The local church has a unique potential both to help and to hurt (often unintentionally) traumatized persons.  Being known and cared for within a redemptive community that is rooted in the power of the gospel can enable traumatized persons to experience deep healing, integration, and resilience.  At the same time, the real life complexities of community are rife with potential triggers and grievances and vulnerabilities that can cause it to feel unsafe and even adversarial to a person affected by trauma.  Furthermore, the intense emotions and disruptive behaviors that are stirred up by trauma can be difficult for a community to withstand, which may then lead to the traumatized person being (or at least feeling) shamed and alienated.  Clearly this is thorny ground for both the person and the community.  And yet...even so...traumatized persons need the church, and the church in turn needs traumatized people.