In this session, Suzanne shares her surprise at the number of people willing to talk about trauma and her concern about the misuse of the term. She also highlights the subtle nature of religious manipulation and the need for acceptance and understanding among different denominations, emphasizing the importance of setting boundaries and finding healing in dealing with church antagonists. Suzanne suggests using all three centers of intelligence for productive thinking, feeling, and doing and discusses the significance of therapy and contemplative practice and the value of accountability and discernment through groups and clearness committees.

Bio

As an internationally recognized Enneagram Master, Suzanne has conducted over 500 Enneagram workshops over the past 30 years to audiences all over the country, and is lovingly referred to as the “Enneagram godmother.”

Suzanne received her B.S. in Social Sciences from Southern Methodist University in Dallas, Texas where she also completed additional graduate work in the Schools of Sociology and Theology. She has served as a high school professor, the first women’s basketball coach at SMU after Title IX, and as the founding Director of Shared Housing, a social service agency in Dallas.

She hosts The Enneagram Journey podcast and has authored 3 books, including The Road Back to You, The Path Between Us, and The Journey Toward Wholeness. She is also the series editor for an excellent devotional series for each of the nine types.

When she is not on the road teaching and lecturing, Suzanne is at home in Dallas, Texas with her husband Rev. Joseph Stabile, a United Methodist pastor with whom she co-founded Life in the Trinity Ministry and the Micah Center. She is the mother of four children and grandmother of nine.

Resources

Website | Life in theTrinity Ministry website |  Instagram

The Journey Toward Wholeness by Suzanne Stabile
The Path Between Us by Suzanne Stabile
The Road Back to You by Suzanne Stabile and Ian Morgan Cron

Antagonists in the Church by Kenneth C. Haugk
Leader Killers by Kenneth C. Haugk
The Thing Beneath the Thing by Steve Carter
Money, Sex, and Power by Richard Foster

"The Clearness Committee" by Parker Palmer

20% off an annual subscription to The Table (use code: BTB)

In this session, Scot and Laura discuss their recent books, which explore healthy church culture and transforming toxic churches. They emphasize the importance of creating "pockets of tov" within churches and the challenges of whistleblowing. They also discuss the process of leaving an abusive church and finding a new one. The conversation highlights the need for a shift in mindset from viewing churches as machines to seeing them as ecosystems.

Bio

Scot, a New Testament scholar who has written widely on the historical Jesus and Christian spirituality, is a Professor of New Testament at Northern Seminary in Lombard, Illinois. He earned a bachelor’s degree from Cornerstone University, a master's from Trinity Evangelical Divinity School, and a doctorate from the University of Nottingham. He has written more than 80 books, including the popular The Jesus Creed, which won an award from Christianity Today.

Laura is a full-time teacher, a part-time writer, advocate, and speaker, and the coauthor of A Church Called TOV as well as PIVOT: The Priorities, Practices and Powers That Can Transform Your Church Into a Tov Culture. She previously co-authored the children's version of The Jesus Creed and wrote a teacher's guide to accompany the book. A graduate of Wheaton College, she resides in the suburbs of Chicago with her husband Mark and their three research beagles.

Resources

Scot's Substack| Scot's Instagram | Laura's website | Laura's Instagram

A Church Called TOV
PIVOT: The Priorities, Practices and Powers That Can Transform Your Church Into a Tov Culture

In this session, J.S. Park, a hospital chaplain and author, discusses his work in grief counseling and supporting end-of-life care. He shares his journey of self-discovery and finding his voice through typewriter therapy and explores the internal and external voices we carry and the impact of trauma on our lives. He emphasizes the importance of embracing different beliefs and perspectives as an interfaith chaplain. He also discusses the challenges of being a grief catcher and the need for self-care in managing the weight of his work.

Joon and Brian also discuss the emotional toll of working in healthcare and witnessing trauma and the importance of honoring loss and allowing oneself to grieve, as well as the impact of trauma on healthcare workers and the need for self-care.

Bio

He is a hospital chaplain, published author, and viral blogger. For eight years he has been an interfaith chaplain at a 1000+ bed hospital that is designated a Level 1 Trauma Center.

His role includes grief counseling, attending every death, every trauma and Code Blue, staff care, and supporting end-of-life care. He also served for three years as a chaplain at one of the largest nonprofit charities for the homeless on the east coast.

J.S. has a M.Div completed in 2010 and a BA in Psychology. He also has a sixth-degree black belt. He is the author of The Voices We Carry: Finding Your One True Voice in a World of Clamor and Noise (published by Northfield). His next book on grief, releases May 2024.

J.S. currently lives in Tampa, Florida with his wife, a nurse practitioner, and his three year old daughter and adopted dog.

Resources

Website | Instagram

The Voices We Carry
CNN Interview