Dear Beyond Imagination friends,

Our Safeguard kickoff went really well.  A team of counselors and I had moving presentations for the participants from outside the ministry and from Beyond Imagination. One attendee commented, "The evening brought back memories of my own sexual abuse and that of my daughter and the traumatic results to both of us. It made me more aware of the need for education and prevention and gave me a desire to promote Safeguard."

Can I stop all abuse? I wish. A friend of my family sexually abused me from age 8-17.  He was an employee at the church where I grew up.  I hid it from everyone I knew because I was ashamed of what was happening to me. Sometimes the abuse occurred just doors down from where my parents were.  I started my recovery by telling my fianc� about the abuse and my bitterness when we were dating. We went together to confront the abuser because I was convicted to forgive him. 

I've since experienced emotional healing through years of counsel. I want to do whatever I can to stop abuse. My parents shared that they wish they had known how to watch out for abuse.
 

Safeguard seeks to provide a venue to make adults more aware of the need to protect their children from childhood sexual abuse.  It also refers people to "Darkness to Light" training which educates youth serving organizations and parents in how to prevent, recognize, and responsibly react to childhood sexual abuse.  

We now have a growing interest in the Safeguard facet of our ministry.  We'll have our second Safeguard event soon. Stay tuned! 

Steve

   
Safeguard Classes are as outlined below:

My testimony

A testimony by a female or family member

Facts, statistics and case stories from police

Steps to help end sexual abuse presented by a counselor

Questions and discussion

Please invite us to your church to share in this Safeguard initiative. If the information shared protects a family, to me Safeguard will have been a success! 

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