On September 17, we hosted the first-ever Church & Trauma Summit last month. Wow! What a success: over 80 people in attendance, representing at least 13 different churches. Itย was a glimpseย of the unity Jesus prayed for in John 17.
The goal?ย To have critical conversations about what it means to be the people of God forย the hurting and vulnerable in our churches and broader communities.
This was just the beginning.
Our ultimate hope is to see a united church across Nebraska that doesn’t exist for itself but for those who are isolated and feel abandoned. We want the church to live out the prayer of our Lord when he said, “Your kingdom come on earth as it is in heaven.” When we enter into the most broken situations with love and empathy, we bring a glimpse of heaven with us to the people we serve.
Roy, our CEO, opened the Summit by sharing our vision for a trauma-responsive, gospel-centered community across Nebraska. When God’s people are trauma-responsive, Roy said, we don’t just see sin or brokenness. “Instead, we see the person behind the trauma,” Roy said, “And that we are called to offer the kind of redemptive love that heals, restores, and affirms their worth.” He called this kind of love “redemptive compassion.”
Two powerful panel conversations followed with experts in mental health, human services, and church growth. The first panel addressed how the church is the answer to the plight of the hurting and vulnerable in our society. The church, not the government, should be the conduit of hope, healing, and flourishing for vulnerable populations. How does this happen? Trey MacGruder, CEO of A Blessing of Hope Family Services in Lincoln, said the answer is shockingly simple: “By relentlessly pursuing friendships” with people who are hurting.
Our second panel answered, “How can our church communities be healthy so that we might be a loving, welcoming place for those who are hurting.” Jeremy Smith, of Smith Counseling in Lincoln, discussed the complexity of church systems. Even with good intentions of church leaders, Jeremy noted, our American church system can easily leave pastors isolated or put them on a pedestal, making it difficult for the pastor and the congregation to be healthy. When that happens, it’s almost impossible to “be salt and light” in our communities.
Table discussions followed each panel so that attendees could begin to think about how to apply what they heard in their own contexts. For some guests, this was the first time they had seriously considered how trauma impacts people inside and outside their church. For others, it was an opportunity for them to feel connected to others who share their concern about the implications of the gospel with those who suffer trauma.
You can get a taste of what our panelists talked about even if you couldn’t attend. We interviewed most of themย this past summer in aย podcast series.ย These are must-watch conversations! Check out our YouTube playlist of those conversations.
We can’t wait to see how God works in the coming months and years as we build upon this first Summit.ย We’re already in the planning stages for next year’s event. Mark it on your calendar: Thursday, March 6, from 10am-2pm at the Cornhusker Bank Center in Lincoln. Watch for more details in the coming months!
