Learning & Loving

Embedded in these themes and in our identity as an RIC Congregation is a commitment to being “trauma-informed.” This approach seeks to assist individuals in finding meaning and purpose, fulfilling valued roles, and engaging in community life while recognizing them beyond their traumas. Being trauma-informed involves:

• Recognizing that many behaviors and symptoms stem from traumatic experiences.
• Acknowledging that treating individuals with respect, kindness, and empowering them with
  choices is crucial for recovery, rooted in the principle of “do unto others” as you would want to be treated.
• Understanding the prevalence of adverse childhood experiences (ACEs). To learn more about ACEs, watch Dr. Nadine Burke Harris’s TED Talk “How Childhood Trauma Affects Health Across a Lifetime.”

As we continue to celebrate our public commitment to being an Open and Affirming congregation with the belief that “God’s Doors Are Open to All,” let us be reminded that we are wonderfully whole as God made us. Together, we are fashioned to be a community, bound by love. We anticipate that the Loving and Learning series this year will reinforce our dedication to the community by discovering how we can best support and walk alongside our congregation and neighbors.