What is it about sexual abuse allegations that makes the Church respond so much differently than they do to other crises and tragedies? Matthew 6:24 probably holds the most accurate answer, and in this episode, Kelly unpacks…
On today's podcast I'm sharing a personal experience with a church that dealt publicly with two local crime news stories involving members of their church--one as I was coming into the church, and one when I was walking out.…
Episode 10 of the podcast is inspired by a discussion on the Survivor Sanctuary Facebook Group (you should def join)! Why do so many survivors blame themselves for their abuse? And why is it so hard to combat the self-blame …
When a person goes through the trauma of sexual abuse, there are negative messages--lies--that can become ingrained in them as a result. One of the universal struggles of sexual abuse survivors is feeling unworthy. Whether w…
It seems like a no-brainer: men and women who sexually abuse children should never be in church leadership. Yet over and over again we are seeing stories of sexual abusers returning to ministry and receiving the full support…
When a sexual abuse survivor finds their voice and begins to share their story of abuse, what they need more than anything are empathetic listeners and supporters who will handle their story with tenderness and care, recogni…
Many survivors of sexual abuse keep their stories hidden away for years. But as they begin to heal and find their voice, each survivor will be faced with a choice: to speak out or not to speak out. There is no right or wrong…
Have you ever found yourself at a loss for words when you’ve been trusted with a story of someone’s deepest hurt? Or worse, have you been tempted to respond by blurting out an inspirational quote you once saw on a Facebook m…
On today's episode, Kelly chats with the awesome (and possibly superhuman) Ashley Easter, an outspoken advocate, writer, speaker, coach and conference creator. Ashley shares her story and how it led her to be an influential …
They say the first step toward recovery is admitting you have a problem. But what if you're completely clueless that a problem is even there? That was me, years back, the night that a snot-smeared bedspread led me to take th…
Today I'm joined on the podcast by Kelly Haines, survivor of sexual abuse by her Christian school teacher beginning at age 14. After serving time in prison for his sexual abuse of Kelly, John Longaker now serves as senior pa…
It's our inaugural episode! On today's podcast, you'll get to know Kelly and some of her story, and you'll also hear how Oprah and stroke survivors have a lot to teach the church about being safe sanctuaries for survivors of…
Survivor Sanctuary is coming SOON! On August 14th, Survivor Sanctuary will officially launch, and you're invited to join host Kelly Downing through navigating the road to healing from sexual abuse, and challenging the church…
