Ep. 12 - Boundaries in Church: You're Allowed to Say No

In this episode of Faith Rehab Podcast we talk about the topic of boundaries in relationships, and in church. We talk about why it is so difficult to have boundaries in a faith space that reminds us to give our all to God. To paraphrase Dr Henry Cloud: Just like a fence around your yard shows your property, where your property starts and stops, personal boundaries clarify ownership of your feelings, thoughts, behaviors, and choices. It's an interesting topic because so much of church hurt comes from people being asked to do things that they're not comfortable with or pressured to do things. We work through enmeshment, cultural pressures, and people-pleasing. We discuss having boundaries in areas of: the time and energy commitments, authority of church leaders and scripture, with information vs gossip, attendance at services and events, as well as financial  giving.  These topics come with high expectations, but we can have boundaries in those areas. We are all trying to be good stewards of our resources, but pressure can come on too strong. We get to hear about CJ’s quest to become a chess master, and we also learn about Heidi’s songwriting and she even sings a few bars. Tune in for all of this, and some practical tips on how to have better boundaries. Real healing can come when we go from seeing the hurts of our past as the whole story of our lives and identity, to seeing that hurt as just a chapter in the story of our lives. Faith Rehab is a podcast about church hurt, healing, and rebuilding faith. We create a safe space for honest conversations about spiritual disappointment, doubt, and the process of finding hope again—without pretending or having all the answers. Co-hosts: Steve McNitt, Heidi Brandt & CJ Mateo  Produced by: CJ Mateo Contact us at [email protected] — we’d love to hear your story.