Changing The Story – Equipping The Church To Take Action and End Domestic Abuse

To celebrate the launch of the Gender Justice programme, Equipping the Church To Take Action and End Domestic Abuse, and the formation of Survivors Changing The Story Groups, we are delighted to host two 1-day conferences on:-

Friday 15th September in Seagoe Parish Centre, Portadown, BT63 5HS
https://www.eventbrite.ie/e/changing-the-story-conference-tickets-632693281637

Saturday 16 th September in Kilternan Parish Centre, Dublin, D18 ET99

https://www.eventbrite.ie/e/changing-the-story-conference-dublin-tickets-637371995797

You are warmly invited to attend one of these events.

 

Canon Jen McWhirter, Mothers’ Union All-Ireland PRO for the Southern Dioceses says:-

“This is a very important and exciting step for Mothers’ Union in Ireland  – together we have built a campaign from the ground upwards as this recent comment illustrates….

‘What Mothers’ Union has done is amazing. Ten years ago gender based violence was nowhere on our church radar and now it is right up there in the forefront. You are singlehandedly responsible for this. You are the people who have brought this to our attention, You have made us sit up and stirred us into action. Now we need to engage …….’ 

Be assured the ripple effect of what you do is making a real difference.

‘Let us love not with words and talk, but with actions and in reality!’ 1 John 3: 18

 

God’s love is ever present. As we assist in lifting the weight off shoulders of victims, survivors and their families may we feel encouraged and empowered through this call of intentional discipleship.”

Changing the Story is being facilitated by Mothers’ Union and hosted in collaboration with Restored, Tearfund Ireland, Bishops’ Appeal, Mind Matters, Kintsugi Hope, Priorities Fund, Safeguarding Church of Ireland, and the Church’s Ministry for Healing. The conferences are dedicated to equipping the church and communities through encouraging awareness, developing confidence, and nurturing the healing and wellbeing of survivors and much more besides……
The Changing the Story conferences bring together agencies working positively in Ireland to tackle domestic abuse and we are privileged to have as our guest keynote speakers two ladies with great expertise in this area – Bekah Legg, CEO, RESTORED and Revd Dr Helen Paynter, theologian, and author.
We invite you to register for a Changing The Story event today and be a part of the
empowering conversations that will be taking place. Help us spread the message of
tackling domestic abuse and join us in celebrating the progress we have made!
Every gift, every action, every prayer, every one of us can change lives. Encouragement, exploration and restoration await us…

Tickets available on Eventbrite at a cost of £15 /€18 each.

Who we are:- Mothers’ Union is a Christian mission organisation with 4m members supporting families and communities in Ireland and the UK, in 84 countries around the world. Promoting social justice is key for Mothers' Union: speaking out on issues which adversely affect family life, common threads across different countries are loneliness and isolation, climate change, gender equality, gender-based violence, gender justice, early marriage and tackling poverty.

Bibliography:
Bekah Legg is the CEO of Restored, a Christian charity with a mission to speak
up about violence against women and girls, equip the church to stand against
domestic abuse and support survivors. It hosts an online community for
Christian women who have been subjected to domestic abuse.

A survivor herself, Bekah is committed to helping other men and women find freedom and live life to the full.  Bekah lectures on a biblical understanding of domestic abuse and gender-based violence and has spoken at the UN on the important role the Church can and does play in ending VAWG.

Rev Dr Helen Paynter is a Baptist minister and Old Testament specialist. She works
as Tutor in Biblical Studies at the Bristol Baptist College and is the founding
Director of the Centre for the Study of Bible and Violence
(csbvbristol.org.uk). The CSBV produces resources in the areas of the
interpretation of biblical violence and where the Bible is used to cause
harm. Helen is the author of a number of books, including The Bible Doesn’t Tell

Me So: Why you don’t have to submit to domestic abuse and coercive control.

Mothers’ Union in Ireland is recognised as a Charity by the Revenue Commissioners, 5161

Registered Charity Number –20007331 (Charity Regulatory Authority)
www.mothersunion.ie
www.mothersunion.org

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