The book Peace Shall Destroy Many by Rudy Wiebe was written 50 years ago and expressed concern about sexual abuse within families.
In a recent article editor Dick Benner states, “Statistically, one in four girls and one in six boys will experience some sort of sexual abuse/exploitation by the age of 18.”
He goes on to state, “It is time we, as a faith community, remove the cloak of secrecy from sexual abuse and deal with it openly, working harder at setting up a safe environment for our children.”
The Community Awareness Training Seminar (CATS) team has announced its spring seminar is entitled Open Our Hearts/Breaking the Silence.
The focus of the event is to help church leaders and the community become aware of the issues of sexual abuse. The group also encourages “everyone with a passion to help others through challenging times” to attend.
Jim Curry, chair of the CATS team, states, “We all have the responsibility to report known occurrences of sexual abuse to the appropriate authorities, and be aware of how to assist the (victims) in finding help.
“Research has shown the importance of finding help quickly, and supporting individuals during this very stressful time. This seminar will assist in recognizing the signs of individuals under stress, and how to connect with the resources that are available.”
The CATS team is bringing Susan Winter Fledderus to Drayton to lead this seminar. She is a clinical therapist with Shalem Mental Health Network and has more than 15 years of experience in the field of marriage and family therapy, and worked for 13 years as a family counselor at Family Services Durham prior to joining Shalem in 2011. She has extensive experience in working with individuals, couples and families and offers support to those who are dealing with a variety of presenting issues, including sexual abuse, domestic violence, anxiety, depression, grief, family transitions and conflict, and trauma.
Service providers in Wellington County will be on hand to share the resources that are available. The team also expects to have pastors, and counselors in attendance to offer their support for individuals looking for direction.
This free seminar is on April 13 from 9am to noon at the Drayton Christian Reformed Church, 88 Main Street East. For additional information visit the CATS website (www.mapletoncats.org) or call Teresa at 519-638-2542.
