• Contact
  • Return to IBSA
  • Advertise Through Us

IBSA News

Illinois Baptist State Newspaper

  • QuickLinks
    • E-Reader
    • Baptist Press
    • Resource Magazine
  • News
    • Corona Virus
    • IBSA
    • SBC
    • Culture
    • Religious Liberty
  • Mission
    • Illinois Churches
    • Church Planting
    • Missions
    • Evangelism
  • In Focus
    • Longform Articles
  • Columns
    • Nate Adams
    • Eric Reed
    • Meredith Flynn
  • Leaders
    • Pat’s Playbook
    • Fresh Ideas
    • iLead
    • Devotional

Lifting our shields of faith, together

November 13, 2020 By Carmen Halsey

I love being in a room where I’m meeting women in our IBSA family. As I talk to them and learn more about their stories, I start to get a sense of their scars—those things that have cut deeply, caused trauma, and left a mark.

We all have multiple scars, and in those rooms, I can also sense the different stages of healing that women are in, and the areas of scarring they share. Our scars can be a valuable tool as Christ works in us, and in others.

I use the term “scar ministry” a lot. It’s the idea that people who know Jesus will have scars, certainly. But as he heals and restores, those scars can be used to point other people to him. I’ve developed a mental rolodex of scars, so that I know what struggles women have walked through before. When I see a woman in the middle of trauma, there is nothing better than for someone who is wearing that exact scar to walk alongside her.

Someone with the same scar knows how to stop the bleeding. They speak into the situation from experience. Their scar is such a picture of hope for the person whose trauma is fresh.

I desperately sought that kind of match in my own life after my husband died. No matter the scar—a prodigal child, divorce, addiction, financial hardship—God can redeem and restore, and give us opportunities to leverage it for his glory.

One potential pitfall of scar ministry is that we would exploit a powerful testimony simply for the sake of a good story. If someone has walked through trauma and bear the scars, may we be mindful of their personal stage of grief and healing. It’s critical that we focus on Jesus as healer in chief, who binds up our wounds and restores our souls.

Trauma can shake our faith. Throughout this journey, I have found myself praying like the desperate father in Mark 9:24. “I believe; help my unbelief!” In that struggle, the shield of faith has been such an important visual for me. It’s meant to defend against the arrows of our enemy, but sometimes we don’t feel strong enough to lift it.

God has been showing me the shield of faith hasn’t gone anywhere. And when I’m weak, my brothers and sisters in Christ can lift their shields next to mine. I still have my shield of faith, they’re just bringing theirs too.

In this season of ministry, I’m determined to leave it all on the table. That includes leveraging my scars for the glory of God.

Carmen Halsey is director of leadership development for IBSA.

Share This Story

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Google+

Coronavirus

  • News
  • Church Helps

Sexual Abuse Prevention & Ministry

Resources

  • Protect your children, protect your church
  • Caring Well
  • Related Stories

Tuesday Briefing

Briefing

The Briefing: Baptists respond in Texas

Featured Columns

What’s really important

Nate Adams

Crisis can bring clarity. When I first heard that simple observation from a friend, its truth immediately resonated with me. A crisis has a way of demanding our attention and diminishing the less important things in our lives. The result can be a clearer vision of what truly is important to us. In other words, […]

Start at home: Building a framework for discipleship

Sarah Bordewick

Being a part of a church family is part of growing as a follower of Jesus. But kids spend far more time in their homes. That’s why we want our families to go deeper together. Discipleship at home is a critical endeavor. God made us for relationship, and those first relationships are in the home. […]

How to navigate conflict together

Mark McCormick

Question: We can’t seem to develop a helpful conflict style in our marriage. Whenever a problem arises, one of us shuts down, making the other one angrier. What are some healthy steps we can take to finding resolution? Answer: Reconciliation is the work of God. Pursuing Christ-like character traits of honesty and humility will help […]

More Columns

Baptist Press interviews SBC presidential candidates

Baptist Press

Baptist Press will publish interviews with each of the four announced candidates for SBC president. The Illinois Baptist newspaper will excerpt the interviews as they are released and will also publish the excerpts here. Albert Mohler Jr. Louisville, Ky. | R. Albert Mohler Jr. was to be nominated for president of the Southern Baptist Convention […]

News

Illinois Baptist

Equality Act threatens religious freedoms

Lisa Misner

Christian leaders are concerned about the loss of religious freedom, expansion of federal abortion funding, diminished protection for women, and the impact on hiring practices by Christian organizations under HR5, the Equality Act, passed by the U.S. House of Representatives Feb. 25. The vote was 224-206, almost totally along party lines. The bill goes to […]

Floyd urges unity and vision, decries ‘sound of war’

Controversial new teaching standards approved

More News Stories

Mission

Replanting season: Young churches embrace opportunities for growth and new ministry

Meredith Flynn

Grace Family Church celebrated its second anniversary in early 2021 with a worship service in the Art Deco theater they’ve called home for the last few months. But the young church has already been planted twice. At least, that’s how it feels to Pastor Jorge Rodriguez. Originally from Caracas, Venezuela, Rodriguez later lived in Chicago […]

Anxious? Don’t miss your shot!

2021 Forecast: Use ‘gap analysis,’ small-scale missions to help people looking for hope

More Mission Stories

  • Blog
  • News
  • Mission
  • In Focus
  • Columns
  • Leaders

Copyright © 2021 · Website by Megaphone Designs