You Didn't Ask for This
But you're here now. And you need to know what to do next.
Whether it was a disclosure that came without warning, a pattern of control that finally has a name, sexual misconduct, or a betrayal you're still trying to understand — you're carrying something you were never trained for.
The people looking to you are wounded. Which means you don't have the luxury of falling apart, even though part of you probably needs to.
We know what this is. We've been this way before. And we can help.
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Start Here: A Roadmap
You don't need all the answers. You need to know the way forward.
The Roadmap for Churches in Crisis is a free guide for leaders in exactly this moment — walking you through three phases, from the first devastating hours to a new reality on the other side.It won't make the road easy. But it will help you know where you are.
Understanding Your Situation
Spiritual abuse doesn't wound one person. It ripples.
Through families. Through small groups. Through the people who defended him and the ones who left before anyone understood why. Circles of Impact helps you see who's hurting — so you can begin to care for all of them.
Right-Naming: Call It What It Is
The words you choose will shape how your congregation heals.
Spiritual abuse occurs when someone in a position of religious authority uses the trust and influence intrinsic to their role to control, manipulate, or harm others.
What Is Spiritual Abuse?
Your congregation may be struggling to name what happened — and so might you. This one-sheet defines spiritual abuse clearly, identifies the forms it takes, and helps you understand why people don't recognize it while they're living inside it. A foundational read for any leader trying to make sense of what your community walked through.
What Is Adult Clergy Sexual Abuse?
If what happened involved sexual misconduct, the language your church uses matters more than you know. This one-sheet explains why "affair" is the wrong word, what grooming actually looks like, and what victims and your congregation need you to understand. Right-naming protects everyone in the room. It starts here.
A Note on the Sexual Abuse of Minors
If sexual abuse of minors has come to your community, we grieve that with you. And if that happened at the hands of a pastor, staff member, or volunteer in church leadership, your community will bear the scars.
Reporting to civil authorities is not optional. If a child has been harmed, that call must be made — regardless of where your church is in the process. We can help you navigate what comes next.
For Those Most Harmed
The victim's road is not the congregation's road.
The person at the center of this needs care that is specific, sustained, and entirely separate from your broader response. Their journey will take longer than anyone expects — and it will ask more of the people walking beside them.
Designating someone whose sole responsibility is walking with the victim is one of the most important decisions you'll make. The Way Home can help you think through that role. And we have resources designed for exactly this moment — things you can offer when you don't know what else to give.
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Equipping Your Team
You can't personally tend to everyone. But someone needs to.
The Strongly Supported Care Guide is both a practical guide and a care management tool for the people on your team reaching out to congregation members in the weeks and months ahead — helping them know what to say, how to listen, and how to track the specific ways they're showing up for each person in their care.
Good intentions aren't enough. Your people need a guide — and a way to manage it well.
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Truth and Grace
Engaging speakers able to name truth with gentleness and grace
Sometimes you need outside voices to help your people begin to understand, grieve, heal, and take their next steps forward. Our co-founders bring truth and grace with winsomeness and a depth of understanding and compassion that can take whole communities forward.
Testimonials
"The Way Home has actually done the work to help churches be set up to move forward and heal."
- Church Pastor
"I just wish we'd had these resources earlier!"
- Senior Pastor