Trauma-Informed Care and Ministry

What does it look like to care for communities in the wake of mass trauma, such as gun violence, the pandemic, or racism? How can churches rebuild trust with individuals who have experienced trauma as part of their religious experiences? In this track, you will learn from skilled practitioners and Candler School of Theology professors skills and perspectives for trauma-informed care.

 
 

Sign up for one of three open cohorts for the fall of 2024 based on which weekly discussion group time works best for you.

 

Track Schedule

Tuesday cohort:

  • Course 1. September 17, 24; October 1, 8, 15, 22, 29

  • Course 2. November 12, 19, 26; December 3, 10, 17

  • Course 3. January 7, 14, 21, 28; February 4, 11

Wednesday cohort:

  • Course 1. September 4, 11, 18, 25; October 2, 9

  • Course 2. October 30; November 6, 13, 20; December 4, 11

  • Course 3. January 8, 15, 22, 29; February 5, 12

     

Thursday cohort:

  • Course 1. September 5, 12, 19, 26; October 1, 8

  • Course 2. November 7, 14, 21; December 5, 12, 19

  • Course 3. January 9, 16, 23, 30; February 6, 13

 

Meet the Instructors

 
 

Amy Valdez Barker works with The Ministry Collaborative as the Congregational and Pastoral Formation Curator, bringing two decades of experience in religious education and church mission. In addition to her executive leadership roles, Amy has been a practitioner in the area of youth ministry education, strategic visioning, and leadership development through church and conference positions in The United Methodist Church. 

 

Jonathan Merritt is one of America’s most popular writers on issues of faith and culture. He is author of several critically-acclaimed books, including Learning to Speak God from Scratch: Why Sacred Words are Vanishing - and How We Can Revive Them, named “Book of the Year” by the Englewood Review of Books.

Jonathan is an award-winning contributor for The Atlantic, a contributing editor for The Week, and a regular columnist for Religion News Service. He has published more than 3000 articles in respected outlets such as The New York Times, USA Today, Buzzfeed, The Washington Post, The Daily Beast and Christianity Today. 

 

Kimberly Wagner previously served as an assistant professor of homiletics in the Axel Jacob and Gerda Maria (Swanson) Carlson Chair in Homiletics at the Lutheran School of Theology at Chicago. She earned her BS in Secondary Life Science Education from Miami University of Ohio, her MDiv from the Candler School of Theology, and her PhD from the Graduate Division of Religion, both at Emory University in Atlanta, GA. An ordained minister in the Presbyterian Church (USA), Wagner’s previous experience on the pastoral staff of a PC(USA) congregation in Virginia helps fuel and inform her present scholarship and teaching. She is passionate about supporting students’ formation and helping clergy and communities navigate the realities of an ever-changing world and church.

As a Deacon in Full Connection in the North Georgia Conference of The United Methodist Church as well as a Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW), Lindsay completed her undergraduate work at Southern Methodist University and graduate degrees at Duke Divinity School and UNC-Chapel Hill (yes, you can go to two rival schools at the same time... as long as you don’t mention it during basketball season!).

 
 

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