October: Pastoral Care Week and Domestic Violence Awareness Month

Domestic violence and other forms of emotional and sexual abuse are among the most complex and difficult pastoral challenges in ministry. Victims often seek the advice of a trusted pastor and anticipate wise and supportive responses. Pastors and church leaders often feel caught in the middle of domestic and spiritual crises, at a loss for the “right” responses. What is a pastor or chaplain to do?!


In response to requests for pastoral education related to domestic violence, the Spiritual Care Education Series is sponsoring a full day pastoral educational event:

Pastoral Response to Domestic Violence
Thursday, October 27, 2011
8:00 am – 4:00 pm
Location: The D.O.C.K. ~ St. Mark’s UMC, 800 S. Main St., Findlay, Ohio

The Reverends K. Ray Hill and Dr. Sharon Ellis Davis will be with us to share their knowledge and expertise in examining theological, spiritual, and pastoral issues related to domestic violence. Both are certified trainers from FaithTrust Institute and experienced in rural and urban ministries.

Please join us in theological conversation related to domestic violence, effective pastoral responses to victims and abusers, use of scripture, and strategies for working collaboratively with resource agencies in your community.

For more information, please call Blanchard Valley Hospital Spiritual Care at 419.429.6463 or email ekelly@bvhealthsystem.org.

This event is co-sponsored by: Open Arms Domestic Violence and Rape Crisis Services and Century Health.

This series is funded by the Spiritual Care Endowment, an endowed fund of the Blanchard Valley Health Foundation made possible by the Great Lakes Conference of the Churches of God.

~Share this information with pastors you know ~

Annual Golf Outing to Benefit Open Arms

Charles Construction Services, Inc. has announced plans for their Charles Construction Services 2011 Charity Golf Classic scheduled for Friday, September 16, 2011. This year’s event will be held at Red Hawk Run Golf Club in Findlay. Registration and breakfast begins at 8:00 AM with a shotgun start scheduled for 9:00 AM. Proceeds from the annual golf outing will benefit Open Arms Domestic Violence & Rape Crisis Services.

Team registration is currently taking place and will be limited to 32 foursomes. Registration costs include breakfast, green fees, cart, lunch and door prizes. Deadline for registration is September 2, 2011. Monetary and in-kind sponsorships are also being sought for the event. To register a team or for more information regarding becoming an event sponsor, please contact Charles Construction Services, Inc. at 419-423-5090.