DV Sunday

Thank you to all who joined us in person and online for our ANZAC themed Church Service last Sunday. Thanks again to Commodore Jim Dickson for sharing with us some of his wisdom and experiences in the NAVY.
 
This Sunday we are focussing on DV Awareness. We are joining with the Anglican Church all over Australia to highlight the issue of domestic violence affecting people in our churches and celebrate the work the church is doing to prevent and respond to those who suffer.
 
Research commissioned by the Anglican Church of Australia found that more than 1 in 3 women and 1 in 7 men in our churches are impacted by some form of violence in their home. It also found that very few victims felt they could approach the church for help or that their minister would respond with support. (I was once in their shoes!).
 
The Anglican church has made Ten Commitments to prevent and respond to DV, beginning with training leaders and clergy, Creating resources to change church culture, Lead national prayer, advocacy, and awareness campaigns, and launching programs to help churches respond well and prevent harm. But the work has only just begun. Addressing domestic violence is a generational piece of work because even now, many children are growing up in homes where they witness domestic violence. We have a great deal of work to do.

DV AWARE SUNDAY gives our church an opportunity to shine a light on the problem and to share the hope of God’s good news for those who suffer.
 
We read in Luke 4: 14-21 of Christ's proclamation of his good news: that God sees and cares for those impacted by injustice and suffering and declares that such injustice has no place in the kingdom of God. As a church, we also want to be those who see and care for those impacted by domestic violence and to work together to create a future where everyone is safe, respected, and enabled to flourish as God intended. 
 
Let’s bring hope, shed light and say with one voice that domestic violence has no place in our homes, our relationships and in our churches.
 
See you on Sunday.
Love and Peace,
Rev Tanya