About

What have you experienced at church? Beautiful things? Difficult things? Things that make you laugh (or cry) still? Jesus Christ knows our difficulties. He understands spiritual mistreatment and coercion. He experienced these things in His faith community. Then, He overcame.

- Jen

a curly-haired blonde woman with black and red glasses smiles in front of evergreen trees

Hello!

My name is Jen.

I grew up in a loving, devout Christian home in Southern California. A true child of the 80’s, I was raised on beach trips, roller skates, 80's music, and so, so many family movie nights.

As a child, positive experiences in my close-knit K–8 religious school cemented my belief in Jesus Christ. But when my relationship with my Savior led me to a different church in high school, what should have been a deeply personal decision became a source of threats and shame. The unwanted attention continued in religious settings for three years, but my Savior gave me resilience. After graduating from high school, I moved forward and embraced my new faith.

For many years, I felt so much joy! Then, twenty years later, things got complicated. Raising teens and supporting my husband in a lay leadership role at church caused old wounds to resurface. As compulsions to please others at church took over, situational fear and anxiety set in. Imperfect interactions piled onto my adverse experiences as a kid, and I found myself unable to handle conflict at church. When frequent breakdowns began destroying peace, my Savior led me to an evidence-based therapy for trauma-related symptoms called EMDR. Getting to the root of my difficulties with my Savior by my side, changed my life and relationships. My Savior has given me a beautiful new normal. He has healed my spiritual wounds.

Today, I'm passionate about sharing resources on hehealsspiritualwounds.org, an educational website that provides support to those wanting to stay in their faith communities while healing from adverse religious experiences. Outside of that project, you can find me playing board games with my adult kids, walking the beach with my husband of 30+ years, or providing support to youth leaders within my faith community's coordinating council.

Your friend in Jesus Christ (and hope and change!)

Jennifer Weaver

The Book

The Girl Who Dropped Jesus is my upcoming memoir that recounts beautiful, humorous, and difficult experiences within two faith communities at the center of my life for the last fifty years.

From childhood mishaps (like dropping Jesus in church and being shamed by a clergyman) to barely surviving a faith change at a religious high school, from mentoring my teens to coming to terms with my unresolved adolescence, when it comes to spiritual wounds, I've seen many. But my Savior has helped me heal.