We as the Church have the opportunity, the blessing, and the responsibility to step in and take action, restoring the image of God to the world.

This year’s Hope Matters Mentor Training.

At its root, sexual exploitation is an attack against the very image of God.

So Dr. Gary Tribbett, Co-Founder of Compassion Connect and President of Abolition Now, reminded us during the Hope Matters Training this month at Warner Pacific College.

Gary spoke in an opening session on “A Biblical Response to Sexual Exploitation,” setting the stage for the rest of the day by reminding us how high the stakes really are when it comes to exploitation and trafficking. God created man male and female, in order to display His image in a beautiful partnership to the world. To degrade and abuse our very sexuality is to attack this image at the core.

It is this belief that motivates Abolition Now’s mission, “Uniting the Church to Serve the Sexually Exploited and Vulnerable.” We as the Church have the opportunity, the blessing, and the responsibility to step in and take action, restoring the image of God to the world. We can be “Jesus with skin on” to those who have experienced abuse, “showing His presence amidst darkness and pain.” God has not forgotten them or abandoned them–and the most powerful way to communicate this is not with words, but through action. “YOU are the one who shows up,” Gary emphasized, “You can show them God’s true heart of compassion, justice, patience, and love.”

Throughout the conference, each speaker emphasized the great need to know and understand God’s heart when working with victims of injustice. What are our motivations when signing up to “fight slavery” or “help others?” Do we care as much about the success of other organizations, or do we see their work as competition? Are we taking time to sit with God in moments of worship and prayer, or do we act as if we can pull it off on our own?

Pastor Christopher Coffman led a session entitled “The Cost for Caring for Victims of Injustice,” hitting especially hard on this last question. From personal experience, he knows the temptation to receive a sense of value and justification from ministering to others–and the burnout that can follow when this cycle continues. Working with those who have experienced trauma and abuse, Christopher emphasized, will always be costly–yet so important. His session included plenty of helpful and tangible ways to avoid “compassion fatigue” and set proper boundaries in our lives.

Other speakers included Jeri Moomaw, a survivor leader from Tacoma, WA; Kristin Williams, who specializes in mental health and addiction treatment; Shannon White, a Licensed Professional Counselor working in Tualatin, OR; and Pamela Lau, who teaches communications at George Fox university and has authored several books, including A Friend in Me: How to Be a Safe Haven for Other Women.

Each speaker brought a unique and crucial voice to the training, providing an important balance between tangible (such as the Do’s and Don’ts of Mentoring Survivors) and conceptual (such as the role of forgiveness in a mentoring relationship).

“I learned so much and am so excited to be able to get involved,” commented one attendee after the event.” Others commented on how helpful each specific session was to create a whole vision together.

“Kristin Williams was fantastic with her perfect blend of humor with much-needed information on how to mentor trauma-affected persons. With such a heavy topic, her comedic style was not just appropriate but appreciated,” reflected one attendee. “Chris was also on-point with his whole application of the Good Samaritan & how we should all expect the care for a victim – to have a cost.

“Be prepared for them. Notice them. Go out of your way for them. Invest in them. Cover the cost for their needs to be met. And don’t neglect your own heart and needs as you care for them.”

This year there were over 50 churches and 25 organizations represented among 84 attendees. We cannot wait to see how God continues to use this weekend to bring hope and healing to our local communities.

If you’re interested in learning more about our Hands of Hope program, click here. You don’t have to wait until next year to start making a difference!