Making the Church a Safe Place for Hurting Women Part 1 - A Conversation with Bernie Lawrence

In this conversation two seasoned pastors, Chuck Betters and Bernie Lawrence talk about how the local church is not only called to be a safe place for hurting women but how to make it so. Bernie is co-author with Ann Maree Goudzwaard of HelpHer – A Churchwide Response for Women in Crisis.

Chuck and Bernie discuss how many churches are ill-prepared to come alongside of women in crisis but how the scriptures outline the way to meet these needs. Bernie speaks from the experience of helping oversee such a ministry in his local church. He shares how the leadership recognized the need to make the church a safe place for women and then enlisted women to help develop a strategy for meeting this dire need. In their book, Bernie and Ann Maree not only tell the story of how the Shepherdess ministry developed but also include numerous practical instructions for how to develop a similar ministry in your local church. This ministry will revolutionize a local church and no doubt as it grows women will spread the news that their church is ready and willing to not only help women in crisis but be there as a pro-active and preventative balm. 

Be sure to listen to Part 2 - Ann Maree’s conversation with Sharon Betters and Jane Anne Wilson