The problem of domestic abuse in Santa Ana is wide-spread, in fact, it has the highest incidence of domestic violence calls in any major city in the state of California. Newsong Church is located in Santa Ana; it is the community that we love and where we seek to live out the hope of the Gospel message; it is where we focus many of our resources to address the real needs and hurts of people. When the opportunity was presented to us by the leadership of The Mend Project to gain a further understanding of the systemic issues surrounding domestic violence and to receive valuable training for our staff members and key leaders, we enthusiastically welcomed the opportunity.
Without a doubt, everybody that participated in the training event was changed as a result of what was learned. Perhaps the most sobering take-away for many of us was how well-intentioned people can unknowingly subject an abused person to even further abuse and emotional wounding. The Mend Project presentation was informative, practical and provided inspiration for us to move forward with a bit more confidence and some new tools to help us be more aware and effective in our ministry to the community we care so deeply about. It is without reservation that I recommend this training to anyone that shares the concern for the pervasive problem of domestic violence.