Survivor Sanctuary

Many survivors of sexual abuse keep their stories hidden away for years. But as they begin to heal and find their voice, each survivor will be faced with a choice: to speak out or not to speak out. There is no right or wrong answer here, but if you're a survivor who finds yourself thinking about speaking out, or if you've just always wondered what motivates survivors to share their stories of abus...

Have you ever found yourself at a loss for words when you’ve been trusted with a story of someone’s deepest hurt? Or worse, have you been tempted to respond by blurting out an inspirational quote you once saw on a Facebook meme, hoping it will cure the problem in one smooth cliché? Confession: I’ve been there. Totally done that. And I not only bought the t-shirt, I tie-dyed and bedazzled the freak...

On today's episode, Kelly chats with the awesome (and possibly superhuman) Ashley Easter, an outspoken advocate, writer, speaker, coach and conference creator. Ashley shares her story and how it led her to be an influential advocate for abuse victims within the church. Plus, she shares details about the upcoming Courage Conference, ideas for how the church can better serve survivors, and some tips...

They say the first step toward recovery is admitting you have a problem. But what if you're completely clueless that a problem is even there? That was me, years back, the night that a snot-smeared bedspread led me to take the first baby step toward profound healing from childhood sexual abuse. I'm getting down and dirty and vulnerable on today's episode as I share a part of my story that is the op...

Today I'm joined on the podcast by Kelly Haines, survivor of sexual abuse by her Christian school teacher beginning at age 14. After serving time in prison for his sexual abuse of Kelly, John Longaker now serves as senior pastor of an Independent Baptist Church. Kelly's story is heartbreaking, but hope-filled, and her courage in standing up for the truth is an inspiration.  You can find Kelly...

It's our inaugural episode! On today's podcast, you'll get to know Kelly and some of her story, and you'll also hear how Oprah and stroke survivors have a lot to teach the church about being safe sanctuaries for survivors of childhood sexual abuse. Link to Mary Demuth's New book: wetoo.org

Survivor Sanctuary is coming SOON! On August 14th, Survivor Sanctuary will officially launch, and you're invited to join host Kelly Downing through navigating the road to healing from sexual abuse, and challenging the church to truly become a safe sanctuary for survivors. For more details and to contact Kelly, visit www.survivorsanctuary.com