The Shepherd Project

Jesus said, ‘Simon, son of John, do you love Me?’

‘Lord, You know all things; You know that I love You.’

‘Take care of My sheep.’” 

(John 21:15)

Sexual abuse and misconduct in all its forms is rampant in our day and destroying lives. People in our congregations are suffering in silence and we need to invite them out of the pain and isolation and into healing. Jesus, our Good Shepherd, calls us to follow in His footsteps and take care of His sheep – the lost, the hurting, the vulnerable.

In response, The Samaritan Women has created a year-long program, The Shepherd Project, to equip the Church to protect the vulnerable and minister to those who have been abused. Throughout 2021, we will be providing monthly virtual trainings on various topics of abuse and equipping church representatives with knowledge and tools to bring back to their church. The year will be divided into four quarters addressing sex trafficking, child abuse, pornography, and sexual assault, through the lenses of prevention, intervention, and recovery. Expert speakers will conduct trainings on each topic and showcase resources and essential practices for each focus area. The goal of this program is to de-stigmatize conversations, prevent future abuse, and reframe the Church as a refuge where healing help is offered.

We invite 2-4 representatives from your church to commit to one year of learning about these issues and discern how to implement these practices at your church.

Dates: January 2021 – December 2021; First Monday of each month (see Timeline below)

Time: 6pm – 8pm (Eastern Time)

Location: Virtual Zoom Meetings

Tuition: $300/Church per year 

Printable information: Shepherd Project Info Sheet

For interests and inquiries please contact Jasmyne Cummings at jcummings@thesamaritanwomen.org.