Advocates
for the Wounded
& Abused

The Bible makes it clear that we live in a broken, fallen, wounding world.

AWA (Advocates for the Wounded & Abused) seeks to “come alongside the brokenhearted and bind up their wounds.” God has never said that there will be complete healing this side of heaven. But through His Word and His Spirit working through His body, the church, there can be substantial healing. AWA seeks to reach out and be available to those who need help.

life circumstances may be overwhelming:
Whether you are a man, a woman, a teen, or a child, current circumstances may feel like more than you can handle. You may be in a crisis situation that is a form of abuse:
  •   Sexual
  •   Emotional 
  •   Physical
  •   Spiritual

Past circumstances may be poisoning your current relationships, so life doesn’t seem to be working for you.

You may be here seeking a spiritual home:

Maybe you want to see if we recognize and care about the emotional or painful side of life. 

Maybe you want to see if you could be really known and loved as you are: hurting, wounded, and confused, even though you believe the Bible and love Jesus.  

Maybe you have experienced church-related abuse and want to know if Christ Church is a safe place.

YOU MAY BE LOOKING TO FIND SOMEONE:
  • to help with an immediate crisis: financial, emotional, sexual, or physical.
  • to pray with you and care for you.
  • to help in deciding your next steps
  • to listen to your story and help you make sense of it.
  • to give you resources for counseling
  • to provide educational resources 

How we will respond

A member of the three-person intake team is available to assist you. Once you contact us, you will hear from us within 24 hours or sooner if it is urgent. Confidentiality is extremely important to us. The person who responds to you will not share your name or the name of anyone involved in your situation with the committee without your consent. If there is a need to do so, legal authorities will be contacted.

In Luke 4:18 Jesus says:
The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, for He has anointed me to bring good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim that captives will be released, that the blind will see, that the oppressed will be set free.

We are to be His hands and feet. This is the heart we desire to have as we respond.

Reach out to us

Resources

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Where is God When There's Abuse?

Learn More
Learn More

Trauma's Impact

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How do I discern true repentance from fake repentance?

Learn More
Learn More

In addition to the resources listed above, you can find our denomination’s recent report on Domestic Abuse & Sexual Assault here: PCA DASA Report. It provides a framework for understanding abuse from a biblical perspective and many practical insights regarding trauma, care, divorce, repentance, and forgiveness. You can also find more resources from the PCA DASA team members here.

For help understanding and responding to abuse, particularly in a Presbyterian church context, you can explore this self-guided course at Advocacy from the Presbyterian Pew.