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Sign up for our Domestic Violence Prevention Month Webinar

Thursday 29th May 2025
7:00pm - 8:30pm (AEST)

5pm - 6:30pm (AWST), 6:30pm - 8:00pm (ACST)

For many Christian women experiencing domestic and family violence, the journey to safety is not only painful—it is spiritually complex. Women have found themselves standing at a heartbreaking crossroads, asking: Have I chosen safety at the expense of my faith? When have I chosen 'faith' at the expense of my safety?

These questions expose a deeply rooted tension where spiritual faithfulness is often pitted against personal safety.

In many church communities, messages—spoken or implied—suggest that staying in a relationship, even when it’s violent, is the more faithful path. The pursuit of safety is seen not as an act of faith, but as a step away from it. This false conflict leaves survivors burdened with guilt, shame, and confusion, making it harder to seek help or speak out.

As part of Domestic Violence Prevention Month, this webinar "Crossroads: When safety and safety seem in conflict" will unpack how theology, church culture, and pastoral care have contributed to this painful divide. We’ll explore what it means to stand at the crossroads of faith and safety—and how instead, we can walk a path where a faith lived well promotes safety and flourishing.

Drawing on Scripture and the life of Jesus, we will examine how chosen suffering differs from unjust violence, and how even Jesus took steps to preserve his safety at times. We’ll ask: What does it mean to follow Jesus when the suffering we face is unchosen and unjust? How can churches become places that accompany women at these crossroads with wisdom, grace, and justice?

Together, we’ll confront the harmful messages that have left women feeling trapped, and explore a faith that makes room for safety, agency, and dignity. This webinar is for anyone seeking a more compassionate and theologically grounded response to domestic and family violence—one that recognises survivors not as failures of faith, but as faithful image-bearers navigating unimaginable terrain.

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This Webinar is hosted by Ellaina Welsman, Erica Mandi Manga, Dr Jenny Richards, Todd Darvas, and Victoria.

Ellaina Welsman is the Domestic and Family Violence Justice Coordinator & Community Engagement Manager at Common Grace. 

Erica Mandi Manga is the Young Adults Pastor at Castle Hill Anglican Church, is part of the Common Grace Domestic and Family Violence Justice Working Group and a key spokesperson for Common Grace. 

Dr Jenny Richards is a Senior Lecturer in Law in the College of Business Government and Law at Flinders University, and former criminal lawyer and she a member of the Common Grace Domestic and Family Violence Justice Working Group 

Todd Darvas is the Lead Pastor of H3O Church on the Northern Beaches of Sydney, and a family lawyer at Horizons Family Law Centre, a community legal centre specialising in domestic and family violence law, and is also a member of Common Grace’s Domestic and Family violence Working Group. 

Victoria

Victoria works in Education and Wellbeing at a girls’ school in Sydney. A survivor of domestic and family violence, she is passionate about supporting others in church communities. She’s committed to teaching teens about respectful relationships and red flags, and advocates for regular church-based education on domestic and family violence To help drive this change, she has joined Common Grace’s DFV Working Group.

Sign up to join Crossroads: When safety and faith seem in conflict and be part of Common Grace’s vision for a world where every home, church and community is a place of nurture, safety, and support—and where violence against women is no more.

This Webinar will be recorded and sent to people who register. 

Do you need support?

The following Domestic and Family Violence support services are available: