LU Shepherd Launches Grace Groups

LU Shepherd launched its fourth semester of Grace Groups, a 10-week book study for female students who are victims of sexual assault or abuse.

The groups began at 5 p.m. on Sept. 13 in DeMoss 1164 and will convene each Monday. LU Shepherd and Grace Groups leader Chrissie Hastoglis said students can join any week and will never be turned away. The groups are anonymous.

Hastoglis said the group is designed to be a supplement to counseling and offer women the tools to find healing in the Lord. 

“A lot of times there’s shame associated with it because the sins that are committed against us feel like the sins we commit,” Hastoglis said. “Sometimes it’s difficult to figure out the difference because it feels the same, so a lot of people carry shame, and they don’t want to talk about it.” 

The first session began with worship and testimonies from Hastoglis and students who have been through the study in the past. 

Next, they explained the Grace Groups’ format and introduce the book “Rid of My Disgrace: Hope and Healing for Victims of Sexual Assault” by Justin and Lindsey Holcomb. According to the book description online, both authors are experienced in counseling sexual assault victims, and the book uses “biblical and theological depth with up-to-date research” to explain how “the grace of God can heal the broken and restore the disgraced.” 

Hastoglis read the book years ago and found it to be a solid source. She says the book covers abuse in childhood, adulthood, and for both men and women which creates a broader resource to pull from. Hastoglis also says the book shares the gospel throughout its entirety.   

Each following session starts with worship and transitions into a summary of the week’s chapter and a review of the group guidelines. Next, they split into small groups of six or eight. Each group is led by either a Senior Resident Shepherd — a student who is serving in the LU Shepherds’ office — a Resident Shepherd or volunteer students and Liberty staff.

The small group allows the women to reflect on the reading and share what they may be feeling. They begin with a short reading from their study guide and then answer the reflective questions. Hastoglis said the questions are geared towards the week’s specific topic, but they all revolve around three main questions: what did the women learn about themselves? What did the women learn about how they relate to others? And what did they learn about God? 

Students have up to three minutes to share their answer. Hastoglis said they have a “No Crosstalk” rule which means the other small group members will give no encouragement, no corrections, no advising and no judgment during someone else’s share time. 

“They can just vocalize it,” Hastoglis explained. “And I think there’s really power in that, and I’ve seen it where people can feel the freedom to share without worrying about other people correcting them.”

The group was named “Grace Groups” to remind victims of the grace they can find in the Lord, according to Hastoglis.

“The Lord’s grace covers over sins committed against us. It covers over our shame,” Hastoglis said.

According to Hastoglis, the LU Shepherd Office is discussing and working on the creation of a similar group for male students who are victims of sexual assault and abuse. The office hopes to implement the new group this school year.

Fitch is a news reporter. Follow her on Twitter at @charity_elise_.