215. Hope and Healing from Church Hurt & Disappointment (with Natalie Runion)

By cpaine | June 20, 2023

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I am so excited to have Natalie Runion on the show this week, and this couldn’t have possibly happened at a better time! In the last episode, Jesse and I shared our thoughts about the docu-series Shiny Happy People: Duggar Family Secrets, and a lot of you reached out to me to say that you have struggled to know how to feel about church because of difficult experiences you have had. Natalie is here to discuss what to do and how to process through church hurt and disappointment.

Natalie has a new book coming out titled Raised to Stay: Persevering in Ministry When You Have a Million Reasons to Walk Away. In this podcast, she shares her story of how she was hurt by the church when she was younger and how she processed through that hurt and disappointment and ended up saying yes to something she never expected she would: be involved in church ministry!

This episode is packed with wisdom and encouragement (Jesse listened to it and said it’s one you need to listen to more than once!). Whether you have experienced church hurt and are still walking through it and processing it, whether you’ve been disappointed by church and are avoiding it altogether, or whether you are just curious about Natalie’s story, I believe you’ll be very blessed by listening.

In This Episode

[00:35] – This episode could not have been planned more beautifully — and I didn’t plan it!

[02:08] – Natalie shares a little background on herself and her own story with church hurt.

[05:57] – How did Natalie hold onto God?

[07:25] – Natalie explains her initial responses to this hard situation.

[09:22] – I ask Natalie how she learned to trust again after being so hurt.

[10:50] – When did Natalie return to church?

[14:38] – What do we do if we have been hurt by church?

[16:58] – How do we avoid being the cause of church hurt?

[19:25] – Is there a difference between hurt and offense?

[23:54] – Natalie offers encouragement, telling us that we are not alone.

[26:10] – Abusers do not represent the heart of God.

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