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The Future Vision
As God provides the resources and opens doors,
MTS would like to expand the ministry to include:
- Developing an extensive speakers bureau to provide inexpensive education on the dynamics of abuse, prevention, and healing for local churches, schools, and community organizations.
- Providing books and curriculum to local women’s shelters for their faith based clients.
- Translating all of the curriculum into Spanish.
- Developing abuse education and prevention curriculum for public schools, grades K-12.
- Developing abuse education and prevention curriculum for Christian school and churches, grades K-12.
- Developing extensive online resources on the dynamics of abuse, prevention, and healing for ministers, educators, counselors, parents, and abuse survivors.
- Offering abuse education and healing training in other countries. Currently MTS has standing invitations form civic and religious leaders in Mexico, Turkey, Congo, and Kosovo.
our Mission
Desiring to express God’s glory and emulate Christ, Mending the Soul is an educational and equipping non-profit organization created to serve the church and community by stimulating the embodiment of the justice, mercy, and goodness of God. Mending the Soul is committed to prophetically stand against abuse, protect the vulnerable, heal the broken, and restore the exquisite male and female design for healthy sexual expression and relationships.
our Vision
Develop curriculum and resources to equip and train the faith based community at large on the nature and effects of abuse, sexual brokenness, and healthy intimacy.
Offer networking to individual men, women, churches, and organizations that desire to support those who struggle with the wounds of abuse. |
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The Need - Abuse is Rampant
It is hard to fathom the pervasiveness of abuse, but this is a tragic reality.
For Instance: Childhood trauma, particularly that involving abuse and neglect is probably the most important public health challenge in the United States (Psychiatric Annals, 2005) In 2003 over 900,000 children were found to be victims of abuse or neglect (U.S. Dept. of Health and Human Services.) Since the fast majority of abuse is not reported, this is most likely only the tip of the ice berg.
One of the largest, most respected studies of college women found that 64% of the women had experience some form of sexual victimization since the age of 14, and 54% had experienced some form of sexual victimization the previous year (Mary Koss, Journal of Consulting, and Clinical Psychology.) 20% of high school girls report being physically or sexually assaulted by a male partner, (Journal of the American Medical Association, 2001) It is estimated that 20% of women will be sexually assaulted during their four years of college (U. S. Department of Justice, 2000) According to the Surgeon General, domestic violence is the leading cause of injury to women ages fifteen to forty-five, more than traffic accidents, muggings, and cancer deaths combined (Journal of the American Medical Association)
The Need - Abuse is Devastating
Abuse is unique in the way it damages people because it literally wounds the soul. The ravages of abuse are deep seated and often life-long. This is evidenced in many forms of pathology which ultimately have their root in abuse. Abuse is one of the most significant sources of emotional, physical, and relational damage. For instance: The annual cost of intimate partner violence in the United States is estimated to be $8.3 billion dollars (U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, 2003). Adult prostitutes are three to four times more likely than non-prostitutes to have been physically or sexually abused in childhood. 70% of all psychiatric emergency room patients report a history of childhood physical or sexual abuse.
It is estimated that two million Americans self mutilate, and a high percentage do so because of unresolved childhood trauma, particularly sexual abuse.
Abuse is one of the primary reasons for homelessness in America.
It is estimated that one-third of abused children will become abusive parents.
Alcoholics are over three times more likely to have experienced childhood abuse.
70-80% of adult sex addicts are survivors of physical or sexual abuse
The Unique Ministry
We believe that God loves every human being and delights in healing the broken and redeeming evil. We are a non-denominational, evangelical ministry that offers hope and healing to the wounded in the name of Jesus. We desire to serve churches as well as the broader community by offering what governmental agencies cannot, namely, spiritual guidance, biblical teaching on abuse, and correctives to destructive spiritual lies (God hates those who are abused, etc.). According to research commissioned by Maricopa County: 85% of the women in our community consider themselves Christians, 57% attend church, 35% have experienced physical abuse in a past relationship, and yet only 7% could confide in a church leader if they felt unsafe due to their partner’s abuse. Churches and Christian families can be great sources of nurture and health, but they desperately need education and resources on the dynamics of abuse, perpetrators, and healing. Otherwise, the cycle of destruction and re-victimization will continue.
Some of our current projects involve:
- Completion of one of the first systematic, biblical treatments of abuse for the evangelical community.
- Creation of a series of booklets for clergy, parents, and abuse survivors on various aspects of abuse.
- Creation of a practical, creative workbook to supplement the book Mending the Soul. This will serve as a critical resource for abuse survivors to work through to experience healing.
- Offering seminars for churches and community organizations on abuse dynamics, prevention and healing.
- Offering seminars for professionals on abuse dynamics, prevention, and healing.
- Offering training for non professionals to lead abuse healing groups in their churches and community organizations.
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