an individual who suffered childhood trauma, I’ve been attune to the fact that trauma and mental illness don’t exist “out there” somewhere. I was serving as a youth pastor in my thirties when I encountered the devastating impact of a lifetime of shame and confusion from childhood trauma that landed me in a Seattle hospital psych ward for 11 days. It’s not “out there.” People in your church are living with the life-long effects of trauma and a myriad of mental illnesses. Add to these startling statistics those who know someone who has suffered trauma and/or mental illness and you’re likely at 100% of your people who are in some way trying to understand and heal - themselves or someone else.
We need to be trauma-informed if we’re going to communicate and embody the Gospel. Jesus’ life and teaching elevates those who are suffering, living humbly, embracing a “spirituality of imperfection” as Richard Rohr calls it. The Gospel isn’t about “seven steps to living with power” or “three steps towards achievement.” The Gospel is about meeting people where they are and walking alongside them, not to “fix” them but to love them.
The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) outlines that a program, organization, or system that is trauma-informed:
Realizes the widespread impact of trauma and understands potential paths for recovery
Recognizes the signs and symptoms of trauma in clients, families, staff, and others involved with the system
Responds by fully integrating knowledge about trauma into policies, procedures, and practices
Seeks to actively resist re-traumatization.
In future posts I’ll unpack each of these through the lens of a local church - or any organization who values their staff and team as people who matter, any leader who encourages people to show up with their entire story, their whole self.
