We long for all households to be places of nurture, safety and support, where violence against women is eliminated.
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SAFER is a brand new online resource produced to help churches support and prioritise victims of domestic and family violence, and know how to deal with perpetrators.
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Join us for 16 DAYS of Prayer against Domestic & Family Violence with Christians from across Australia.
Read moreIn Australia one in three women experience physical violence in their lifetime. One in six Australian women experience physical or sexual violence from an intimate partner, and one in four experience emotional abuse from a partner.
And these statistics are just the tip of the iceberg of the brutality and horror of this epidemic.
These statistics mean that within churches there are both victims and perpetrators. How the church and Christians respond to them is crucial in seeing justice, healing and transformation. In some cases, churches have responded to domestic & family violence in wonderfully supportive ways for victims. However sadly there have been countless times when the church has let women and children down, and sometimes put them even more at risk through disbelief, minimising the victim’s experience, or staying silent. This inadequate response must not continue.
Jesus always protects the vulnerable and exposes evil. We want to follow the example of Jesus: our model for equal, loving, and mutual human relationships.
We believe that the first instinct of Christians must be a genuine compassion for those who have been harmed in our communities. We at Common Grace hope that we can support churches and faith communities to be equipped to be safe and affirming places for women to disclose abuse. Where justice will be sought, action will be taken and real support offered. Victims need to have confidence that they will be heard and believed. That domestic & family violence will not be excused, that victims will not be blamed.
We recognise that gender inequality lies at the heart of domestic & family violence. That violent attitudes and behaviours have their root in the same place – the abuse of power and control of one person over another.
Common Grace is seeking to educate Christians and equip Churches to ‘get our houses’ in order. We also believe that governments have a major role to play and so we call the Australian government to urgent, well-resourced action.
Let’s stand in solidarity with those affected by domestic and family violence – united for the common good, together, finding common ground and sharing in common grace.
The following Domestic and Family Violence support services are available:
Rev Dr Christine Redwood, Lead Pastor at Seaforth Baptist Church, reflects on the importance of gender equality and power of collaboration for the flourishing of our church and broader communities.
As we mark International Women's Day 2024, Abbey Sim charts a history of women forming community, championing justice and following Jesus.
Northside Baptist Church shares their six-year journey to better recognising and responding to Domestic and Family Violence within faith communities and Christian churches. Northside Baptist is part of a unique community-wide project to respond to and reduce Domestic and Family Violence. Read their story of how this project came about.
May is Domestic Violence Awareness Month. It is a time for all of us to speak up about the dark reality of domestic and family abuse that is far too common in Australia.