Women are leaving churches in record numbers at higher rates than ever before. Yet, all of us are in need of healthy community more than ever. What is causing this mass exodus and how can the Church and women recognize their need for one another?Journalist and author Ericka Andersen wanted to know why and started to investigate the staggering statistics. In turn, she found the deeper reasons such a vital part of the body of Christ was finding its way to the exit. She offers an explanation of why this is happening plus an encouraging call for women to reengage in the Church in her book, Reason to Return: Why Women Need the Church and the Church Needs Women. There she encourages women to see not only their need for Christ-centered community, but also the Church's need for the unique gifts of women. In it, she also shares her personal journey with alcoholism and how the Church played such a vital role in her own healing. In this episode, Davey sits down with Ericka to discuss how women are leaving the Church at faster rates than ever before, how the anger of those who leave is often not against God, and why it is so important to go first and create a safe space for people to share their stories with vulnerability. If you've found yourself ready to quit the Church because of the wounds that people have inflicted upon your or if you've left Church and don't know how to take the first step back towards community, this conversation will encourage you that even in its brokenness, the people of God are an integral part of our lives of faith.   Website: https://erickaandersen.com Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ericka_andersen/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ErickaAndersenSylvester Book: Reason to Return: Why Women Need the Church and the Church Needs WomenWould you love to help those in your church partner with God to take back their stories of pain and trauma? Bring the Pain to Purpose course to your church and let the healing begin: www.nothingiswasted.com/churches We want to know how Nothing is Wasted has impacted YOUR story! Share with us at: nothingiswasted.com/stories We know every pain is unique. That's why we created Curated Pathways to give you everything we have that applies to your specific pain point: www.nothingiswasted.com/pathways Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices