WASH LINE - Fall 2004

By Peggy Harris, W.A.S.H. Board Chair
Women and Men Against Sexual Harassment and Other Abuses
www.tagnet.org/wash

EDITORIAL

Changes are coming, to our website as well as our church!  You will see additional materials listed. 

Biblical Hospitality has long been a favorite subject of mine.  In fact it has led me into this healing process of helping people to recover from abuse.  I see many things that I’ve learned from the study of this kind of hospitality that is a help so we are adding a new section to W.A.S.H.

As our church and other churches are dealing with the horrendous problems that abuse has created we find that survivors are an important resource in helping with the recovery process. 

I am continually amazed at the resiliency and hope that survivors of abuse share with each other as they try to help “church” become the source of strength it should be.

Church leaders are becoming more and more aware of the hazards of not dealing promptly with abuse when it is discovered.   No longer can leaders ignore the subject.  We see more articles on abuse in church papers.  We appreciate their diligence in helping rather than burying the problems people are learning to recover from.

It is time for this to happen and happen rapidly.  If we truly believe in Jesus soon return, there is much to be done to prepare individuals to help share that wonderful news.  First, those who are recovering from abuse need to find healing, and then be able to have their voices heard so that the “church” can also heal.  When one part of the “body” is injured it affects the whole body.

WHAT IS BIBLICAL HOSPITALITY?

This involves the study of Scripture and looking for help in our daily living.  As we learn of God’s generous hospitality to us we then are equipped to share this with others.  As we learn, we see more clearly just how God’s gifts of the Spirit are poured out to assist us in reaching our highest potential. 

No longer can the chains of abuse and defeat keep us bound.  WE ARE LOOSED!  We can be all that God wants us to be as we learn and understand this Biblical Hospitality!

YOUR FEEDBACK IS NEEDED!

We would appreciate hearing from you.

Where are you in your experience now? Tell us about your survival.  We want to have a section for sharing comments.  No names are needed in this area but how you have found help is important to encourage others. 

Keep us in mind when you are ready to “talk” do send us an e-mail.

OTHER LINKS

We will continue to add links as we see how they may be helpful.  There are more and more organizations dealing with abuse now than there were just a few years ago.  Different aspects of abuse are dealt with and these may be of help to someone you know if not to you.

COURAGE!

I am continually amazed at the courage of survivors.  May God give you the hope and courage you need for just today.  Tomorrow will be here soon and may it be a better one than today.  Yesterday is gone even though the memory lingers one.  It is through what we do today that gives us the courage to face tomorrow with hope!

BOARD MEMBERS NEWS 

W.A.S.H. Board member, Karen Fettig, (www.wysda.com/hope Window Of Hope Ministry) also serves as Wyoming Women’s Ministry Director.  She recently held A Door of Hope Sexual Abuse Seminar at the Casper Seventh-day Adventist Church.  The weekend seminar featured Jan Frank (a licensed marriage and family therapist) and Dick Stenbakken, (a former W.A.S.H. Board member) director of Adventist Chaplaincy Ministries.  Dick portrayed the angry father of a victim and his daughter’s perpetrator, her uncle Simon.

Mable Dunbar (Upper Columbia Women’s Ministry Director) started Polly’s Place Ministries some years ago for abused women.  There are now eight locations in the United States and Canada that are affiliates.

www.pollysplacenetwork.com   Polly’s Place was represented in a booth at the ASI (Adventist Services and Industries) Convention in Cincinnati, OH, August 5-8.

Cheryl Lorenz’s web site is at www.advocateweb.org/cease/ (Clergy and Educators Abuse Survivors Empowered.  She has taken out an advertisement in Spectrum that will also include W.A.S.H. and S-N-T (Survivors-N-Thrivers www.survivors-n-thrivers.com) as resource links.

W.A.S.H. BROCHURE

We have developed a brochure about W.A.S.H. on our web site that can be reproduced.  Briefly this brochure tells about W.A.S.H.  Anyone can reprint this to use in Women’s Ministry Retreats, church programs, seminars and workshops where information about abuse would be helpful. 

Click here to download the brochure in Microsoft Word format.

W.A.S.H. MATERIALS

You are welcome to use these for your church, schools and to share with relatives or friends who have been exposed to abuse.  We add information from time to time so be sure to check back often for additional materials as they are developed.

This page last updated on Tuesday May 23, 2006 05:12 PM

Disclaimer: We are not a counselling service.  We prepare materials to help church
members and church leaders better understand the problems abuse brings and prevention methods.

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