Is your church a safe place for someone to disclose an abusive relationship?

A guide for responding wisely to domestic abuse in Your 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. Prioritizing 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.

Section 1 of When Home Hurts provides a framework for understanding abuse and the people caught up in it. In Section 2, the authors provide practical guidance for how to respond in the immediate wake of a disclosure or discovery of a home hurting because of domestic abuse: prioritizing the care and safety of the victim, engaging the perpetrator at the appropriate time and in the appropriate way, and responding to the collateral damage of others who are hurting. Section 3 deals with longer-term care considerations for both the victim and the abuser, and how to lead your church to love and care wisely. Several helpful appendices answer FAQs and provide help with issues such as separation, state and national resources, and church policy.

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.