Domestic Violence: The Faith Community Responds
FaithTrust Institute is a leading partner in the quest to educate and engage faith communities, including churches, in responding effectively to the life-threatening and often lethal scourge of domestic violence that afflicts family and community life in our nation.
Many churches are fearful or uncertain of how to address this universal but all-too-hidden problem. So they remain on the sidelines, doing little or nothing when their involvement is not only gravely needed but resonant with the call of Jesus Christ to save lives as well as souls.
At best, some churches may support local, residential shelters for victims of domestic violence. But more can and must be done to educate members and neighbors of all ages about DV–how to help prevent it and how to respond to it.
The Eastern PA Conference’s new Domestic Violence Committee will sponsor a learning and advocacy seminar on Saturday, Nov. 17, at West Lawn UMC in Reading, from 9 AM to 2 PM. The Rev. Lydia Mulkey from FaithTrust Institute will keynote the event and teach a workshop.
One-hour workshops will focus on:
- Pastoral and Congregational Care: A Faithful Response to Domestic Violence.
- The AMEND program, designed to help men identify beliefs and attitudes that support abusive behaviors, and help them approach relationships with respect, equality and fairness instead.
- Are We Ready for GenZ? How does domestic violence affect the post-millennial, school-age Generation Z? How can we help them understand, prevent and respond to DV in their social environments? A workshop especially for parents, guardians, youth ministers and teens.
We will also provide a planning session and a toolkit of resources to help your church respond to domestic violence in its community.
Register by Nov. 1 and pay only $15. Registration is $20 after Nov. 1. Please register by no later than Nov. 12. Learn more…
In addition, we now have a Domestic Violence Response webpage, with links to information
about this important event and access to registration for it, plus previous articles and resources. We invite you to print and share the flyer and bulletin insert.
Pastors and lay church leaders can learn much about the problem of domestic violence and the roles they can play in ministering to victims and survivors–even perpetrators–and in changing attitudes that underlie the domestic and intimate-partner violence that occurs among adults and youth.
The church is where many victims and survivors of domestic violence and sexual assault turn. But too often they are turned off or turned away by insensitive, confused or ignorant responses by clergy and laity. Many leave and vow to never return.
You can find some helpful articles and other resources on the FaithTrust Institute website. Included there are:
What Individuals Can Do to Respond to Sexual and Domestic Violence and
What Religious Leaders Can Do to Respond to Sexual and Domestic Violence
Also, read and use the UMC Board of Church and Society’s new curriculum, Hidden in Plain Sight: A Call to End Domestic Violence.” This study is designed to give adult education classes, church Bible studies, campus ministries and other small groups the tools to reflect on what the Bible and The United Methodist Church have to say about domestic violence. Learn more…