I grew up on a council estate and as a child and young person I had experiences that appear on the Adverse Childhood Experience list. My work in early years education led me to delve deeply into the science around the environment and treatment of children, especially in the most formative early years. In these years trauma can become deeply embedded, so much so that the behaviour patterns are seen into adulthood.
Fast forward to now, I lead Connect Church Crosby, a church plant into an urban, high deprivation and culturally diverse neighbourhood. I have found that understanding trauma can sound scary, but empathy will open us up to the very real possibility that our places and spaces can be trauma aware and informed.
What is Trauma?
The most helpful definition is ‘a negative event or experience that overwhelms a person’s capacity to cope1’. We do not get to choose what our brains ‘code’ as trauma. It could be that for two people in the same house, in the same circumstances, one processes an event as traumatic, and the other does not.
A safe base is somewhere that a person who has experienced trauma can grow in the knowledge that they are safe and loved. Churches can provide this space and assist in supporting and building connecting relationships to one another and to God. These will see the restoration and renewing of people’s minds. I know that in my experience joining a safe church community gave me the space to feel safe and have connected relationships that enabled me to recover and grow.
Safe churches help people feel loved,
connected, and ready to grow.
In the last five years we’ve experienced a global pandemic, political unrest and a cost of living crisis. The effects of these things are only magnified in our urban communities because of people’s already lived experiences, and it is worth noting that even ‘just’ being a witness of traumatic events can itself be traumatic.
Trauma can be the bad events, experiences and treatment of people that they never should have received, or the good things should have been received and were not.
With that in mind, it is thought that those who live in neighbourhoods like we do, or like the one I was raised in are three times more likely to have adverse experiences (trauma) which can lead to mental health struggles.
Trauma-aware ministry isn’t soft; it’s sacred.
Our urban places are largely affected by poverty, neglect and a high level of domestic violence and heightened experiences of loss. This makes me ask the questions:
~Is there something more we can do?
~Is there a different way to be?
Because ultimately if Jesus and the Church cannot be the answer, then what hope is there?
We all experience stress, and not all stress is negative and the stress response is good for us; it is a motivator in positive ways, e.g. exams, job interviews. Under normal circumstances, stress hormones (cortisol) rises and pumps blood to all the right places, but then settles down with no lasting effects.
Those who have experiences of trauma have often lived in a place of toxic stress, a prolonged activation of the stress responses, this is damaging to their health, in all aspects. People around us are experiencing things that are unrelenting, ongoing and often, in the hardest of circumstances: abuse, neglect, lack of supportive relationships. When the brain is immersed in toxic stress for a prolonged time with no break, there is a lasting effect on the brain, body, biology, belief system and behaviours.
People are living in unrelenting, ongoing hardship
— the Church must respond with compassion.
There is hope but trying to just reform behaviour, without the regulation of a person’s nervous system, is like trying to calm a storm with gentle hushing. It seems to me to be building a structure with an insecure foundation.
For instance, imagine someone waiting for a bus to get to their first job or appointment. When the bus doesn’t show up, panic sets in. Rather than calling someone or waiting for the next one, they walk away — their brain unable to adapt or think clearly under the stress.
This is why it is essential we allow people to come as they are – leading, loving and serving everyone in a trauma informed way. This is a more compassionate and effective way to minister, and it is a kinder and more gentle way to love and lead.
So what can we do?
Here are some ways to build trauma informed practices in your church and community.
- Acknowledge the biological and psychological impact of trauma
This helps us to appreciate why some individuals may struggle with trust, emotional regulation, or forming healthy relationships. Trauma can have a lasting effect on the brain, body, biology, belief system and behaviours. It can breed shame, and people can see things through the lens of survival mode, with fear becoming the foundation of decision making. When we are in this place, we think in 15 second bursts of time, where we can process roughly seven words. In these circumstances there is little or no access to the part of the brain that can help with planning, prioritising, regulating our emotions, managing behaviours or flexible thinking. Understanding this can help us to lovingly serve people who have experienced trauma.
- Empathise
One of the remarkable aspects of Jesus’ life and ministry was His deep empathy and identification with those who were suffering. Throughout the Gospels, we witness Jesus encountering individuals who experienced various forms of trauma – physical, emotional, and spiritual. Women like, the women with the issue of blood, or the women stood in front of her whole community about to be stoned. He consistently showed compassion, healing, and restoration to those in pain, demonstrating His understanding of the human condition and the impact of trauma. When Jesus, the Lord, heard that Lazarus had died – He wept. And of course, He Himself is the suffering servant, the one who suffered much beyond His human body’s capacity to cope. He understands. Whether we have experienced trauma or not, we can invest in understanding someone’s story, to help us respond well to them.
- Create safe and prayerful environments
It is vital we create safe environments, and offer resources that address both the spiritual and psychological aspects of healing. We must also be prayerful people, who allow the Holy Spirit to lead and guide, but also know when to partner with professional mental health services which can be crucial to trauma recovery.
- Believe that change is possible
The incredible miracle of it all is that the brain is a robust and moldable gift. Scientists say that neuroplasticity means that pathways in the brain can be built to enable transformation. The mind can literally be renewed, this is how we were made and the Bible has much to say about that. We have seen so many stories changed, relationships built and people flourishing as they come to know the Lord and process their own story on that journey.
- Stay present
We are called to embody this ministry of presence, walking alongside those who have experienced trauma, aware of why we are seeing responses we are, especially when behaviour can be offensive and or unkind. We need to be ready, equipped and available with our own dependence on Jesus – sure of who we are in Him. We must pray, open scripture with and let the Holy Spirit work in us too. In a world that moves quickly, being someone who doesn’t, who leans in to people and their stories, who listens, not to reply but to hear, is a powerful gift.
- Create space and ask permission
Creating a physically and emotionally safe environment is fundamental. On the most practical level, asking permission before hugs or touches and allowing space in the room for those for who over crowded spaces are a trigger. Explaining how things are going to be, and providing a level of predictability is essential. One example from our own journey was that we end with the same song every week, it is our sending out anthem, all about the love of God. It has become one of the most helpful tools in transiting people from the service back to their daily life.
- Look after practical needs
In our community we have hydration and fruit stations. A drink of water every two hours is helpful to keep the brain on board and help with regulation. We eat at almost everything we do.
- Work together to build trust
We have an ambition to use trust building language and predictable patterns with our words. We use phrases across the board with adults and children, an example of this could be ‘only my voice please’ instead of ‘shhhh, quiet now’, or ‘we stick together’ instead of ‘come here, sit down, be quiet’.
All brain development is relationally dependent. Through our words and the new experiences we provide for those who have experienced trauma and we begin to see God build new belief systems, esteem and identity with people. This is the real restorative work of His love. There is nothing like it.
Being trauma informed is the Jesus way. It helps us to nurture healthy and devoted followers of Jesus. Taking hold of this, getting educated, going on our own journeys to resilience and shaping our environments in such a way has been restorative for our church and community – with an impact bigger than I think we comprehend. Will you join us on this journey?
References
1. Back 2 Basics Ministries, Trauma Informed Care Training. back2back.org
Further Reading
🌐 Web: More information: Adverse Childhood Experiences
📚 Book: What happened to you? by Bruce D. Perry, Oprah Winfrey
Photo from Fiona Kirby-Smith – used with permission.