Reunion Online

Your commitment, courage and determination inspire us to push ever onward on the path toward lasting change, and we are deeply grateful.

As we reflect on Joyful Heart’s journey, we feel deeply grateful to you—our joyful community. Together we are changing the way society talks about, thinks about and responds to victims of sexual assault, domestic violence and child abuse.

It was always having a heart-to-heart with one or maybe two other people at a time, sitting on a bathroom sink or on a stoop. This was how I had shared my story up until 2013.

There are moments that fill you with immense joy and gratitude—I want to share mine with you. It happened a couple months ago when the Joyful Heart Foundation experienced what I call “a magnificent milestone.”

When I first imagined Joyful Heart ten years ago, I could not have foreseen the impact we would have a decade later. I am overwhelmed with joy—and gratitude and love—for the many bright lights who make our work possible.

We are filled with joy and gratitude as we celebrate our journey—the signposts we have heeded, the milestones we have reached and the goals we’ve realized in our work to end this violence.

The NO MORE PSAs with current and former NFL players premiere tonight during Thursday Night Football on CBS.

These are daunting obstacles to creating a safe, supportive environment so that our community members are safe and those aren’t can come forward and seek help. But there are practical steps that Christian leaders and congregation members should consider when dealing with domestic violence victims-survivors and offenders.

When addressing situations of domestic violence, we offer the best possibilities for victim-survivor safety and offender accountability when we work in partnership with individuals from a wide variety of disciplines—medical, legal, spiritual, mental health, criminal justice.

Let’s consider the story of one Christian survivor, Mary, who filed for divorce because her husband was abusing her emotionally, physically, psychologically and spiritually. The response of her pastor is shocking.