157. Building Faith Communities Where Women Can Find Safety, Support, & Belonging

As I wrap up for the summer, I talk about a research study I'm conducting (with the help of a qualitative research team) titled "Building Faith Communities Where Women in Crisis Find Safety, Support, and Belonging. I thought you would be interested in this.

The purpose of this in-depth qualitative study is to examine how faith communities influence the experiences of women who are navigating crisis, including sexual assault, domestic violence, and divorce. Specifically, the study seeks to identify the congregational characteristics, cultural norms, leadership practices, and theological messages that function as protective factors—and, conversely, risk factors—for women’s safety, support, belonging, and well‑being. By documenting both supportive and harmful congregational dynamics, this research aims to generate insights that can help faith communities strengthen their capacity to respond to women in crisis in trauma‑informed, inclusive, and healing‑centered ways.

I'm spending lots of time this summer on this and will be taking a rest from this podcast until fall. I hope you all have a wonderful summer and find time to strengthen your faith in Jesus Christ. I'm going to do that as well. Peace.