Earlier I had mentioned that there have been two personally impactful ministry opportunities I have been involved in the last two to three weeks. The first was participating in the snow retreat for our church’s youth group. The second is a class I have been leading on Wednesday nights using information from the Adverse Childhood Experiences or ACE Study (http://www.cdc.gov/ace/). As an elder in our church I am interested in how the information found in the study can inform our approach ministry.
The last three Wednesday evenings I have led a group of about 40 folks through study’s findings. In a nutshell the ACE study reveals that adverse or traumatic events that occur to someone during childhood have a strong correlation to health, emotional, vocational, and relational problems in adulthood. The study also reveals that two-thirds of adults have had at least one adverse event in their early lives.
After each class a small group of attendees lingered to debrief. These dear folks identified having a significant number of adverse experiences during their childhood and talked about how they continue to struggle with the emotional and spiritual scars left behind. For them the class has begun a healing process that they are eager to continue.
God is moving. This small group is committed to meeting weekly with a focus on community, prayer, and walking in the purpose and meaning God intended for their lives. I am excited and humbled to a part of what is happening.