What do you think?
Rate this book
After Church Hurt: Healing in the Care of the Good Shepherd
Counselor Timothy St. John offers compassion and hope to individuals who have experienced hurt in emotionally and spiritually damaging church cultures.
The local church is meant to function as a healing and helping community that cares for God’s people. But what if, instead of grace and care, someone experienced harm and hurt? When the church becomes a place of abuse and silence, the pain leaves people spiritually disoriented and alone. These individuals may wonder if they will ever feel safe around God’s people again. Instead of running to God and his people, they run as far away as possible.
St. John defines church hurt as any unrepentant sin that is minimized, normalized, or promoted by a church culture and its leadership. In After Church Hurt, he invites sufferers into the gentle care of their Good Shepherd, offering hope, clarity, and guidance for healing in his grace. Through real-life stories, biblical insights, and practical tools, this book provides a path to understanding church hurt, embracing grace, and courageously moving toward a healthy community.
Helps sufferers process their emotions and reflect on their painful experiences through the lens of Scripture.
Provides practical advice for finding a new church, assessing its culture, and rebuilding trust in relationships.
Equips counselors and helpers for walking alongside those who have been wounded by their churches.
The local church is meant to function as a healing and helping community that cares for God’s people. But what if, instead of grace and care, someone experienced harm and hurt? When the church becomes a place of abuse and silence, the pain leaves people spiritually disoriented and alone. These individuals may wonder if they will ever feel safe around God’s people again. Instead of running to God and his people, they run as far away as possible.
St. John defines church hurt as any unrepentant sin that is minimized, normalized, or promoted by a church culture and its leadership. In After Church Hurt, he invites sufferers into the gentle care of their Good Shepherd, offering hope, clarity, and guidance for healing in his grace. Through real-life stories, biblical insights, and practical tools, this book provides a path to understanding church hurt, embracing grace, and courageously moving toward a healthy community.
Helps sufferers process their emotions and reflect on their painful experiences through the lens of Scripture.
Provides practical advice for finding a new church, assessing its culture, and rebuilding trust in relationships.
Equips counselors and helpers for walking alongside those who have been wounded by their churches.
- GenresChristian
128 pages, Paperback
Published April 14, 2026
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
April 28, 2026
4.5 ⭐️s (rounded up) | RTC
April 13, 2026
This review contains affiliate links.
I received After Church Hurt compliments of New Growth Press in exchange for my honest review.
After Church Hurt is the debut title by counseling pastor Timothy St. John. The book is a fantastic read for anyone who's departed a spiritually abusive church and/or is healing from church hurt. I didn't necessarily expect that the stories in the book would be easy to read, but I was surprised that they hit so close to home. The book begins with a few stories about men being addressed due to wearing the wrong shoes to church. This took me back to when my husband, who hadn't grown up in the church and was a new believer, was invited to a teacher training program at a church we once attended.
After his first training session, I asked what kind of feedback he received and was surprised to hear that one of the church's elders told him his shoes were distracting. I remember feeling angry and asking how that mattered in light of 1 Samuel 16:7. At the time, I assumed I was in the wrong for thinking that way. It scared me a little bit to read that multiple others have also shared this odd and controlling experience. I was a bit nervous to keep reading the book after learning of these situations, but I couldn't put it down and ended up finishing it (excluding the appendices) in a day.
What I deeply appreciate about After Church Hurt is that St. John encourages those who are hurt to take the time needed to work toward proper healing. He appeals to Scripture early and often as essential to the healing process. He also offers an abundance of wisdom for those walking with spiritual siblings who are hurting in the aftermath of church hurt. He also helps readers see and define God's character through the lens of Scripture rather than experience/circumstances. Pages 72-75 provide five bullet points with ideas to consider when leaving a church. This was very hard for me to read, as all five points were markers of our last church, but I'm so grateful for this section's inclusion in the book. I hope it will give others the wisdom and encouragement they need to leave if they find themselves at a spiritually abusive church.
Overall, this book is incredibly helpful in processing through church hurt/spiritual abuse biblically. It encourages readers with the hope of the gospel and God's heart for them in Christ. Both appendices are extremely valuable. The first one helps readers work through emotions they may encounter as they process church hurt. This encouraged me, as the culture at our last church seemed to have an underlying belief that emotions are bad. St. John encourages readers not to be mastered by their emotions, but to bring them to God and consider what they reveal. The second appendix is a Church Culture Assessment that includes multiple questions to consider if you are looking for a new church after spiritual abuse/church hurt.
Earlier in the book, St. John made a point similar to something my husband and I learned the hard way—a church is more than its doctrinal statement. While sound doctrine should always be a priority, having an orthodox doctrinal statement doesn't automatically equate to a church culture that is centered on Christ. I'm grateful for St. John's wisdom in helping readers discern this. I firmly believe that After Church Hurt will be a resource God uses to heal His wounded sheep. For years, I've struggled with the long-lasting scars of spiritual abuse, and I'm grateful for how this book has given me hope in the healing process. I'm sad that this book is necessary, yet so grateful it exists, and believe it's worth every penny. If you or someone you know is healing from church hurt, this book is a must-read.
I received After Church Hurt compliments of New Growth Press in exchange for my honest review.
After Church Hurt is the debut title by counseling pastor Timothy St. John. The book is a fantastic read for anyone who's departed a spiritually abusive church and/or is healing from church hurt. I didn't necessarily expect that the stories in the book would be easy to read, but I was surprised that they hit so close to home. The book begins with a few stories about men being addressed due to wearing the wrong shoes to church. This took me back to when my husband, who hadn't grown up in the church and was a new believer, was invited to a teacher training program at a church we once attended.
After his first training session, I asked what kind of feedback he received and was surprised to hear that one of the church's elders told him his shoes were distracting. I remember feeling angry and asking how that mattered in light of 1 Samuel 16:7. At the time, I assumed I was in the wrong for thinking that way. It scared me a little bit to read that multiple others have also shared this odd and controlling experience. I was a bit nervous to keep reading the book after learning of these situations, but I couldn't put it down and ended up finishing it (excluding the appendices) in a day.
What I deeply appreciate about After Church Hurt is that St. John encourages those who are hurt to take the time needed to work toward proper healing. He appeals to Scripture early and often as essential to the healing process. He also offers an abundance of wisdom for those walking with spiritual siblings who are hurting in the aftermath of church hurt. He also helps readers see and define God's character through the lens of Scripture rather than experience/circumstances. Pages 72-75 provide five bullet points with ideas to consider when leaving a church. This was very hard for me to read, as all five points were markers of our last church, but I'm so grateful for this section's inclusion in the book. I hope it will give others the wisdom and encouragement they need to leave if they find themselves at a spiritually abusive church.
Overall, this book is incredibly helpful in processing through church hurt/spiritual abuse biblically. It encourages readers with the hope of the gospel and God's heart for them in Christ. Both appendices are extremely valuable. The first one helps readers work through emotions they may encounter as they process church hurt. This encouraged me, as the culture at our last church seemed to have an underlying belief that emotions are bad. St. John encourages readers not to be mastered by their emotions, but to bring them to God and consider what they reveal. The second appendix is a Church Culture Assessment that includes multiple questions to consider if you are looking for a new church after spiritual abuse/church hurt.
Earlier in the book, St. John made a point similar to something my husband and I learned the hard way—a church is more than its doctrinal statement. While sound doctrine should always be a priority, having an orthodox doctrinal statement doesn't automatically equate to a church culture that is centered on Christ. I'm grateful for St. John's wisdom in helping readers discern this. I firmly believe that After Church Hurt will be a resource God uses to heal His wounded sheep. For years, I've struggled with the long-lasting scars of spiritual abuse, and I'm grateful for how this book has given me hope in the healing process. I'm sad that this book is necessary, yet so grateful it exists, and believe it's worth every penny. If you or someone you know is healing from church hurt, this book is a must-read.
May 15, 2026
I honestly can’t put into words how much I loved After Church Hurt. It’s rare to find a book that is so deeply pastoral while also being incredibly practical, and Timothy St. John manages that balance beautifully. From the very beginning, I appreciated the breadth of examples he shares—they cover a wide range of experiences. While I didn’t personally relate to all of them, I valued how thoughtfully they illustrated different ways people can experience church hurt. The book is firmly grounded in Scripture, offering guidance not just for those who have experienced church hurt, but also for pastors, leaders, and anyone seeking to walk alongside others in their pain.
What I especially appreciated were the practical resources St. John includes. From exercises to process emotions to tools for discerning healthy church culture, the book provides tangible ways to move toward healing. It’s also an invaluable resource for helping others who have been hurt by the church, equipping readers to provide care, encouragement, and wisdom to those navigating deep wounds. I was struck by how the book blends biblical truth with real-life application, showing that grace and compassion are just as important as understanding Scripture. Every chapter felt like a gentle, loving hand guiding the reader toward understanding, hope, and restoration.
Reading this book has given me clarity, encouragement, and hope. It’s not just for those personally wounded by church experiences—it’s for anyone who wants to understand how to process pain, help others heal, and reflect God’s redemptive love in difficult circumstances. St. John’s wisdom and compassion shine through every page, and I feel like I’ve been equipped to not only care for myself but also extend care to others in meaningful ways.
This book is truly perfect in every way. I feel seen, encouraged, and equipped after reading it, and I can honestly say it’s a resource I’ll return to again and again. My deepest gratitude to New Growth Press for providing me with this copy—it was an invaluable gift, and I can’t recommend it enough to anyone navigating the pain of spiritual or relational hurt.
What I especially appreciated were the practical resources St. John includes. From exercises to process emotions to tools for discerning healthy church culture, the book provides tangible ways to move toward healing. It’s also an invaluable resource for helping others who have been hurt by the church, equipping readers to provide care, encouragement, and wisdom to those navigating deep wounds. I was struck by how the book blends biblical truth with real-life application, showing that grace and compassion are just as important as understanding Scripture. Every chapter felt like a gentle, loving hand guiding the reader toward understanding, hope, and restoration.
Reading this book has given me clarity, encouragement, and hope. It’s not just for those personally wounded by church experiences—it’s for anyone who wants to understand how to process pain, help others heal, and reflect God’s redemptive love in difficult circumstances. St. John’s wisdom and compassion shine through every page, and I feel like I’ve been equipped to not only care for myself but also extend care to others in meaningful ways.
This book is truly perfect in every way. I feel seen, encouraged, and equipped after reading it, and I can honestly say it’s a resource I’ll return to again and again. My deepest gratitude to New Growth Press for providing me with this copy—it was an invaluable gift, and I can’t recommend it enough to anyone navigating the pain of spiritual or relational hurt.
April 16, 2026
Truly a resource I needed. I never want to shove my opinions/beliefs on anyone. As this book focuses on grace, I too want to be gracious to others. Maybe you have experienced or witnessed church hurt in the past. Maybe you don’t want to hold on to it but want work through it. Maybe you don’t know where to start. I’d highly recommend After Church Hurt by Timothy St. John. If you feel like reading this review and feel this book may help you, I would like to gift a copy to the first person to comment that is interested.
Personally, I witnessed several friends experience church hurt. Bitterness absolutely grabbed ahold of me and tries to hang on. Anxiety has caused me to be weary of opening up to a new church where hurt of my own or witnessing could happen again. It’s through reading this resource that I’ve come to understand more of myself and how I’ve processed my own experiences. One quote I’ll give from the introduction was a good reminder, “While the wounds run deep, God’s redemptive love for us can never be thwarted or even interrupted.”. Now you may ask the whys. Why is a place (church) that is supposed to be full of grace, love, forgiveness, and compassion have people experiencing hurt? The simple answer: sin. We are all sinners with the ability to hurt one another. The more detailed answers is very much covered by Tim. So, I truly hope you will consider reading After Church Hurt. Maybe not today or tomorrow, but I pray for someday.
I would like to extend the utmost gratitude to @newgrowthpress for the gifted copy. @timstjohn
Personally, I witnessed several friends experience church hurt. Bitterness absolutely grabbed ahold of me and tries to hang on. Anxiety has caused me to be weary of opening up to a new church where hurt of my own or witnessing could happen again. It’s through reading this resource that I’ve come to understand more of myself and how I’ve processed my own experiences. One quote I’ll give from the introduction was a good reminder, “While the wounds run deep, God’s redemptive love for us can never be thwarted or even interrupted.”. Now you may ask the whys. Why is a place (church) that is supposed to be full of grace, love, forgiveness, and compassion have people experiencing hurt? The simple answer: sin. We are all sinners with the ability to hurt one another. The more detailed answers is very much covered by Tim. So, I truly hope you will consider reading After Church Hurt. Maybe not today or tomorrow, but I pray for someday.
I would like to extend the utmost gratitude to @newgrowthpress for the gifted copy. @timstjohn
April 20, 2026
There IS an After Church Hurt although while going through it, it may not feel like it.
Tim St. John, with a focus on grace, provides advice that we all should hear, whether or not we’ve experienced church hurt or feel led to help others through it.
I totally recommend this book.
Tim St. John, with a focus on grace, provides advice that we all should hear, whether or not we’ve experienced church hurt or feel led to help others through it.
I totally recommend this book.
May 15, 2026
4.5⭐️ - incredibly tender and compassionate read for those who have been hurt by the church. You can tell the author wants readers to feel seen and heard. Great biblical points combined with practical ways to process and grieve.
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews