Emotional abuse is one of the most pervasive yet least recognized forms of domestic abuse. Within the Power and Control Wheel, emotional abuse is woven through nearly every tactic an abuser uses—undermining a woman’s confidence, isolating her from support, and slowly eroding her sense of identity. Unlike physical violence, emotional abuse often leaves no visible…
Physical abuse is often imagined as bruises, broken bones, or visible injuries. Yet many women live in homes where violence is expressed through intimidation, destruction, and fear—without a single hand ever being laid on them. A slammed door, a fist through the wall, a shattered plate, or a blocked exit can speak volumes. These acts…
Financial Abuse occurs in 99% of domestic violence cases.
Coercive Control: The Invisible Chains That Bind Coercive control is one of the most devastating—yet often overlooked—forms of domestic abuse. Unlike physical violence, coercive control operates through a pattern of domination, intimidation, and manipulation that slowly strips a woman of her freedom, confidence, and identity. It is the quiet tightening of restrictions, the constant monitoring,…
Sometimes you walk into a church expecting to attend a gathering—and instead, you witness the heart of the Gospel in motion. That is exactly what our time at THE WORD OF GOD Church in Melrose Park, IL felt like. FOCUS Ministries was blessed to spend an evening on August 28, 2026 with a vibrant community…
“That was him, I know it was him,” Little Wife whispered to herself. She peeked into the rear view mirror of the rental car to catch another look at the car that had just passed her by. Big Man had mysteriously appeared at the scene of the car crash two days before. Her phone showed…
This past weekend FOCUS Ministries was blessed to be a part of the Mission Fest at Trinity Lutheran Church in Roselle, Illinois. We are so thankful for their gracious financial partnership over the years! We were happy to have conversations with members of the church before, during and after each of three services. Many of…
One Sunday morning, Little Wife and Big Man went to their church. He gripped her hand tightly as they walked in and smiled brightly at the worshippers greeting them at the door. “Good morning! Good morning! Yes, isn’t it a fine spring morning! Praise the Lord for Sundays in the house of God.” Little…
We are so excited! Our faith-based certification trainings are now available to access on our website! We’ve gone WEBINAR!! Our staff has worked long hours to record our two main faith-based trainings that have only been offered in-person until now. Now, you can register for both trainings online and log in to complete each…
On Monday, the Lord took away all of Little Wife’s cravings for drinking white wine, pink wine, red wine and everything else she drank for years. She looked at the bottles of wine and felt nothing for them, no desire, no anticipation, no comfort, not even a passing interest. She did not tell Big Man….