In October (just two months away!) we will again be offering our Partners in the Journey training for pastors and church staff and social workers and EVERYONE who wants to know more about domestic abuse, intimate partner violence and how to help someone in that situation.
This two-day training covers all the basics of starting a support group and provides 6 CEU’s for those who are interested in learning more about the impact of domestic violence on families and individuals.
Here’s a quick seminar description:
- Starting a faith-based DV support group: structure, format, getting the word out
- Dynamics of support groups: team approach
- Curriculum and resources
- Identifying and handling issues within the support group
- Providing guidance and spiritual direction for DV victims
- Understanding faith issues in DV situation
- Understanding the impact of the victim’s concept of God in their healing process
- What is domestic violence: types of abuse, cycle of abuse
- Profile of an abuser and signs of abuse
- Profile of a victim: why does she stay?
- Effects on children
- Do’s and don’ts of counseling/ signs of change
- Helper versus rescuers
Our support groups are critical for women who are still in the abusive relationship, for those who have recently escaped, for those who have escaped and then returned AND for those who have been free of abuse for years but still feel the wounds of abuse.
I am beginning my ninth year of leading a support group for these women. It has really truly been a blessing since November 2015, just eighteen months after I escaped from an abusive marriage myself. When I was invited to take this training for leading a support group, my first reaction was, “Me? Seriously?” How could God use someone like me, so very wounded, bitter, broken and covered with PTSD from head to toe?
And yet….here I am all those years later. I’m so thankful that we’ve been able to counsel and support so many women in these groups. I’ve lost count of the women who have joined us for a season of severe pain and confusion. I know that I’ve sat in that circle of support and healing with way more than one hundred women over the years – some for just a time and some for years.
I never know for sure who will join us, or how many, or what stories we will hear from each other. Our group meets weekly, and last week we had eight women in our support group: four of them still living with their abusive husbands, two of them separated from the abuser and two divorced. Some of the women had seen each other before and we had one new woman join us.
After a time of greetings and hugs, we prayed and welcomed the Lord into our time and reviewed the common courtesy rules, including the rules about the tissue box, which is deserving of its own blog post…
Every support group is different, based on the needs of the women who attend. I’m usually prepared to teach about the different types of abuse, healthy boundaries, or how to identify the “fools” in their lives. These topics are all covered in our Support Group Leaders Guide which is available for sale to anyone who attends our Partners in the Journey training.
Although educating the women about abuse is important, so is the time for sharing their stories. For the most part, women in abusive relationships are isolated from supportive communities such as church small groups or Bible studies. Often times even their families and friends are not aware of their situations at home and are not supportive even if they do know about the abuse.
In our support groups, these women feel heard and understood. They feel affirmed and validated. They hear other women’s stories and know they are not as alone as they thought they were. They are given the opportunity to ask clarifying questions and glean from the experience of others. One of our rules is that we don’t tell anyone what to do, but maybe the Holy Spirit will use our stories to help others make those difficult decisions.
Without a doubt, these support groups are critical to women who need a safe environment to process their pain and celebrate their victories. It is always the Lord Jesus Christ who brings the healing, but we are thankful for the part that we are blessed to play in that healing.
Will you consider whether the Lord might be calling you to learn more about domestic abuse and how to start a support group in your area, in your church, in your community? Please pray about connecting with us today.
https://www.focusministries1.org/training/partners-journey
God bless you as you walk with Him today, wherever the journey leads.