Pastoral Care

Our Pastoral Care Resources are here to support and equip you as you walk through the realities of life.

Our heart is to cultivate a church community that is emotionally healthy, spiritually grounded, and equipped to walk alongside one another with hope, wisdom, and grace.

Therapeutic Tools for Christians Dealing with Trauma & Grief

A pastoral and therapeutic guide for processing trauma, grief, anxiety, and emotional overwhelm through healthy emotional awareness, community, and the presence of Jesus.

Collective shock and grief can lead to fear, anxiety, anger, numbness, despair, disgust, or confusion.

Trauma responses are normal human responses.

Fight

Aggressive response to threat.

Flight

Retreat from threat.

Freeze

Feeling unable to move or act.

Fawn

Trying to please to avoid threat.

The Faith Response

“Jesus wants to meet with the real us — not simply the version we wish we were.”

The Faith Response invites us to acknowledge our emotions honestly while bringing them into the presence of Jesus.

Practising the Faith Response

Pause and Notice

Notice unhealthy coping mechanisms and interrupt them.

Create Space

Sit quietly or go for a walk and intentionally connect with Jesus.

Breathe and Pray

Invite the Holy Spirit to come and minister to you.

Name the Emotion

Recognise and verbalise what you are feeling honestly.

Allow Jesus to Minister

Let Jesus meet you in your emotions rather than suppressing them.

Written by Lesley Thompson

Senior Pastor of Croydon Vineyard Church and qualified integrative therapist.