According to the World Health Organisation, about 70 percent of people in the world suffer potentially traumatic events in their lives. This offers an opening for the Church to come alongside those suffering, share the gospel and witness healing, according to SIM (Serving in Mission), a mission organization that has responded by setting up a trauma healing ministry.
Jennie Girard who coordinates the developing SIM’s trauma healing network across France trains facilitators, runs recovery groups and arranges resources helping trauma survivors on their healing journeys. Girard leads the ‘Healing the Wounds of Trauma’ (HWT) training program created at the Trauma Healing Institute by the American Bible Society.
The training combines biblical and practical mental health principles to bring Jesus’ healing to spiritual and emotional wounds from all sorts of traumatic events including the effects of war experiences and abuse encounters, according to a report shared through SIM Australia.
“SIM mission workers in many countries are faced with the trauma of the people they were called to work with: including wars, epidemics, natural disasters, social disasters and personal suffering,” said Girard.
“They are not necessarily equipped to recognise the effects of trauma on people, nor know how to help. It is also vital that mission workers themselves be aware of how trauma affects them and how to deal with it since many experience their own trauma through life, including while serving on the field.”
Girard’s overall aim is supporting those needing restoration through the Holy Spirit. The healing ministry helps both participants needing healing and also equips mission workers supporting traumatized people on mission fields.
With a “heart for France”, Gerard previously taught SIM mission children in West Africa and completed a theological diploma in a French Bible college where she met her husband, Pascal and chose to remain in the country to serve French churches.
As a trained Christian counselor, Girard heard about the Healing Wounds of Trauma program through SIM.
“I heard about the very positive results it was having in helping parishioners heal from their suffering and moving on with God,” she explained. “People going through the program are able to restore their relationships on all levels, to forgive and to grow spiritually again. Healthy Christians create missionally healthy churches.”
Girard completed her training in 2017 to enable her to lead healing groups and train others the same.
“HWT is a journey together, sharing our personal experiences and understanding of the dramas we have been through,” said Girard. “It is suitable for helping with all kinds of traumatic experiences and designed to be used as a ministry tool for churches and Christian organizations.”
SIM’s trauma healing ministry could expand and involve trained leaders running more program groups in global regions, according to Nancy Writebol, SIM Global Trauma Healing Coordinator, who has supported people in Liberia for many years.
“Our vision is to overcome gospel-barriers through biblical, compassionate trauma care and see every person experience healing in the Lord Jesus Christ,” said Writebol. “Not only do we desire to train SIM leaders but to help the churches SIM has planted address the effects of trauma and loss with resources that integrate biblical and mental health principles.”
The trauma healing ministry offered by SIM is designed to help believers utilize biblical and mental health pragmatics to help trauma survivors in local communities.
“We must become representatives of our Lord to suffering people,” added Writebol. “The total number of those suffering from trauma is staggering.
“People who are suffering long for help and comfort. It is an open door for the church to bend down, like our Lord bent down for us, and to enter into the great traumas of this world with real help and companionship and comfort. Such work often opens the hearts of people to the redeeming work of Jesus Christ.”
