The author has discussed what needs
to happen for which population. The implications of these wounds from spiritual
abuse show the different aspects of people’s lives being negatively impacted by
these offenses. While secrecy and fear of humiliation intimidate people into
silence and isolation, the body of Christ can no longer ignore the stumbling
blocks laid at the front doors of local churches. The local body of Christ is defeating
itself as unbelievers and onlookers remain outside the church walls as they
witness Christians hurting Christians. These mistreated people left to suffer
cannot remain alone any longer - they need healing, restoration, and
reconciliation.
Their wounds need to be healed, trust
rebuilt, and their identity in Christ recovered. Families have been left
impaired as fathers and husbands, the spiritual leaders, have stood up from
their knees of prayer, walked away from their Bibles, and stepped down from
places of service. The hearts who once put their hope in Christ need to be
healed to live for God as the Bible teaches.
Their relationships with God need to
be restored, communication with God reestablished, and their faith invigorated
to believe God for impossibilities. Children have been left to suffer
unnecessary chaos and disorder in their homes; marriages are strained and
couples are unequally yoked because of the spiritual impairment that follows needless
harm from church leaders. The minds that once put their hope in Christ need to
be restored back into fellowship with God.
Friendships from church networks need
to be reconciled, accountability groups reunited, and their spirits confirmed
with love, grace, and mercy. Brothers and sisters in Christ have been torn
apart; individuals stripped of their prayer partners and left abandoned. The souls
who once had all their hope in Christ need to be reconciled back to the body of
Christ, the church.
The spiritually wounded, abused,
hurt, offended need help, a ministry to come alongside them to move them from
pain and back into the center of God’s purpose for their lives. No longer
should they be left in their despair praying that time will make the wrong
right, but they should be offered a refuge to turn to for counseling and help.
The previous pages of this work
contain a tentative idea for how to approach these people who share common
grievances from spiritual abuse. The writer intends to reach out to about three
to five individuals who have shared their stories to coordinate a test group
for a trial run of this hypothesis. This would serve to verify whether or not
counseling, followed by a small group study of the book ReChurch is adequate to bridge broken individuals back a vibrant connection
with the Spirit of God and back into the fellowship of a church. This would
allow this potential framework to be tested and validated, and present opportunity
for necessary revisions. This test group could offer great feedback and confirm whether
or not a small discipleship group would actually be necessary. This would verify
whether or not a discipleship program needs to be further developed, and to
what extent.
HOPE AFTER HURT will be formed to
offer those who have suffered real grief from and through the body of Christ,
church leaders, and elders. HOPE AFTER HURT will provide an environment for
healing to take place. No longer will they have to stay silent and alone in their
bitterness. There will soon be a ministry to help them forgive the abusers, and
reconcile them back to God and to His people. Hope will be restored to those
who have been hurt.
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