 |
|
|
Stories of Hope and Inspiration After Violence Response from a Police Officer1: What are Phil’s greatest needs at this time in his life? Phil needs all of the available resources (public and civil organizations) to help him gain more confidence and the strength he needs and wants for him to make a living and provide a decent life for himself and his family. He is human and he has dignity and respect so we all should chip in to help him out. There are civil and private organizations, public organizations, business groups, etc. that could also pitch in to help by mentoring/coaching him to become more stable and confident with himself, and with offering resume assistance in order to apply for better paying jobs to make a better way of life for himself, his family and others. 2: What might a local congregation offer to a man in Phil’s situation? Hope, trust, faith and belief! A local church could assist him with food and shelter until he gets on his feet. They believe in him and trust him to do the right thing for himself, his family and God. Sometimes you just need that reassurance from someone at the church that really does care and has made a difference in your life. A sense of being included in and with the congregation makes a person feel secure enough to know he will overcome his past and will succeed at life’s challenges. 3: How might pastoral care dovetail with support offered by the faith-based batterer intervention program? If the church community feels comfortable to the batterer then he will make positive changes for himself because he is ready and willing to make those changes. Batterers will be eager to return regularly to intervention programs in order to hear from others in the same group with a variety of different situations, because they are hearing others speak out and learning how to deal with their problems how to become stronger to make positive changes to overcome future problems. 4: What challenges does ministering to a man like Phil present to a religious leader? The challenges for a religious leader would be to make a life commitment to Phil’s faith, church, and family. Another challenge would be to help keep Phil FOCUSED on those important things in life. Officer Donna Browning |
