A local pastors gathering
Addressing the
Silent Struggle
The church should not have to wait for a crisis to begin creating safety.
Join pastors and ministry leaders for an honest, practical conversation about sexual brokenness—and how the local church can build clear pathways of care before people reach a point of crisis.
Two focused gatherings. One shared purpose: helping the church become a place of refuge.
Why this gathering
Bring a hidden struggle into an honest and hopeful conversation.
Most churches respond to sexual brokenness when it surfaces. Few have created the conditions for healing before it does.
Addressing the Silent Struggle is an introductory gathering for pastors and ministry leaders who want to understand what pornography, unwanted sexual behavior, betrayal trauma, and hidden shame actually look like in a congregation—and what a wise, compassionate response can become.
Our hope is to help churches move from isolated crisis response toward connected, Christ-centered pathways where people can step out of hiding, be fully known and loved, receive appropriate care, and pursue freedom and restoration.
Upcoming gatherings
Choose the conversation that best fits your role.
Each gathering shares the same honest, pastoral posture while focusing on a distinct ministry challenge. Attend the conversation most relevant to your church—or invite the leaders who should be at the table.
Church-wide focus
Building a whole-church pathway of care
Led by Joel Warneking
Sexual brokenness rarely affects one person or stays inside one ministry lane. This gathering helps pastors and church leaders see the whole landscape and begin building connected pathways of care for the entire church.
We will explore how pastoral response, recovery communities, trained lay leaders, and trusted clinical referrals can work together to serve men and women seeking freedom, wives and betrayed spouses carrying trauma, parents navigating disclosure and digital risk, and teens who need age-appropriate support.
We will consider:
- Recovery pathways for men and women
- Distinct care for wives and betrayed spouses
- Parent, teen, and family support through 423 NEXT
- Pastoral triage, clinical referrals, and appropriate levels of care
- Leader development and a realistic first step for your church
Youth & family focus
Equipping parents, leaders, and teens for today’s digital world
Led by Ben Williams
Young people are encountering pornography, sexualized media, secrecy, and shame before most families or churches feel ready to respond. This gathering helps youth pastors, family ministry leaders, care pastors, and church leaders build a coordinated response that is truthful, age-appropriate, and rooted in hope.
We will share how 423 NEXT supports churches through parent workshops, training for youth staff and volunteers, direct care and recovery support for teens, biblical teaching resources, guided conversations, and clear referral pathways when a student needs more specialized care.
We will consider:
- Parent workshops that replace panic with clear language and action
- Training youth leaders to respond to disclosure with wisdom and care
- Direct, age-appropriate care and recovery support for teens
- Teaching and discussion resources for youth groups and families
- A connected 423 NEXT pathway for students, parents, and church leaders
A church-wide vision
Care for every person touched by the struggle.
A healthy church response does not reduce sexual brokenness to a men’s issue. It recognizes the distinct stories, wounds, responsibilities, and care needs across the whole family and congregation.
Men
Christ-centered recovery communities for men seeking freedom from pornography, unwanted sexual behavior, secrecy, and shame.
Women
Gender-specific support for women navigating unwanted sexual behavior, compulsive patterns, and the need for safe, honest community.
Wives
Trauma-informed care for wives and betrayed spouses whose healing must be supported distinctly from the recovery of the person who caused harm.
Teens
Age-appropriate teaching, direct care, recovery support, and community for teens navigating pornography, sexual pressure, and secrecy.
Parents
Workshops, tools, and guided support that help parents respond calmly, set wise boundaries, and keep honest conversations open at home.
The goal is not to add one isolated program.
It is to help the church develop a connected culture of prevention, disclosure, recovery, family care, pastoral wisdom, and long-term restoration.
Around the table
What to expect
Help shape the conversation
Tell us what your church is facing.
Share your questions, current ministry realities, and areas where clearer care would be helpful. The brief survey allows Joel and Ben to prepare gatherings that speak to the needs pastors and ministry leaders are actually carrying.
Your hosts
Pastoral leaders who understand the work from the inside.
Joel Warneking and Ben Williams serve pastors, churches, families, and individuals navigating sexual brokenness, betrayal, addiction, shame, and recovery.
As PSAPs—Pastoral Sex Addiction Professionals—they bring together biblical conviction, pastoral care, recovery experience, and clinically informed practice.
Church-wide focus
Joel Warneking
Executive Director & Men’s Ministry
423 Communities
Joel helps churches understand the full impact of sexual brokenness and build recovery cultures where truth, care, accountability, and restoration can take root.
Youth & family focus
Ben Williams
Youth & Family Director
423 Communities
Ben equips churches and families to engage today’s digital sexual realities with age-appropriate truth, practical tools, and direct pathways of care for teens and parents.
A seat at the table
We would be honored to have you in the conversation.
Come meet other local leaders, bring the questions your church is already facing, and begin identifying a wise next step toward safer, more intentional pathways of care.