Healing before evangelizing: a new path for the Church

Frame of Reference - Profiles in Leadership

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What if the most faithful thing we can do is slow down, listen, and heal before we preach? That’s the challenge and invitation at the heart of our conversation with Cathy Lins, director of Gather My Lost Sheep, whose work equips parishes and dioceses to respond wisely to trauma and help priests flourish. We talk candidly about why people in crisis often come to the Church first, how well-meaning responses can backfire, and what it takes to become a reliable place of safety rather than another source of harm.
Cathy shares practical frameworks that shift ministry from theory to practice. We unpack the “eight critical shifts” for leading trauma-informed parishes, a Good Samaritan five-step response model, and a Flourishing Shepherds approach designed for clergy wellbeing. We also explore the mental health continuum—green to red—as a simple daily dashboard for sleep, diet, prayer, connection, and stress, helping leaders catch warning signs early. From supervision and debriefing to WRAP-style plans, we outline systems that normalize support, reduce burnout, and strengthen accountability without shame.
Along the way, we confront stigma, speak to the cost of silence, and acknowledge the reality of secondary trauma for anyone who carries others’ stories. The vision is both humbling and hopeful: laity and clergy as one body, tending each other; evangelization that moves at the speed of trust; and a Church that starts with presence, builds safety, and invites healing that turns wounds into witness. If you care about pastoral care, mental health first aid, safeguarding, or rebuilding credibility through transparency, this one matters.
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Thanks for listening. Please check out our website at www.forsauk.com to hear great conversations on topics that need to be talked about. In these times of intense polarization we all need to find time to expand our Frame of Reference.

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1. Setting The Conversation (00:00:00)

2. Why Gather My Lost Sheep Began (00:01:47)

3. Churches As First Responders To Crisis (00:05:38)

4. Relearning Presence And Listening (00:09:22)

5. Clergy Burnout And Secondary Trauma (00:12:32)

6. Trauma-Informed Parishes To Flourishing Shepherds (00:17:10)

7. The Mental Health Continuum For Priests (00:20:52)

8. Recognizing Trauma’s Warning Lights (00:25:10)

9. Breaking Stigma And Finding Safe Spaces (00:29:24)

10. Community, Friendship, And Real Accompaniment (00:34:30)

11. Five-Step Good Samaritan Framework (00:39:32)

12. Debriefing, Supervision, And Tag-Team Care (00:44:20)

13. Accountability, Transparency, And Trust (00:49:18)

14. Sin, Systems, And Shared Responsibility (00:54:10)

15. Resources, Contact, And Closing (00:58:00)