DALLAS – The Collin County Council on Family Violence (CCCFV), an initiative of the Junior League of Collin County, is hosting its 4th Annual Interfaith Symposium, at Collin College – Preston Ridge Campus on April 25. This year’s symposium initiative is A Faith Community Response to Family Violence: When Faith Hurts; When Faith Helps; When Faith Heals.
While family violence has no boundaries specific to gender, race, or economics when identifying its victims, the Center for Disease Control and Prevention and the National Institute of Justice report that one in four women in the U.S. have experienced violence in her lifetime by a spouse, boyfriend, or family member.
Dallas Mayor, Mike Rawlings, brought heightened awareness to this issue by hosting a citywide rally against domestic violence. Rawlings challenged both key leaders and faith communities to be better educated on the warning signs and issues of domestic violence, to take a firm stand against it, and make resources readily available to individuals and families in need of help.
Jennifer Jamieson, President of the Junior League of Collin County, noted “The CCCFV Interfaith Symposium provides a safe place to have open dialogue and ask questions as leaders from our diverse local faith community explore this difficult subject matter. Because people turn to their faith communities in times of need, the CCCFV, is focused on providing faith communities with facts and resources to prepare our faith community to respond to family violence in a way that is helpful and healing.”
Noted author and speaker, June Hunt, will conclude the symposium with a message on domestic violence. Hunt, who holds a M.A. in counseling, has insightfully provided biblical hope and practical help to countless individuals through her daily broadcast programs, Hope for the Heart and Hope in the Night. Hope for the Heart, Hunts world-wide biblical counseling ministry serves over 60 countries in 27 languages with much needed resources that address the definitions, characteristics, causes, and solutions for some of life’s most difficult issues.
Domestic violence and wife abuse have long been subjects that Hunt has taught on and has publically spoken against. “It burdens me when I hear the rising statistics associated with family violence,” shares Hunt. In most cases, domestic and family violence involve years of emotional trauma, as well as physical injuries. More than often, the emotional trauma is even more severe. Exposure to family violence has a devastating impact on everyone involved, including children who are experiencing it directly. Today, family violence occurs in Christian homes, just as much as any other home. It’s important that faith leaders understand the depth of this issue, choose to stand against it, and offer help and healing to victims, and their offenders.
Mark Hundley will moderate the Interfaith Symposium. Hundley, is a therapist, consultant, speaker and best-selling author of Awaken to Good Mourning, Simply the Best, and Fear? Not! He is the co-founder of The Journey of Hope Grief Support Center in Plano, TX and of the McKinney Counseling Services in McKinney.
Collin College – Preston Ridge Campus is located at 9700 Wade Boulevard in Frisco and registration begins at 7:30 a.m. Symposium program is scheduled for 8:30 a.m. – 3:30 p.m. Cost to attend is $20 and includes a light breakfast, lunch, and materials.
To register, visit www.CCC-FV.org.
