Creating a Safe Place - Book 4 – Part 2-C: How a faith community can help

Creating a Safe Place:
Encourage to Change

Family Peacemaking Materials for Clergy, Lay Leaders, Staff & Laity

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Manual Overview

BOOK I: Faith Community Curriculum for Clergy and Lay Leaders

BOOK II: Family Violence: Helping Survivors and Abusers
A Manual for Faith Communities

BOOK III: Pastor’s Packet: Family Violence Awareness Materials for Pastors

BOOK IV: Curriculum for Laity
Part 1-A Opening Comments
  - Honor survivors in attendance
  - Definitions
  - Incidence of battering
  - Violence in scripture
Part 1-B Dynamics
  - Power and control
  - Why people stay
Part 1-C Myths
Part 1-D Questions & Answers,   Discussion
Part 2-A Opening Comments
  - Questions or thoughts
    from last segment
Part 2-B How Individuals
   Can Help
  - Victim/survivors
  - Abusers
  - Teens and children
Part 2-C How Faith Communities
  Can Help
Part 2-D Closure: The Good   Samaritan
Participant Handouts

Part 2-C: How a faith community can help

Desired Time

10 to 15 minutes

Purpose

To emphasize what the congregation has already done
To introduce suggested actions faith communities can take
To emphasize the importance of ongoing actions to assure sustainability

Strategies

Overview of handout
Presentation by member outlining what the faith community has already done
Introduce other actions the faith community can take with practical suggestions

Materials

Handouts: "Guidelines for Creating a Safe Place in Your Faith Community" (pdf 500KB), and "How to Create a Safe Place in Your Faith Community" (pdf 520KB)

Content

Discussion of what faith community has already done
Introduce other actions the faith community can take with practical suggestions

Tips

Encourage members to share peace-making activities the faith community has already done.
Emphasize that successful creation of a safe place is dependent on the ability of faith community members to respond supportively and with insight.

What congregations can do

Introduce guidelines handouts on what congregations can do: "Guidelines for Creating a Safe Place in Your Faith Community" (pdf 500KB)and "How to Create a Safe Place in Your Faith Community" (pdf 520KB) and briefly review.