What would you do if a congregant came to you reporting that her husband was abusing her? That he'd recently bought a gun and she feared for her life? What would you do once word got out to the congregation that this couple was divorcing and the circumstances behind it?

While many people feel that good manners mandate silence on such matters, the pastor's silence can unintentionally support the status quo and keep other victims from speaking out. The free e-book below, Telling the Truth: Preaching about Sexual and Domestic Violence, offers guidance and reflections for breaking the silence on a serious issue that is too often swept under the rug in our churches. You have a critical role to play in preaching freedom to victims of abuse.

"Although there are many ways to break the silence in our churches, the most central and pivotal of all is from the pulpit. Nowhere else can we so clearly communicate that the church does not turn its back on victims and survivors of abuse." (p. 111)

October is Domestic Violence Awareness Month, so what better time to break the silence? This e-book, now out of print and made available courtesy of its editors, John S. McClure and Nancy J. Ramsay, will remain available for free on Ministry Matters and Google Books.