April 13, 2006 (Seattle, WA) - Lutheran Advocates for Safe Families is hosting a conference, "Creating Sanctuary", exploring the role of faith communities in responding to domestic violence and child abuse
Lutheran Advocates for Safe Families (LASF), a new network of Lutheran Services in America, and the Lutheran Community Foundation are inviting professionals, advocates, educators, clergy, and leaders and congregants of communities of faith to attend their inaugural conference "Creating Sanctuary" in the heart of downtown Seattle, WA at the Renaissance Seattle Hotel on April 25 and April 26, 2006.
"Creating Sanctuary" will focus on the intersection between child abuse, domestic violence, and the role of the faith community. Using a family-focused approach, this conference will address work with perpetrators, survivors and their children, including the use of safe and effective pastoral screening tools.
"Through my personal experience I learned how to live between love and cruelty. Through my professional experience I learned that to bear witness to abuse and violence requires courage and determination. This inaugural conference is a tremendous opportunity to bring together national practitioners, survivors and leaders to focus on central faith issues raised by domestic violence and child abuse, and our response to the impact of family violence in our communities." - Beatriz F. Vieira, LASF co-chair and Lutheran Settlement House Executive Director, Philadelphia, PA.
Research shows that faith communities and clergy leaders can serve as unique access points for families living with domestic violence. "Congregations and agencies have unique potential to foster healing and transformation, and LASF is eager to encourage and help develop this potential to address domestic violence and child abuse." - Roger Steffy, MDiv, LASF co-chair and director of ADVANCE, a domestic abuse intervention program of Lutheran Social Services of South Central Pennsylvania, working with perpetrators of abuse in York, PA.
Conference keynote speakers include: Reverend Dr. Marie M. Fortune, founder and Senior Analyst at FaithTrust Institute (formerly the Center for the Prevention of Sexual and Domestic Violence) and Linda Olsen MATh, MSW, Senior Planner with the City of Seattle's Domestic and Sexual Violence Prevention Office.
To register go to http://www.lutheranservices.org/AnnualConf.asp. For more information, call Evia Cozart at 410-230-2703 or ecozart@lutheranservices.org
\
About Lutheran Advocates for Safe Families
LASF is a network of Lutheran-affiliated leaders working with organizations, congregations, and other partners to raise awareness, lead conversations, promote education, foster effectiveness, enhance funding, and advocate for change regarding all forms of domestic violence and child abuse.
LASF serves organizations and care providers that either directly or indirectly provide services, advocacy, education, and intervention with persons of all ages who are affected in any way by domestic violence and child abuse.