Several resources on how to preach on the topic of domestic violence, things to keep in mind, and samples of sermons from Sojourners 100 sermons.
Sermon Resources:
We must find the time to preach on domestic violence in our churches. Those who continue to live in situations of abuse must know there is no excuse for violence, in any of our relationships, and especially the relationships with our spouses and children.
When sermons are being crafted on the topic of domestic violence, consider the following (modified list from Faith Trust Institute):
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Those who have been victimized often need to hear that the abuse is not their fault, and not God's will.
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They also need to hear that they are not alone and that help is available.
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Let them know that without intervention, abuse often escalates in frequency and severity over time.
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Those who are in domestic violence situations should not be in couples counseling, instead refer to a specialized domestic violence counseling program.
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Let them know there are shelters, safe homes, and advocacy resources available.
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Don't minimize the abusive behavior.
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If you preach on reconciliation for an abusive relationship, always make sure that it is always in the context of accountability, justice and a coordinated community response for those who are victimized (click here to learn more about a coordinated community response).
Here are a few sermon samples on preaching about abuse:
- Rev. Colin Vander Ploeg preached this excellent sermon in January 2020 at Bethany CRC.
- Safe Church Staff member, Eric Kas preached this sermon in October 2019 titled From Cover-up Families to Citites of Self-Interest.
To give you more ideas for your sermons, you may visit SOJO.NET/100SERMONS.
Sojourners is an organization committed to racial and social justice, life and peace, and environmental stewardship. Back when #MeToo went viral in 2017, the movement paved the way for #ChurchToo and #SilenceIsNotSpiritual, hashtags that insisted that because Christians are not immune to perpetrating sexual and domestic violence, they must actively denounce it.
Christians all across the spectrum spoke out online against abuse. So Sojourners became curious and asked this question: will faith leaders be willing to elevate the conversation from Twitter to the pulpit?
They invited pastors and parishioners to send them sermons on domestic and sexual violence, hoping to have 100 sermons by the end of the year. In just a few months they had nearly 150. Go to their SOJO.NET/100SERMONS to read quotes from each sermon, and learn how you can begin making your church a safer sanctuary for survivors. You can search by location, scripture, or denomination.
Disclaimer: Please note that the link to SOJO.NET/100Sermons is included here for information purposes and ideas only and does not constitute an endorsement of every sermon included in this collection.