Many have suffered spiritual abuse and have come out of false teaching and deception. Often, there is hurt and trauma that occurs and is exasperated further by the shunning and shaming of the very ones that perpetrated the abuse and deception. 
This deceptive and destructive abuse often continues, as the victim is painted as the one who is in error for leaving, speaking out, questioning, or challenging the leaderships teachings or fruit.  Without exception, you are called divisive, heretic, bitter, unloving, and more.

Why is it that all other kinds of abuse, sufferings, addictions, physical, spiritual and emotional traumas are sought out, embraced and ministered to by the church, and many are encouraged to give their testimony of what God has done?  However, when it comes to those who have suffered inside the church walls at the hands of abusive leadership, they are marginalized, maligned, marked, isolated, rejected and or then expected to just get over it and plug back in, forget about it and sign back up for the same program? Remember God doesn’t bring us through something with no intent of using it for His purpose and glory.

Gen 50:20 But as for you, ye thought evil against me; but God meant it unto good, to bring to pass, as it is this day, to save much people alive. 

1Pe 1:6  Wherein ye greatly rejoice, though now for a season, if need be, ye are in heaviness through manifold temptations: 

1Pe 1:7  That the trial of your faith, being much more precious than of gold that perisheth, though it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise and honor and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ: 

Has it ever occurred to the “church at large” that these bruised and battered saints have much more to offer the church than just “plugging back in to church as usual”?

They are rich in their brokenness, wise in their discernment and have weathered, survived, and thrived in the midst of battle both from within and without. They are experienced at walking through unforgiveness to the beauty of fully forgiving not only others but themselves. They have seen and understand God’s faithfulness during some of their darkest days of wondering and walking through very dark and very lonely places. God has fashioned them to be a part of the body that most don’t or won’t recognize or acknowledge, and so the church suffers loss of what these saints have to offer.

Relying totally on God’s faithfulness even and especially in the wilderness, He is the one who has brought them out of the abuse and deception and awakened them to take heed and beware that no one deceive them. They take seriously the warnings of Christ and the Apostles concerning wolves, false teachers and impostors only to warn others of the pending danger.   The longing for healing, growth and fellowship with others who have suffered the same is always in the hearts of these believers.

This group is about finding and supporting others who have experienced these things and want to continue to recover, heal and to grow in Christ.  It must be remembered that the church is not a building with a steeple, the church is people. Yet today there exist an over emphasizing of the assembly, to simulate oneself in, line up and just follow and not near enough of discipleship, of learning to trust and follow Jesus, of having a dependency up Him and the walk of faith.  They talk a big game, they have the religious shop talk down, but with little application. 

This group will strive to apply the Scriptural principles of bearing one another’s burdens, of esteeming others higher than oneself.  Individually, everyone’s experience with the Lord is beneficial to the whole body.  Bottom line, we need each other!

We will be starting in the fall sometime in September or October depending on the response.  If you are interested contact us at closingstages@live.com with availability or if you have any questions.  Anyone living in the Northwest Ohio area, we are willing to meet at a physical location.  Online will be on zoom.