When Home Hurts: A Guide for Responding Wisely to Domestic Abuse in Your Church

Author(s):

A pastoral guide to dealing wisely with domestic abuse in the local church.

This book is intended to equip pastors, church leaders and church members to respond with the heart of God to situations of domestic abuse that occur in their local church. Prioritising the safety of the victim at all times, Jeremy Pierre and Greg Wilson seek to help you be the kind of church leader, church member, friend, parent, sibling, or neighbor who responds wisely. We want the church to be a new normal for those grown accustomed to abuse. A home that doesn’t hurt those inside, but instead welcomes them into the tender care of the Lord.

Split into three sections, When Home Hurts begins with an overview to provide a framework for understanding abuse and the people caught up in it, before moving on to advice on how to help in the short and long terms.

This very practical, pastoral book acknowledges the reality and the horror of domestic abuse, but also the reality and power of God to heal. It will be a helpful guide to anyone who suspects abuse within their church family but is unsure how to help without making things worse.

The five appendices at the end of the book offer helpful answers to difficult questions as well as additional resources.

Section 1 – How to Understand Abuse

Understanding Your Role as Agent of God’s Love

Understanding Abuse Dynamics

Discerning Abuse Dynamics

Section 2 – How to Help in the Short Term

Caring for the Victim
Confronting the Abuser
Considering Collateral Damage

Section 3 – How to Help in the Long Term
Helping the Move from Victim to Overcomer
Helping the Move from Abuser to Servant
Leading Your Church to Respond with Wisdom and Compassion
Appendix A – FAQs in the Initial Stages
Appendix B – FAQs on Separation, Divorce, and Reunification After Abuse
Appendix C – The Authority of Scripture and Abuse Research
Appendix D – Resources
Appendix E – Care Advocate Role Description