Clergy and Leaders

How can my church help?

1. Make a financial commitment to support AVA.

2. Promote the AVA Project by showing the AVA video during a Sunday worship service and/or in small groups.

3. Find an AVA Regional Coordinator to facilite clergy and leadership training.
   

4. Encourage clergy to speak out against domestic and sexual violence from the pulpit.

5. Encourage youth leaders to talk about teen dating violence and nonviolent conflict resolution.

6. Offer pre-marital counseling that includes discussions on equality, conflict resolution, violence and control.

7. Provide and refer to outside domestic violence and sexual abuse resources

8. Host open forum discussions to discuss abuse centered on the AVA video.

9. Develop a relationship with the local domestic violence organization providing:

• volunteers

• material donations

• hotel and transportation vouchers

• spiritual guidance

    10. Create an annual domestic violence awareness day or month with staff from local domestic violence agencies.

    11. Develop an AVA committee or ministry to address domestic and sexual violence.

• complete 40 hour training

• complete AVA training

• develop church statement on nonviolent relationship

• develop small groups for victims and survivors 

     12.  Develop prayer teams.

A Commentary on Faith and Family Violence

A commentary written by Rev. Marie M. Fortune, an ordained minister in the United Church of Christ and Founder of FaithTrust Institute.

Commentary-on-religious-issues-in-family-violence.pdf

Dos and Don'ts

Click here for a link the the AVA brochure entitled "Dos & Dont's of Domestic Violence for Clergy: empowering clergy to become partners on the journey to safety and healing."

What churches can do

Click here for a link to this resource