Churches, pastors, and Christians have a vital role to play in responding to domestic and family violence. Positioned at the heart of faith communities, they are often among the first to hear when someone is experiencing abuse. Yet too often, they lack the training and resources to respond safely and effectively.
That’s why we created SAFER — to equip churches and Christian leaders with the tools they need to recognise abuse, respond with care, and support safety, dignity and healing for all.
The Reality We Face
Domestic and family violence is a pervasive, hidden epidemic affecting people across the world, across Australia, and within our own communities. Domestic and family violence often unfolds in silence, hidden behind closed doors, yet its impact is deeply traumatic and far-reaching.
While many churches have come a long way in acknowledging the reality of domestic and family violence and are beginning to recognise its signs, there is still a significant journey ahead in being fully equipped to respond in trauma-informed, safe, and preventative ways. The path forward involves deeper equipping, safer responses, and a stronger commitment to prevention.
What Is This Resource?
SAFER is an online resource developed by Common Grace to support churches, pastors, and Christian leaders in responding well to domestic and family violence. It explains what abuse looks like, outlines its many forms, and offers practical guidance on safety planning and supporting victim-survivors. It also calls perpetrators to take responsibility and seek change.
Built on trauma-informed, best-practice principles, SAFER helps ministry leaders recognise abuse and respond with compassion and care — confronting attitudes and practices that too often silence or minimise violence.
Developed in consultation with experts across social work, mental health, family violence services, and Christian ministry, SAFER is an evidence-based, trusted resource for churches wanting to become safer communities.
Why This Resource?
The statistics are confronting: on average, one woman is killed every nine days by a current or former partner in Australia, and around two in five women have experienced intimate partner violence.
While SAFER focuses on men’s violence against women — which accounts for the majority of intimate partner violence — Common Grace opposes all forms of family violence.
Domestic and family violence exists in every part of society, including within the Church. It crosses denominational lines and theological backgrounds. It is highly likely that both victim-survivors and people who use violence are present in our congregations.
The 2016 Victorian Royal Commission into Family Violence made specific recommendations for faith communities. It found that while many faith leaders are deeply committed to responding to domestic and family violence, they often lack the training and knowledge needed to recognise abuse and respond safely and effectively.
SAFER exists to close this gap — equipping churches to be places of refuge, healing, and justice.
SAFER is dedicated to anyone who has suffered from domestic and family violence, and especially to those whom the church has failed.
A Note for Survivors
SAFER contains descriptions of domestic and family violence that may be distressing, especially for those with lived experience.
Your wellbeing matters. Engage with this resource in whatever way feels safe. Take breaks or stop if you need to.
If you feel overwhelmed, please reach out to trusted support people or professional services.
Acknowledgements
SAFER began in 2017 through the leadership of the Domestic & Family Violence Justice Team at Common Grace. We honour those who laid the foundation and those who have contributed to its ongoing impact, including Natalie Lammas Williams, Caryn Rogers, Erica Mandi Manga (née Hammence), Felicity Errington, Rachel Neary, Jessica Carroll Smith, and Kylie Maddox Pidgeon.
We thank Anglican Deaconess Ministries and St Barnabas Anglican Church, Broadway for their generous financial support, enabling SAFER to remain freely accessible.
In 2025 the current Common Grace Domestic and Family Violence Justice Working Group began updating SAFER.
