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Connect 4 Faith focuses on child abuse prevention

Times-News - 9/1/2019

Sep. 1--Abuse isn't something we want to talk about.

As executive director of Connect 4 Faith, which provides training, ministry, resources, connections and advocacy for children, Kelly Stutts knows this firsthand.

"Whenever an incident of child abuse is mentioned, we tend to clam up," Stutts said. "That's the natural reaction. But we have to speak boldly. We have to take action, to talk about it in appropriate ways. It's only through helping people through this that true healing comes."

It was when Stutts had her own children that she noticed a disconnect when it comes to preventing child abuse especially.

"I realized that there was a huge gap in abuse prevention," she said.

She established the Christian nonprofit organization in 2012 and founded the Child Sexual Abuse Prevention Initiative in 2013.

Darkness To Light, a national nonprofit organization, is committed to empowering and educating adults in order to prevent child sexual abuse. Stutts is an authorized Darkness To Light facilitator/instructor.

Nancy Wright, founder of Alamance V.I.P. (seniors are very important people to our Lord and each other), first heard Stutts speak during a meeting of the Trinity Worship Center's book club.

"I felt the Lord nudging me to have Kelly as our speaker for the VIP anniversary reach-out benefit evening," she said.

Wright formed V.I.P. in 2007 to let senior citizens know that "they're still important and they can still make a difference."

In 2000, Wright attended her first V.I.P. meeting with her parents in Danville, Va.

In April 2007, she started organizing the first event to "bring churches throughout Alamance County together. It's not about a church, but it's about 'the church' after all."

Alamance V.I.P. is now in its 12th year and the Anniversary Reach-Out Benefit will be Friday at People's Memorial Christian Church, 247 N.C. 87 North, Elon. Doors open at 5:30 p.m. and dinner is at 6 p.m. for seniors 55 years old and up only; cost is $4 per person. The concert will feature music by Called Out, Jubilation and Jamie Troxler. Admission to the concert is free, but donations for Connect 4 Faith are appreciated.

"God has been going full-throttle with all of us," Wright said of Alamance V.I.P. "It's so amazing."

The purpose of Connect 4 Faith, Stutts said, is "to equip and empower parents and caregivers to go out and protect our children and share the love of Christ. Our mission is to raise awareness."

Connect 4 Faith also partners with Children Matter, which was founded by Deb Diener. The Beary Brave Bear Brigade distributes new teddy bears to groups and organizations that serve children. New teddy bears will be collected during the V.I.P. event as well.

For more details on Alamance V.I.P., call Nancy Wright at 336-269-3844. To find out more about Connect 4 Faith, email Kelly@Connect4Faith.org; visit connect4faith.org; call 336-850-1008 or 336-260-4009.

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