The church has a unique opportunity to reach into torn and battered families
and offer hope through the redemptive and restorative work of Jesus Christ.
While some people have turned to the church and found immediate acceptance
and unconditional love from compassionate people, others have been severely
wounded by the insensitivity and judgmental attitudes of toxic churches where
guilt, manipulation, fear and shame abound.
Is your church a safe place? Here are some suggestions to help make your
church a haven where victims of domestic violence can come for help.
- Display brochures and posters which include the telephone number of
the domestic violence programs in your area. When a victim contacts a pastor
or lay leader, be prepared with current referral information for Christian
counselors who specialize in trauma.
- Provide ways for members of the church to learn as much as they can
about domestic violence. Routinely include information in monthly newsletters,
on bulletin boards, and in marriage preparation classes. Sponsor educational
seminars on violence against women in your congregation.
- Church leaders need to speak out about domestic violence from the pulpit.
They can have a powerful impact on people’s attitudes and beliefs.
- Volunteer to serve on the board of directors at the local domestic violence
program or attend training to become a crisis volunteer.
- Offer meeting space for educational seminars or weekly support groups
or serve as a supervised visitation site where parents can safely visit
their children.
- Include your local domestic violence program in donations and community
service projects. Adopt a shelter for which your church provides material
support, or provide similar support to families as they rebuild their lives
following a shelter stay.
- Do the scriptural homework necessary to better understand and respond
to family violence and receive training from professionals in the field
of domestic violence.
- If you suspect violence is occurring in a relationship, speak privately
to each member of the couple. Help the victim plan for safety. Let both
individuals know of the community resources available to assist them. Do
not attempt couple’s counseling.
- Encourage and support training and education for clergy and lay leaders,
hospital and military chaplains, and seminary students to increase awareness
about domestic violence.
- Encourage continued efforts by churches to address allegations of abuse
by their leaders to insure that they are a safe resource for victims and
their children.
For additional information on this complex issue, including immediate
resources for those being abused, log onto www.focusministries1.org.
(Adapted in part from the Nebraska Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault
Coalition and the Center for the Prevention of Sexual and Domestic Violence,
Seattle, WA)
© 2008
Good News Tucson
