At Covenant Eyes, we talk with pastors every week as they come to us looking for resources, solutions, or just plain, “what can I do next” questions. Most are reacting to a current cry for help from a congregant. A man confessing a porn addiction, a spouse dealing with their partner’s failures, or a student in crisis. Pornography use is causing casualties among congregants and church leaders alike, and it proceeds unchecked.
The toll of this war mounts daily: faith lost, marriages destroyed, families broken, and individuals walking away from the Church.
Preparation Is Key to Success
Like an army asleep in tents when the enemy strikes, the Church is often unprepared and unaware until it’s too late. The silence on the topic has created a church culture of embarrassment and shame—people are afraid to talk or ask questions. So, they look to a culture that is happy to fill in the blank.
This certainly is not a knock on pastors and leaders in the Church. Most churches aren’t hearing the cries for help or seeing the shame porn produces, because many people struggle in silence. However, the stats are not improving, and culture does not appear to be changing anytime soon. Pornography use and struggles are growing for both men and women and exploding with our youth! It’s past time for churches to plan their path forward.
You Need the Right Tools to Prepare
If you have not acted or feel it is time to do more, we want to help. Covenant Eyes has developed two new resources for church leaders. The first is a book written by Sam Black from Covenant Eyes, and it’s called The Healing Church. The Healing Church cuts through the confusion that surrounds the issue of pornography. It will help you discern how porn undermines ministry in your church as well as understand how porn affects men and women differently and how to help them. Lastly, it will help you develop strategies and resources to effectively deal with pornography while spending less time counseling.
The second new resource is a simple planning tool to help you and your staff move from knowledge to action. This tool helps you evaluate and create a plan of action, even if it is a small step! Remember, the sum of small intentional steps can change a person’s life. The Leaders Planning Workbook is a tool to help your church get engaged and make steps toward helping men, women, couples, and families out of the shame of pornography and into a life of freedom and accountability.
Where to Find the Right Tools
You can find both The Healing Church book and Leaders Planning Workbook on our Leader’s Resources Page, along with many other resources for leaders and helpful resources for individuals in your church.
See Covenant Eyes Leader’s Resources
Don’t forget that you are not alone in this fight. Our Church Outreach Team is always available to help you and your staff walk through these tools and make the necessary plans to move your church forward in the fight against pornography. Let us know if we can help!
