We here at the nonprofit, faith-based urban youth ministry outreach, The Jesus Party, believe wholeheartedly in the efforts to raise awareness to the problem of child abuse. For years we have acknowledged the month of April as National Child Abuse Awareness Month.

The blue-ribbon campaign is a wonderful way to promote the awareness that 3 million children are abused each year. Between 3 and 10 million more witness acts of domestic violence.

Most health professionals acknowledge different types of abuse, such as physical, sexual and emotional, but stop short of spiritual neglect. That is why our ministry has become involved in the various national anti-violence campaigns.

We encourage local churches to become more involved in this effort and pick up the slack of most physicians and social workers in the area of promoting spirituality as part of the solution. We believe that if our spiritual house is in order, then everything else will naturally fall into place.

The Rev. Douglas and Sonia Taylor, Lewiston