Always Hopeful is an 11 week group recovery programme for Christian women who have experienced, or are still experiencing domestic abuse.
The programme aims to provide a space for women to explore the relationship between faith and domestic abuse and to work out their own faith in light of their experience. It uses a combination of group and individual exercises and discussions, providing an opportunity for survivors to build relationships with one another and support each other through a shared experience.
The programme explores themes such as: spiritual abuse; the way theology is used in abusive relationships; identity; self-esteem; guilt; anger; and forgiveness.
“We believe this course will help to change the story for women who have been subjected to abuse as they work out their faith and rediscover God’s heart and plan for them”
Bekah Legg – Director, Restored
Programme Contents
Session 1: A New Hope – An introduction to the programme and the concept of hope
Session 2: WHAT happened to me?- Understanding what abuse is and how it may look in a Christian Context
Session 3: WHY did this happen?- Exploring the beliefs and attitudes that lead to abuse
Session 4: WHERE is God in all this?- Exploring God’s response to domestic abuse and understanding why God doesn’t just “fix it”
Session 5: HOW am I affected by abuse?- Exploring the effects the abuse may have had on us, and our faith
Sessions 6 and 7: A New Theology- These two sessions explore four different biblical themes that are often weaponised by abusers and seek to provide a different understanding.
Session 8: WHO am I in Christ?- Rebuilding your identity after abuse
Session 9: WHEN will I stop feeling guilty?
Session 10: WHEN will I stop feeling angry and WHAT about forgiveness?
Session 11: A New Future. Consolidating the programme and moving on.
Programme Background
Background to and Development of the Programme
Sally Hope is a Domestic Abuse Support worker with several years experience facilitating secular survivor groups both within the community and in a refuge. Sally is also a survivor of Domestic Abuse and remembered how she felt that her church didn’t understand Domestic Abuse and the Women’s Aid organisations supporting her didn’t understand her faith. It felt like there was no support for Christian women in answering the questions that Domestic Abuses causes them to ask.
After deconstructing her own faith, Sally made use of her degree in Religious Studies and her experience in running domestic abuse recovery programmes to develop Always Hopeful.
The programme is trauma informed and utilises a biblical model for understanding Domestic Abuse. It draws on elements of both CBT and Person Centred Counseling to provide psycho educational support alongside peer support. From a theological perspective Always Hopeful aims to be non-denominational and offer Christian Women from all faith backgrounds an opportunity to ‘work out their own faith in awe and trembling’
Previous Participants have said:
“I like the stimulation and group interaction”
“Made me feel I wasn’t losing my mind re:Christian experiences as women”
“The best thing was being together and feeling safe”
“I’m feeling more positive about myself”
“Thought provoking as ever, great to interact with the group”
“The best thing was talking about boundaries with church in particular … my boundaries are getting better”
“I find the programme quite informative and transforming”
Always Hopeful Participant
Running an Always Hopeful Programme in your Church or Ministry
I offer full facilitator training so that you will be able to facilitate the programme yourself. I recommend having a small team of facilitators if possible and certainly no less than 2 people. Facilitators must be female.
You will also need to purchase a facilitators manual and journals for your participants.