Certain Christian communities offering support of this kind are guided by the Scriptures, specifically Isaiah 61, concerning their possessing of the Spirit of the Lord and being anointed (Grace 2002).

One group that provides assistance to persons suffering from DID is called the Christian Survivors Ministries (Grace 2002). It makes available an environment of love and acceptance where the afflicted survivors can and will not be rejected or feel ashamed and where they can feel aware of the value of their lives. It offers hope to those who feel hopeless. It encourages survivors to confront and actively and productively work through their problems. It encourages and enables survivors to allow God to work with them in safe ways to be healed. It encourages survivors to accept and live by the truths about themselves so that they can be set free from the abuses they have been subjected to. Its staff members provide accountability and support for one another in their growth in faith and in healing, sensitively establish friendship and genuine care to all member through supporting words and actions and encourage members to establish a supportive network of resources, including therapists, counselors and friends, who can exhibit accountable relationships and appropriate help lines and other support groups (Grace).

The Christian Survivors Prayer Team consists of members who provide a safe service for all its members (Grace 2002). Each of them is committed to work according to strict guidelines on confidentiality and sensitivity in dealing with other members. The leader seeks to embody the principles set out by the vision statement and the philosophy of care and to role model their interactions on the forum and their inter-relationships within. The leader commits to meet with other leaders regularly together and to maintain continuous dialogue among themselves. He will supply regular feedback and updates to the members, work closely with them and maintain a strong and mutually supportive group. The leader and his members totally support and embrace the vision statement and philosophy of care established. They will respect confidential information entrusted to them. They will be guided by the fundamental philosophies of love, care, faith, belief in God, Christianity, Scriptures, encouragement, support, friendship, healing, self-belief, gentleness, sensitivity and empowerment, which are demonstrative in the entire staff.

In support of one another, members of the communities of DID survivors will offer prayers for administrators, staff, prayer team members and forum members at least once a week (Grace 2002). They commit that all team members are valued, supported and keep a voice. They will attend regular prayer meetings and brainstorming sessions. They will participate and maintain regular forum prayer days and get involved in events aimed at fostering a stronger and more unified prayer focus. They commit to work closely together in order to maintain fundamental philosophies that represent Christian Survivors (Grace).

The smaller groups programme was introduced in the summer last year in response to the need for forming smaller "pockets" of members and for closer and easier friendships within CSM (Grace 2002). It has rapidly grown in the last full year. It is composed of 8-10 regular members of the communities of DID survivors, who pass 16 weeks of review from the time of application. They are committed to spend consistent and sufficient time with the group they are placed in, keep the confidentiality of the information they secure or are entrusted with, extend energetic support to other members of the group and form stable and strong friendships with them. These small groups are not "issue-driven," Their private forums are. Their goal...

They are encouraged to express what is going on in their lives for the insights and inspiration of other members who read their postings. In the meantime, the rest of the members who access these postings are expected to express support and understanding for the rest during regular meetings and at postings in forums (Grace).
DID survivors who become members or receive support from Christian communities or ministries are guided in their work and dealings by Scripture passages (Grace 2002). In their struggle against the wounds of dissociated memories, they can assert that they are the salt of the earth and the light of the world (Mt 5:13, 14); the child of God (John 1:12); branches of the vine, which is Christ (John 15:1,5); a friend of Christ (John 15:15); as His chosen and appointed to bear Him much fruit (John 15:16); slaves of righteousness (Mt 5:13, Rom 6:8); and whose father is God (Rom 8:14-15, Gal 3:26, Gal 4:6). They can also begin to view themselves as joint heirs with Christ (Rom 8:17); as temples of the Spirit (1 Cor 3:16, 6:19); united with the Lord (1 Cor 6:17) and members of Christ's Body (1 Cor 12:27, Eph 5:30). These survivors can see themselves as a new creation in Christ (2 Cor 5:18-19); as saings (Eph 1:1, Col 1:2); as reborn in Christ to do His work in the world (Eph 2:10); as fellow citizens in God's family (Eph 2:19); as righteous and holy (Eph 4:29); as citizens in heaven seated right there right now (Phil 3:20, Eph 2:6); as children of light and not of darkness (1 Thess 5:5); as children of God who will resemble Christ when He returns to earth for them (1 John 3:1-2); and as born in Christ whom the evil one cannot touch (1 John 5:13). These survivors or sufferers can enter into the incredible meaning of these Scripture passages and experience the freedom and might promised and ascertained by the passages, based on God's Word itself (Grace).

The Christian Survivors Ministries consist of administrators who, on a voluntary basis, put in 200 hours of work per week for the communities in running the day-to-day activities of the forum, the programmes and ministry, the finances and the security (Grace 2002). The support team members are the key workers of the group who foster and maintain friendships, meet other members' needs for a secure and conducive environment where healing friendships can occur, and pray for all members and the ministries as a whole. They are themselves survivors helping other survivors who should be understood and appreciated as such. The resource team members make their valuable contribution in the form of invisible clerical tasks such as graphics, administrative chores and information dissemination. The small groups are there not only to lend tight friendships and connections but also to handle the practical side, such as security and the direction taken by the forums and other activities. And there are the welcomers who take care of the message board, of befriending new members and responding to their queries or requests for assistance as well as making these new community members feel relaxed and welcomed in the board, the community and in a new world where they can feel they belong (Grace). # safe and where they will not be rejected, or feel ashamed; & where each member is aware of value being placed on their lives.

Bibliography

Billich, M., et al. (2000). Shared Grace: Therapists and Clergy Working Together. Haworth press, Inc., 2000

Frey, R.J. (1999). Dissociative Disorders. Gale Encyclopedia of Medicine: Gale Research. http://www.findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_g92601/is_0004/ai_2601000438

Gale Encyclopedia of…