The news site of the Anglican Church Southern Queensland: nourishing and connecting our faith community

Domestic and family violence

Tuesday May 13

Red Bench Launch and Courageous Conversation with Kate Crowley Smith

Hear from Kate, founder of Broken to Brilliant. Through her personal story, Kate will share how she moved from brokenness to brilliance — and how we, as a community, can support and empower others. Entry by donation towards ‘Broken to Brilliant’. RSVP by 5.30pm Thursday 15 May. See more.

A woman and an Archbishop standing in front of a cathedral's limestone bricks

Q&A with Domestic and Family Violence Advisor, researcher, committed Christian and mum, Kylie Walls

Meet Kylie Walls and find out about the importance of Domestic and Family Violence Prevention Month, how she thinks parishes can support the response to domestic and family violence, what her favourite Bible scripture is and what makes her nostalgic

Evensong — Standing Against Domestic Violence

Join us for a special Evensong service dedicated to raising awareness about Domestic and Family Violence (DFV) and standing in solidarity with those affected. This reflective service offers a space for prayer, lament, and hope as we seek justice, healing and peace for individuals, families, and communities impacted by DFV. Event hosted by St John’s Cathedral and the ACSQ Domestic and Family Violence Working Group. Free event. See more.

Four people standing around a large pledge for signing

The Ten Commitments — the journey to date

“It has been more than 20 months since I started as the Anglican Church Southern Queensland’s Domestic and Family Violence Project Officer, so this seems like a good time to reflect on progress and achievements to date,” says Jenny Clark

Toddler in the 1970s about to blow out birthday cake candles with grandmother sitting next to him

Q&A with amateur entomologist, cello player, karate black belt and professional missiologist, Dr Stephen Harrison

Meet Stephen Harrison from Anglicare Southern Queensland and find out about his faith journey, secret skill, his thoughts on Reconciliation, what makes him nostalgic, what local Anglican inspires him the most, what encounter recently surprised him, and how your parish or ministry can support Anglicare Sunday

Anglican Church Southern Queensland the first faith organisation to pledge “Not Now, Not Ever. Together”

The Anglican Church Southern Queensland is the first faith organisation to take a state-wide pledge demonstrating their commitment to preventing domestic and family violence at Synod, joining dozens of other organisations in the prominent cross-sector campaign

Addressing Church stereotypes, silence, blaming and lack of recognition

“Jan’s grief around her marriage ‘being broken’ and her beliefs that she had ‘betrayed’ her marriage vows and ‘broken her promises’ to God were profoundly influential in her initial inability to accept the priest’s help offered to her. These beliefs were grounded in what some parts of the Church espoused regarding the role of the Church, the Bible, the ‘sanctity of marriage’ and family,” says The Ven. Dr Lucy Morris, Chair of the ACSQ’s Domestic and Family Violence Working Group

Jenny Clark (ACSQ Domestic and Family Violence Project Officer) and The Ven. Dr Lucy Morris (ACSQ Domestic and Family Violence Working Group Chair) outside St John’s Cathedral in 2023

Making the invisible visible

“Domestic and family violence remains a difficult issue for many in the Church. It’s an uncomfortable concept that is incongruous for those who value peace, love and care. And because of this we can develop a blind spot to this issue within our own families, workplaces, social networks, and indeed in our church communities,” says new Domestic and Family Violence Working Group chair The Ven. Dr Lucy Morris

Anglicare Southern Queensland Chief Operating Officer for Children, Youth and Families Jason Ware

Anglicare welcomes new Chief Operating Officer

Anglicare Southern Queensland is pleased to welcome Jason Ware as the Chief Operating Officer for Children, Youth and Families

What causes homelessness and what can the community do to help?

“The causes of homelessness vary, but in the current housing crisis, there just isn’t enough housing for everyone…we have many callers who are unemployed or owned their own home, but can no longer afford this and cannot fin an alternative,” says Rees Maddren from Anglicare Southern Queensland

Get on top of your health this Men’s Health Week

During Men’s Health Week, we’re encouraged to highlight the importance of men’s health and promote improved wellbeing outcomes for men and boys globally

A red bench was installed and commemorated in May 2023 at St Oswald’s Anglican Church in Banyo

Banyo’s new red bench blessed

“It is important for St Oswald’s Church to increase domestic and family violence awareness as part of our parish’s Mission Action Plan. This plan helps Banyo parishioners implement our commitment to challenging violence, particularly violence within families,” says The Parish of Banyo’s Elizabeth Nunn

Prevention and response to domestic and family violence through the Ten Commitments

“It can sometimes seem as if we are becoming desensitised to domestic murders given the sheer regularity of news stories covering such atrocities. But the February 2020 murder of Hannah Clarke and her three children in Brisbane sent shockwaves throughout the Australian community,” says ACSQ DFV Project Officer Jenny Clark

What is coercive control?

Coercive control is a form of domestic abuse. With May being Domestic and Family Violence Prevention Month in Queensland, this Anglicare Southern Queensland video explains what coercive control looks like and how it can impact those who are affected by it

Ridley College DFV education and training course reflections

May is Domestic and Family Violence Prevention Month in Queensland. Several ACSQ clergy and lay leaders recently completed a free self-paced online Ridley College course on domestic and family violence education and effective responding. Three participants share their course reflections, including Bishop Cam Venables, Carole Danby and Jenny Clark

Michael and Chris: Sleepbus volunteers and St Mark's, Buderim parishioners

Sleeping on the job to serve God

“I became involved with Sleepbus in September last year after listening to an interview on the radio with a Sleepbus volunteer. My husband, Chris, and I relocated from Sydney to Buderim in 2022. After arriving I prayed that the Holy Spirit would lead us to a form of ministry where we could serve others. I believe it was God’s spirit and my sense of Christian social justice that led us to become involved with Sleepbus,” says registered nurse Michael Chittick from St Mark’s, Buderim

Burleigh Heads Anglican Church Red Bench unveiling

Parish of Burleigh Heads helping to change the ending

Burleigh Heads Anglican Church recently installed a Red Bench in partnership with the Red Rose Foundation as they serve to advocate and care for women and children impacted by domestic and family violence

ACSQ DFV Project Officer Jenny Clark and The Rev'd Dr Gemma Dashwood

Q&A with new Diocesan DFV Project Officer, mother and active Brisbane community member, Jenny Clark

Meet Jenny Clark and find out about her 2023 work goals, her favourite scripture, what she does in her free time, what she would write on a billboard and her thoughts on the Voice to Parliament

Cathedral Mothers Union group installs red bench

“The idea of having a red bench at the Cathedral began when Betty Taylor, founder of the Red Rose Foundation, was a guest speaker at a Mothers Union gathering in 2021. The Red Rose Foundation works to eliminate domestic and family violence related deaths,” says Secretary of St John’s Cathedral Mothers Union, Glynis Jenkins

ACSQ Domestic and Family Violence Project Officer, Jennifer Clark

ACSQ Domestic and Family Violence Working Group welcomes legislative reforms to strengthen Queensland’s response to coercive control

The ACSQ’s Domestic and Family Violence Working Group has welcomed the first round of legislative reforms to strengthen Queensland’s response to coercive control, which were introduced into Parliament on Friday

A truckie, a farmer, a General Manager and a priest

As World Homelessness Day approaches on 10 October, four Anglican Church Southern Queensland community members share about their experiences of sleeping rough and helping others doing it tough on our streets

St John's Crisis Centre President Diann Eadeh with members of the Order of St John

Q&A with St Margaret’s Old Girl, St John’s Crisis Centre President and Gold Coast Volunteer of the Year, Diann Eadeh

Meet Diann Eadeh and find out about her current projects and goals, her thoughts on NAIDOC Week and “Being Together: Embracing Joy”, how St Margaret’s helped equip her for a life of service, how St John’s Crisis Centre and St Peter’s, Southport are working together to support mothers and children, and what person of faith inspires her the most and why