If someone in your church confided in you that they were a victim of domestic violence, would you know what to do?

It is hard to admit that domestic violence can happen in our church communities, but it is vital that we do not turn a blind eye to what is happening to some people in our congregations. How we respond to these cases will shape the culture of our congregations and have a huge impact on those who have experienced domestic violence in our communities and congregations. 
In 2023, the Czech Evangelical Alliance plans to publish a handbook for congregations, Domestic Violence and the Church, which aims to provide a tool for responding practically and pastorally when we as a church encounter victims and perpetrators of domestic violence. Men and women in our congregations may suffer because of the shame and stigma that surrounds abuse or, paradoxically, because marriage is so sacrosanct to the church. Sometimes domestic violence is theologically justified, we fail to confront it effectively or too easily believe the apparent repentance of the abuser.