Rev. Matthew Crebbin-Senior Pastor of Newtown Congregational Church/Host of Healing the Healers-Available for Interviews
Healing The Healers
Rev. Matthew Crebbin
Rev. Matthew Crebbin
Senior Pastor of Newtown Congregational Church
Host of Healing the Healers
When mass trauma strikes, faith leaders are called upon to guide and sustain communities through the aftermath. Their role is to help us heal...but who heals the healers?
“Today, for many clergy, the question is not IF we will be called to serve in the midst of physical, emotional, and spiritual violence, but rather WHEN such a call might come.” – Rev. Matthew Crebbin
ABOUT HEALING THE HEALERS
Healing the Healers is a new multimedia resource intended to support clergy, laity, social workers, first responders and other spiritual care providers facing community-level trauma. The five-part film series is accompanied by written reflections and discussion guides written by scholars, clergy and other experts. In the series, Reverend Matthew Crebbin, of Newtown Congregational Church, leads an important conversation with faith leaders who’ve experienced mass trauma, either suddenly, as at Newtown or during 9/11, or through ministering to a community facing chronic violence, such as Hartford, CT, or St. Louis, MO.
ABOUT REV. MATTHEW CREBBIN
Rev. Matthew Crebbin has been Senior Minister at the Newtown Congregational Church, UCC since 2007. Since the events at Sandy Hook Elementary School on December 14, 2012, Rev. Crebbin has worked with a broad coalition of faith leaders in Connecticut and nationally to build bridges of understanding and compassion between diverse communities affected by trauma. He has been a leader in promoting gun safety policies and finding other means locally and nationally to reduce gun violence in all communities and help people of faith to minister more effectively in the midst of trauma.
Rev. Crebbin grew up in the San Francisco Bay Area and is a graduate of the University of California at Berkeley where he received a BA in Legal Studies. He received his M.Div. from Andover Newtown Theological School. When not doing ministry or transporting his children to their various activities, Matthew enjoys music, singing, exercising, enjoying the outdoors and working on endless projects around his house.
SUGGESTED QUESTIONS:
1. What got you into ministry? What was the road that lead you to want to be a pastor?
2. Can you tell us about Dec. 14, 2012?
3. It’s hard to comprehend the impact Sandy Hook had on your community - but what impact did that day have on you and the other faith leaders in Newtown?
4. Why do you think pastors are hesitant to ask for help? Why do you think, as a culture, we are often to not take the emotional and mental health needs of faith-leaders into consideration?
5. Can you share with us about Healing the Healers? What is the heart behind the series?
6. What are some of the topics discussed in the series? Who are some of the other people that you have conversations with in Healing the Healers?
7. What do you hope churches, pastors, and Christians in general take away after watching the film?
8. How can we pray for you, and continue to pray for Newtown?
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Lori Heiselman
FrontGate PR
714-553-5181
email us here
Healing the Healers
