Send us a textBeing a pastor or leader in ministry can feel like an impossible job at times. The job includes not just spiritual direction and discipleship, but management, finances, counseling, and lots more. As if that wasn’t enough, the people in your care often feel an individual entitlement to your time and attention, and rarely understand the scope of the work in front of you. Add to that the explosion of awareness around spiritual abuse and the many stories and scandals in recent years, and it’s no wonder that those in church leadership are skittish around the terms abuse and trauma. Not to mention that most of us weren’t trained to deal with this in seminary or school. .How can we best care for those in our congregations who have experienced religious trauma and spiritual abuse? How can we safeguard our own churches and ministries so that we are not (unknowingly) perpetuating harm or abuse?If you're a pastor or church leader, you're invited to the Broken to Beloved Conference on Thursday, September 26.You'll hear from pastor and author Steve Carter as he tell us how to build safe and trustworthy spaces. You’ll also hear from attachment experts Geoff and Cyd Holsclaw. You can hear a preview of both their sessions on episodes 8 and 9 of the podcast.Go to brokentobeloved.org/conference and use promo code PODCAST10 to get 10% off your in person or live stream tickets today. Offer expires Friday, 9/13.—————Subscribe using your favorite podcast app:Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Amazon Music | YouTube—————Spread the Word. Leave a Rating and Review. It would mean the world if you would leave us a rating and review on Apple or on Spotify. They’ll help us share these conversations and resources with more people, and let us know how we can better serve you.—————Broken to Beloved is a 501(c)3 nonprofit that works to provide those wounded by spiritual abuse and religious trauma with practical resources moving toward healing and wholeness, and to provide pastors and church leaders with resources to grow in trauma awareness and implement safeguarding practices. Get more information or give a tax-free donation here.—————As an Amazon and Bookshop.org affiliate, I may make a small commission at no extra cost to you.

Send us a textMost of us are familiar with fight, flight, and freeze. "Fawn" may be a newer one for many of us. I first learned about the fawn response from Aundi’s incredible book, Try Softer. She describes it as “becoming whatever the abuser or potential threat needs to see from you to see that you are not threatening.”I immediately knew it was one of my primary trauma responses, and it shocked me to look back and see just how often I’d done it. And I felt shame for it.Aundi graciously offers a new and kinder way to see it.We talk about what it looks like to be survivor-centered in our work, reframing our fawn response, and moving toward internal integration and wholeness.If you want to know what it looks like to heal after harm, this episode’s for you.Get the full show notes here. 📄Episode Resources and LinksBroken to Beloved Conference info and registrationBroken to Beloved Gathering info and registration Use promo code PODCAST10 to get 10% off your in person or live stream ticket today! Offer expires Friday, 9/13.Guest SpotlightAundi is a licensed professional counselor and the best selling author of the critically acclaimed Try Softer™, Try Softer™ Guided Journey and her newest offerings: Strong like Water and Strong like Water Guided Journey.She has received additional training in her specialization of trauma- and body-centered therapies and is passionate about the integration of faith and psychology.As a survivor of trauma, Aundi brings hard-won knowledge about the work of change, the power of redemption, and the beauty of experiencing God with us in our pain.Website | InstagramTry SofterTry Softer Guided JourneyStrong Like Water—————Subscribe using your favorite podcast app:Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Amazon Music | YouTube—————Spread the Word. Leave a Rating and Review. It would mean the world if you would leave us a rating and review on Apple or on Spotify. They’ll help us share these conversations and resources with more people, and let us know how we can better serve you.—————Broken to Beloved is a 501(c)3 nonprofit that works to provide those wounded by spiritual abuse and religious trauma with practical resources moving toward healing and wholeness, and to provide pastors and church leaders with resources to grow in trauma awareness and implement safeguarding practices. Get more information or give a tax-free donation here.—————As an Amazon and Bookshop.org affiliate, I may make a small commission at no extra cost to you.

Send us a textHave you heard of Attachment Theory? Have you ever found yourself lost in the language and terminology? Have you wondered if your less-than-perfect childhood and history of abuse or trauma means you're stuck in a specific styleGeoff and Cyd Holsclaw offer simple, easy to understand language around the concept of Attachment using the visual landscapes of the Pasture, Jungle, Desert, and War Zone. By laying a foundation of joy, Geoff and Cyd explain how our capacity for intimacy and independence can help us move us toward more healthy and whole relationships.They also share a preview of their "Repairing Distorted Defaults" session at the upcoming Broken to Beloved Conference on September 26.If you've longed for more secure relationships and a better understanding of your interior landscape, this episode's for you.Get the full show notes here. 📄Episode Resources and LinksBoundaries by Dr. Henry Cloud and John Townsend at Bookshop.org | on AmazonEpisode 001: Navigating Toxic System and Maintaining Agency with Dr. Alison CookBroken to Beloved Conference info and registrationBroken to Beloved Gathering info and registrationGuest SpotlightGeoff (PhD) is an author of multiple books, affiliate professor of theology at Northern Seminary.Cyd is an author, spiritual director, and pastor. She is also a trauma-informed, Jesus-centered, integrative coach focused on embodied practices and building a secure attachment to God.Together, they co-host the Attached to God podcast, offering a neuroscience-informed spiritual formation and are the co-author of Does God Really Like Me? Discovering the God Who Wants to Be With You.Website | Cyd’s website | Geoff’s Instagram | —————Subscribe using your favorite podcast app:Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Amazon Music | YouTube—————Spread the Word. Leave a Rating and Review. It would mean the world if you would leave us a rating and review on Apple or on Spotify. They’ll help us share these conversations and resources with more people, and let us know how we can better serve you.—————Broken to Beloved is a 501(c)3 nonprofit that works to provide those wounded by spiritual abuse and religious trauma with practical resources moving toward healing and wholeness, and to provide pastors and church leaders with resources to grow in trauma awareness and implement safeguarding practices. Get more information or give a tax-free donation here.—————As an Amazon and Bookshop.org affiliate, I may make a small commission at no extra cost to you.

Send us a textWhat do you do when you’ve given your life to a cause and calling, to have only to find yourself walking away?Steve Carter was named as one of two successors to Bill Hybels at Willow Creek Community Church. When the allegations against Hybels broke national news, it all changed. Ultimately, Steve sided with the women who told their stories and resigned his position in protest.In this week’s conversation, Steve shares about that decision, and how he made choices to pursue integrity, and to allow his own grief to shape, but not define him. He also shares his personal litmus test for recognizing when he is drifting from living with integrity, and how he recognizes living as his full, whole self with integrity.Plus, we tease his session topic on “Building a Safe and Trustworthy Church” at the upcoming Broken to Beloved Conference on September 26.Get the full show notes here. 📄Episode Resources and LinksAs Long As You Need by JS Park: at Bookshop.org | on AmazonBroken to Beloved Podcast: Episode 1: Navigating Toxic Systems and Maintaining Agency with Dr. Alison CookI Shouldn't Feel This Way by Dr. Alison Cook: at Bookshop.org | on AmazonContinued Conversation with Heather GargisBroken to Beloved Conference info and registrationBroken to Beloved Gathering info and registrationGuest Spotlight Website | Instagram | X/Twitter | SubstackGrieve, Breathe, Receive on Bookshop.org | on Amazon—————Subscribe using your favorite podcast app:Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Amazon Music | YouTube—————Spread the Word. Leave a Rating and Review. It would mean the world if you would leave us a rating and review on Apple or on Spotify. They’ll help us share these conversations and resources with more people, and let us know how we can better serve you.—————Broken to Beloved is a 501(c)3 nonprofit that works to provide those wounded by spiritual abuse and religious trauma with practical resources moving toward healing and wholeness, and to provide pastors and church leaders with resources to grow in trauma awareness and implement safeguarding practices. Get more information or give a tax-free donation here.—————As an Amazon and Bookshop.org affiliate, I may make a small commission at no extra cost to you.

Send us a textTW/CW: references to sexual assaultHave you ever had Matthew 18 used against you?Far too often, the forgiveness passage in Matthew 18:15–17 is weaponized against those who experience hurt and harm. Victims are forced to face their abusers, and there is no real reconciliation. The abuser walks away “forgiven” and restored, and the abused walks away humiliated and put in their place.Yes, forgiveness is important. And, forgiveness cannot be forced. It must be a freely made choice on our part.This conversation isn’t about holding on to our offenses, grudges, or dismissing what happened to us. It’s not about releasing our abusers from accountability or letting go of our desire for justice.It is about the ways forgiveness has been weaponized and abused in the church. It’s about having a truly biblical and scholarly understanding of how those passages are meant to be understood. It’s about protecting ourselves from future manipulation and further abuse.Join me and New Testament scholar Scot McKnight as we dive deep into the original language and nuance of this passage. Discover what it really says about interpersonal conflict and its role in cases of abuse or an imbalance of power. Learn about the role of repentance as implied in the original Greek, even when it doesn’t show up in our English Bibles.Get the full show notes here.—————Episode Resources and LinksThat Sounds Fun podcast Episode 494: Dr. Scot McKnight on When You Feel Like Your Church Is Falling ApartThat Sounds Fun podcast Episode 879: The Gospel of Matthew with Dr. Scot McKnight—————Guest SpotlightWebsite  |  Instagram  |  TwitterThe Second Testament: A New Testament Translation at Bookshop.org | on —————Subscribe using your favorite podcast app:Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Amazon Music | YouTube—————Spread the Word. Leave a Rating and Review. It would mean the world if you would leave us a rating and review on Apple or on Spotify. They’ll help us share these conversations and resources with more people, and let us know how we can better serve you.—————Broken to Beloved is a 501(c)3 nonprofit that works to provide those wounded by spiritual abuse and religious trauma with practical resources moving toward healing and wholeness, and to provide pastors and church leaders with resources to grow in trauma awareness and implement safeguarding practices. Get more information or give a tax-free donation here.—————As an Amazon and Bookshop.org affiliate, I may make a small commission at no extra cost to you.

Send us a textThis episode contains some explicit language and political content. It does not reflect the views of Broken to Beloved and is not an endorsement of any political view or side.Have you ever found yourself scratching your head when it comes to what church leaders say and what they do? Have you experienced the cognitive dissonance of condemning behavior one moment then defending it the next?When it comes to politics, race, sexuality, gender roles, there seems to be no shortage of cultural moments that capture a modern-day view of conservative evangelicalism. More often known for what they’re against than what they’re for, or for who they exclude rather than include, it’s no surprise that so many have become disillusioned with the American church.Tim offers his own story of trying to reconcile his faith with the words and actions of his local church, and how it led to the unintentional creation of The New Evangelicals, a digital-first organization that aims to hold space for marginalized individuals, advocate for accountability in evangelical spaces, and help people explore the Christian tradition beyond fundamentalism.🔗 link to full Show Notes and transcript—————Episode Resources and LinksThe Color of Compromise by Jemar TisbyThe New Jim Crow by Michelle Alexander —————Guest SpotlightWebsite | Instagram | Podcast | Twitter | TikTok—————Don’t Miss the Next Episode!Subscribe for free and never miss out on these conversations with old and new friends like Laura Barringer, Scot McKnight, Chuck DeGroat and many others. Is there a guest you’d like to hear from? Let us know!—————Subscribe using your favorite podcast app:Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Amazon Music | YouTube—————Spread the Word. Leave a Rating and Review. It would mean the world if you would leave us a rating and review on Apple or on Spotify. They’ll help us share these conversations and resources with more people, and let us know how we can better serve you.—————Broken to Beloved is a 501(c)3 nonprofit that works to provide those wounded by spiritual abuse and religious trauma with practical resources moving toward healing and wholeness, and to provide pastors and church leaders with resources to grow in trauma awareness and implement safeguarding practices. Get more information or give a tax-free donation here.—————As an Amazon and Bookshop.org affiliate, I may make a small commission at no extra cost to you.

Send us a textEpisode 5: Finding Liberation and Reclaiming Agency Through a New Story with Cait West"By giving voice to the cognitive dissonance required to be a woman under the patriarchy, you robbed it of its power." — BarbieWhat does it take to break free from a life controlled by religious patriarchy? Cait shares her journey of awakening to the abuse and control she experienced growing up, and the long and courageous process of reclaiming her agency and voice.Throughout the conversation, Cait discusses the challenges of writing about trauma, the importance of therapy in her healing journey, and her approach to portraying complex family dynamics with grace. She also reflects on the nature of liberation, both personal and collective, and how she maintains boundaries to avoid falling back into harmful patterns. If you’re looking for insights into the power of storytelling, the ongoing work of healing, and the pursuit of freedom from oppressive systems, this one’s for you.🔗 link to full Show Notes and transcript—————Guest SpotlightCait  is a writer and editor based in Grand Rapids, Michigan. Her work has been published in The Revealer, Religion Dispatches, Fourth Genre and Hawai`i Pacific Review, among others. As an advocate and a survivor of the Christian patriarchy movement, she serves on the editorial board for Tears of Eden, a nonprofit providing resources for survivors of spiritual abuse, and co-hosts the Survivors Discuss podcast.Website | Substack | Instagram | TikTokGet RIFT: Breaking Away from Christian Patriarchy at Bookshop.org | on Amazon—————Don’t Miss the Next Episode!Subscribe for free and never miss out on these conversations with old and new friends like Tim Whitaker, Laura Barringer, Scot McKnight, Chuck DeGroat and many others.—————Subscribe using your favorite podcast app:Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Amazon Music | YouTube—————Spread the Word. Leave a Rating and Review. It would mean the world if you would leave us a rating and review on Apple or on Spotify. They’ll help us share these conversations and resources with more people, and let us know how we can better serve you.—————Broken to Beloved is a 501(c)3 nonprofit that works to provide those wounded by spiritual abuse and religious trauma with practical resources moving toward healing and wholeness, and to provide pastors and church leaders with resources to grow in trauma awareness and implement safeguarding practices. Get more information or give a tax-free donation here.—————As an Amazon and Bookshop.org affiliate, I may make a small commission at no extra cost to you.

Send us a textCW/TW: depression, suicidal ideationAccording to chaplain J.S. Park, people are ready for the conversation around grief and loss. Since you're here, I'm going to assume you're one of them.I feel like I’ve been swimming in the waters of grief, loss, and lament for years now, and this conversation was a breath of fresh air after feeling like I was drowning in denial and dismissal.We talk about what it’s like swimming in those deep waters for extended periods of time, the effect it can have on us and those around us, and how to keep going when things can seem hopeless.🔗 link to full Show Notes and transcript—————Episode Resources and Links:The Noonday Demon by Andrew Solomon—————Guest Spotlight:Website  |  Instagram  |  TwitterGet As Long As You Need: Permission to Grieve at Bookshop.org  |  on Amazon—————Don’t Miss the Next Episode!Subscribe for free and never miss out on these conversations with old and new friends like Cait West, Tim Whitaker, Laura Barringer, Scot McKnight, and many others.—————Subscribe using your favorite podcast app:Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Amazon Music | YouTube—————Spread the Word. Leave a Rating and Review. It would mean the world if you would leave us a rating and review on Apple or on Spotify. They’ll help us share these conversations and resources with more people, and let us know how we can better serve you.—————Broken to Beloved is a 501(c)3 nonprofit that works to provide those wounded by spiritual abuse and religious trauma with practical resources moving toward healing and wholeness, and to provide pastors and church leaders with resources to grow in trauma awareness and implement safeguarding practices. Get more information or give a tax-free donation here.—————As an Amazon and Bookshop.org affiliate, I may make a small commission at no extra cost to you.

Send us a textHave you ever felt pushed to the margins of a community? Made to feel like you don’t quite belong? Whether it’s for your politics, sexual identity, faith (or lack of it), or for naming bad behavior, we are made to feel “othered” for a wide variety of reasons.In this week’s episode, artist and author Jenai Auman talks about her experience of being othered, and how she chose to name her experience and find a way forward. We talk about her new book, why and how it was written, and about reclaiming spaces for ourselves.Learn how to reclaim your autonomy and agency. Hear the ways creating and fostering beauty help to mend our fractures. Make space to welcome yourself and the othered.🔗 link to full Show Notes and transcript—————Guest SpotlightWebsite  |  InstagramOthered at Bookshop.org | on Amazon—————Don’t Miss the Next Episode!Subscribe for free and never miss out on these conversations with old and new friends like JS Park, Cait West, Tim Whitaker, Laura Barringer, Chuck DeGroat and many others. Is there a guest you’d like to hear from? Let us know!—————Subscribe using your favorite podcast app:Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Amazon Music | YouTube—————Spread the Word. Leave a Rating and Review. It would mean the world if you would leave us a rating and review on Apple or on Spotify. They’ll help us share these conversations and resources with more people, and let us know how we can better serve you.—————Broken to Beloved is a 501(c)3 nonprofit that works to provide those wounded by spiritual abuse and religious trauma with practical resources moving toward healing and wholeness, and to provide pastors and church leaders with resources to grow in trauma awareness and implement safeguarding practices. Get more information or give a tax-free donation here.—————As an Amazon and Bookshop.org affiliate, I may make a small commission at no extra cost to you.

Send us a textEpisode 2: Embracing Death and the Hope of Wholeness with Lore WilbertDeath is not always the end. In fact, it’s often a beginning and the doorway to a resurrection. Brian and Lore share the importance of embracing both death and life, the connection to nature, finding peace in the present moment, and navigating change and transformation. They also touch on the significance of liminal spaces and the process of shedding old layers to make way for new growth and discuss themes of grief, healing, and finding beauty in brokenness.🔗 link to full Show Notes and transcript—————Episode Resources and Links:"Centering Prayer" by Andrew Peterson on Sanctuary Songs by Porter’s GateHow to Walk Into A Room by Emily P. Freeman"To Think of the Life of a Man" by Wendell Berry"Heavy" by Mary Oliver—————Guest Spotlight:Website (Substack) | InstagramGet The Understory  on Amazon | at Bookshop.org—————Don’t Miss the Next Episode!Subscribe for free and never miss out on these conversations with old and new friends like Jenai Auman, Cait West, Tim Whitaker, Laura Barringer, Scot McKnight, and many others.—————Subscribe using your favorite podcast app:Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Amazon Music | YouTube—————Spread the Word. Leave a Rating and Review. It would mean the world if you would leave us a rating and review on Apple or on Spotify. They’ll help us share these conversations and resources with more people, and let us know how we can better serve you.—————Broken to Beloved is a 501(c)3 nonprofit that works to provide those wounded by spiritual abuse and religious trauma with practical resources moving toward healing and wholeness, and to provide pastors and church leaders with resources to grow in trauma awareness and implement safeguarding practices. Get more information or give a tax-free donation here.—————As an Amazon and Bookshop.org affiliate, I may make a small commission at no extra cost to you.