In recent years, we've heard more and more about abuse within the church. Whether that be sexual abuse, spiritual abuse or abuse of power, it's happening regularly.
Author and teacher Laura Barringer writes about this in a book she has co-authored with her father, A Church Called Tov: Forming a Goodness Culture That Resists Abuses of Power and Promotes Healing.
Laura Barringer says the sad truth is that churches of all shapes and sizes are susceptible to abuses of power, sexual abuse, and spiritual abuse. Abuses occur most frequently when Christians neglect to create a culture that resists abuse and promotes healing, safety, and spiritual growth.
"My father and I developed the 'Circle of Tov' so that we can help churches nurture habits of goodness, such as nurturing empathy, nurturing grace, resisting a culture of fear, resisting a culture of leadership, nurturing justice and putting people first," Laura explains.
Laura and her father, Scot McKnight, say to move forward, we need a map to get us from where we are today to where we ought to be as the body of Christ. They say that map is in a mysterious and beautiful little Hebrew word in Scripture, the word tov.
Today on Connections, Laura discusses her thoughts on church leadership and ways of moving forward in a good way. She will also share the inspiration behind the book and what it was like to write with her father.