LaGrave is a very large church. If you’ve looked at our website’s leadership page, you may realize that you know only a few of the many staff members who serve our congregation. It’s likely that even fewer are familiar with the many committees that help make LaGrave a faithful and thriving church. The LiveSafe Committee is one of those important groups.
When it comes to measuring success in church ministry, perhaps the best standard is this: Does our ministry reflect the heart of our Savior, Jesus Christ? Christ came “to heal the brokenhearted” (Luke 4:18), and the mission of LiveSafe is to quietly and faithfully create a place where all people can feel the healing love of Jesus.
To that end, LaGrave commissioned the LiveSafe Committee with the following mission:
Motivated by Christ’s love, LiveSafe’s mission is to:
● Create a safe place where abuse victims and concerned others can break their silence
● Respond with confidential, honest, and non-judgmental listening
● Provide those affected by abuse with resources and connect them with trusted community partners
● Raise awareness and empower our congregation with knowledge
Motivated by this mission, the LiveSafe Committee partnered with SafeHaven Ministries in 2019 to become a Certified Church Against Domestic Violence. SafeHaven is a faith-based nonprofit that works tirelessly to end domestic abuse in Kent County.
Part of the certification process involved developing and implementing church policies that protect the vulnerable and ensure a loving, faithful response when allegations of abuse arise. This has been careful and deliberate work. Most recently, LaGrave enacted a Child Protection Policy, which went into effect on June 1, 2025.
To maintain our status as a certified church, we continue to partner with SafeHaven to raise awareness about abuse and promote a culture of care.
Upcoming Opportunity
On Tuesday, August 6, from 9:00–11:00am, SafeHaven is offering a Church Connect: Breakfast & Coffee event. At this gathering, you’ll:
- Learn about the biblical call to stand against abuse
- Discover how to pray for those affected
- Receive practical tools for referring someone who is in an abusive relationship
If you are interested in attending with us, please email livesafe@lagrave.org to express your interest.
We hope you’ll join us.
Respectfully submitted on behalf of the LiveSafe Team,
Rev. Tricia Bosma