Wednesday, July 8, 2:00-5:00 p.m.

Presenters: Ron and Karen Flowers
with Bryan Craig, Audray Johnson, Judith Musvosvi.

Presentation: Meeting the Global Challenge of Abuse and Violence in Families and Religious Settings: Practical Ways Faith Communities Can Contribute to an Effective Response

Part I: Confronting Demons: Finding a Pathway towards Healing.
Hear the stories of one faith community’s journey out of denial and into positive action. Put faces on the statistics. Learn practical steps toward:
• Facing the hard reality of violence and abuse in your congregation.
• Formulating policies and dealing with systemic and administrative resistance.
• Training clergy and pastoral leaders for a caring and helpful response.
• Providing immediate and practical support.
• Connecting families experiencing abuse and violence with the full network of community services available.
• Making your church a safe place.

Part II: Exposing Myths: Empowering the Community.
Create a vision for how your faith community can become a beacon of hope which enables individuals and families experiencing abuse and violence to:
• Develop the interpersonal skills needed to enjoy healthy relationships.
• Understand God’s creation intent for marriage and family and its incompatibility with abuse and violence.
• Embrace healthy, positive attitudes and practices about human sexuality.
• Learn how biblical teachings about matters such as human worth, justice, forgiveness, submission, suffering, and reconciliation can risk-proof individuals, couples, and families against abuse and violence and hold perpetrators accountable.
• Celebrate the success of one NGO in Zimbabwe which is making a real difference..

Thursday, July 9, 3:15-6:00 p.m.

Presenters: Ron & Karen Flowers
with Bryan Craig, Audray Johnson, Judith Musvosvi

Presentation: Meeting the Global Challenge of Abuse and Violence in Families and Religious Settings: A Dialogue on How Your Faith Community Can Take Bold Steps Toward Better Prevention and Intervention

Part I: A Dialogue with Seasoned Professionals with Experience to Share On:
• Discovering “what is,” i.e. the nature and prevalence of the problem in your setting.
• Establishing appropriate policies and protocols at all levels of church organization.
• Identifying the network of support services in your community.
• Readying clergy for their unique place in the network of support.
• Taking practical steps toward making your church a safe place.

Part II: A Dialogue Continued on:
• Addressing the crisis of faith that often follows in the wake of abuse and violence in families.
• Meeting the challenge of toxic religion with a theological reframe.
• Moving your faith community from first-order into second-order change.
• Transforming an “ounce of prevention” into a “pound of cure.”
• Harnessing the strength of an established global network of churches toward meeting the goals of WHO global initiatives.

This page has been updated on 24.06.2009.