Presbyterian Mission Agency harbor online community Archives

Is your church the right place to heal from religious trauma?

Posted June 25th, 2024

Religious trauma is becoming quite a buzzword. Therapists are writing books about it. Mainstream news networks are substantially covering it. Faith communities (like Harbor, the online community I help lead) have formed to help people heal from it. The downside of buzzwords is that we hear about them so often that we eventually become desensitized to them. After enough time, or enough buzzing of the words in a short time, we may even get a little annoyed and begin to roll our eyes.

Is your church the right place to heal from religious trauma?

Posted April 25th, 2024

The church can’t afford to become irritated, blasé or condescending about church trauma. As the phrase indicates, this phenomenon is the result of harms perpetrated in and by the church. We need to take religious trauma very, very seriously.

PC(USA)’s ‘New Way’ podcast features online faith leaders in a new series on technology

Posted December 7th, 2023

“It’s no secret that communities built from scratch have the upper hand when it comes to innovation,” the Rev. Sara Hayden announced to open a new series of the New Way podcast discussing innovation and technology in new worshiping communities.

PC(USA)’s ‘New Way’ podcast features online faith leaders in a new series on technology

Posted October 27th, 2023

“It’s no secret that communities built from scratch have the upper hand when it comes to innovation,” announced the Rev. Sara Hayden to open a new series of the New Way podcast discussing innovation and technology in new worshiping communities.

PC(USA)’s ‘The Scattered Church’ broadcast spotlights three faith communities where connection and belonging are treasured

Posted October 26th, 2022

As a lead-in to next week’s hybrid Evangelism and Immersion conferences, three people heading innovative ministries spoke Tuesday in The Scattered Church series, which provides Presbyterians with theological reflections and practical resources for socially distanced ministry.

Seven new worshiping communities, one presbytery receive Mission Program Grants

Posted June 9th, 2021

On behalf of the Presbyterian Mission Agency, the Mission Development Resources Committee is awarding Mission Program Grants to seven new worshiping communities and one presbytery to continue its transformative work around the sins of racism and systemic oppression with its congregations.