Upcoming Conferences for Adoptive & Foster Parents

Check out these awesome conferences being held all around the country in September.  Please take advantage of these great resources if you are able.

 

Empowered To Connect Conference

Equipping families, churches, and professionals to bring hope and healing to adopted and foster children.

Date: September 12-13, Washington, DC
Host Organization: Empowered to Connect
 

Offering Healing and Hope for Children in Crisis: Trauma and Crisis Care

This “Trauma and Crisis Care” module, written by Dr. Phyllis Kilbourn, presents foundational issues and principles that provide an understanding of children’s traumatic experiences and the resulting impact of trauma. Additionally, it addresses planning and implementation interventions in order to bring healing and hope to hurting children.

Date: September 17-20, Englewood, Colorado
Host Organization: Crisis Care Training International

Rooted: Gospel Centered Parenting for Struggling Families

A Training Event Not To Be Missed! This event will provide Gospel centered training for the purpose of developing a framework for parenting children who have trauma, hurt, and rejection in their past. Upon this essential biblical grid you will add knowledge and skills gained from developmental research that specifically addresses the unique challenges you are facing.
Date: September 20, The Woodlands, Texas
Host Organization: Hope for Orphans

 

Hope at Home 2014 - Real Families. Real Help. Real Hope.

A conference to ENCOURAGE and AFFIRM and BLESS and INSPIRE and GIVE REST to adoptive and foster parents! For 2 days, come be the one served instead of the one to serve!
Date: September 26-27, Norcross, Georgia

Host Organization: Hope at Home

Family Night Celebration at Willow Creek

The Vulnerable Children's Ministry

Invites you to a Family Night Celebration!

Wednesday, August 27, 2014

Willow Creek Community Church

67 E. Algonquin Road, So. Barrington, IL

* Music and message for kids from

“Mr. Jeff" (Jeff Fulton), Promiseland Leader!

 

 * Ice Cream!

 * Face Painting!

* Games!

 

Who should come? Everyone!  Join adoptive, foster and Safe Families 

and their kids. 

This is also a great opportunity to invite and make positive memories with the placing parents of the kids in your home. 

 

5:30 Dinner together (Atrium: Near the stairs by the Lakeside Lobby)

7:00 Worship service (Lakeside Auditorium)

7:30 Family Night Celebration (Room b100, under the chapel)

 

https://www.facebook.com/AVFHC.

Buckner's Shoes for Orphaned Souls - Guatemala

Mission team shows God’s love through shoes in Guatemala

 

by Lauren Sturdy | posted in: Guatemala, Missions, Shoes for Orphan Souls, Your Perspective | 0

Editor’s Note: A team from Mt. Zion Baptist Church near Oxford, N.C., recently returned from a Buckner mission trip to Guatemala where they held Vacation Bible School programs, distributed shoes and shared God’s love with vulnerable children. The following story is a first person perspective adapted from one of the team’s blog posts on the Buckner missions blog.

By Gabrielle Capps

 

A Guatemalan girl awaits her new shoes while Gabrielle cleans her feet.

 

 

Today our team went to an awesome and impressive government-run facility for special needs kids. We saw kids with various needs such as Down syndrome, autism and deafness. The center has physical therapists and doctors on staff. They even had a pool for physical therapy.

We went there with the intention of doing Vacation Bible School with the children. God had other plans, however, because when we got there we began a shoe ministry and did not stop.

Distributing shoes was truly awesome. We started by taking off the child’s shoes and socks. Then we cleaned their feet with baby wipes and presented them with a new pair of socks and new shoes.

It was a special time because we got to experience instant gratification [from the work the team was doing]. I personally received several kisses on the forehead and many hugs from kids. I saw a lot of smiles and heard a ton of laughter.

 

One girl I was helping was so excited she did not want me to look away from her. She kept clapping her hands and rocking back and forth in her chair with excitement. Every time I would look down to put on her sock or try to get the shoe on, she would poke me in the forehead to get me to look back up at her!

 

The people there were so grateful, especially the staff and parents. Today was really special because not only did we show love to the children, but the parents were shown God’s love as well, through the way we treated their children.

 

It was a really humbling experience for me, knowing that I was doing the exact same thing Jesus did:

 

“Now that I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also should wash one another’s feet. I have set you an example that you should do as I have done for you. Very truly I tell you, no servant is greater than his master, nor is a messenger greater than the one who sent him. Now that you know these things, you will be blessed if you do them.” (John 13:14-17)

 

On this trip I have seen great need and a broken world that we cannot heal, but when I followed Jesus’ example and washed the kids’ feet, I felt what we were doing held significance. It brought hope and joy to people’s lives in the midst of their trouble. Through it, I felt the love of Jesus covering all of us.

**************************************************************************

 

If you would like to learn more about going on a mission trip with Buckner, click here.

Buckner Shoes for Orphan Souls® is the largest humanitarian aid project of Buckner International. To learn more about the project, why shoes are important, and ways you can help provide shoes to orphans and vulnerable children in the U.S. and around the world, visit www.shoesfororphansouls.org.

projectMUSIC Lydia Home Fundraiser

Take one night. Make some music. Send 40 kids to camp.

Join us for projectMUSIC on Saturday, Sept. 6 from 7-10 PM. Experience an eclectic and energizing evening with a special private performance by Brendan James to benefit LYDIA and raise funds to send 40 kids to camp. This unique one-of-a-kind event will be at Catalyst Ranch in Chicago.    The ideas behind projectMUSIC are simple:   Make it Important: Our focus is doing something amazing for the 40 abused and neglected children who live at LYDIA - in one night we raise enough to send each child to overnight camp (perspective: many of these kids have never been on a family vacation before).  Make it Tangible: 100% of your contribution will help fund a child from LYDIA attend overnight camp.  Make it Cool: As a thank you for helping, you will experience an intimate performance by an incredible band in an amazing eclectic setting.  Make it Happen: At the end of the night, with your help, we will raise enough money to send every kid to overnight camp - every kid (yep: every kid, every year).  Tickets are $200/person click here to purchase or make a donation. Space is limited. Questions? Contact Erica by email or call (773) 653.2249.   www.lydiahome.org

Hope for Parents of Traumatized Children

 

Has your child experienced abuse, neglect or trauma in the past? Is that child angry, oppositional, lying, stealing, hoarding, defiant, hostile, or aggressive? Are you tired

of the traditional parenting techniques that don’t seem to work?

 

We have a word of hope for you!

 

Course Description:

Join us for an 8-week parenting course with other adoptive parents as we explore new ways to break through to our adopted children, despite their past experiences of fear, neglect, and trauma.

 

This parenting course is based on the book Beyond Consequences, Logic, and Control, Volume 1. More information on this parenting approach can be found at:

www.beyondconsequences.com

 

Registration Information

The first session is free for all those

who are interested.

 

Wednesday, September 15 - November 17, 2014 

6:30 - 8:00 p.m.

Cherry Hill Center, Lake Zurich, IL

 

Each additional session is $40 each. Check with your insurance plan as well to find out if group services are covered. Amy is listed on most insurance panels. Each participant is required to purchase the book, Beyond Consequences, Logic, and Control, Volume 1.

  Books can be purchased from Cherry Hill for $20. 

Books can also be found online at www.beyondconsequences.com

.

An initial phone interview is required in order to register for the course so

call today to reserve your spot!

Please contact Amy Tanner at 847-438-4222 x17

or amy@cherryhillcounseling.com.

www.cherryhillcenterlz.com
 

 

 

Opportunity to Serve Children and Incarcerated Moms

Below is a message from Anne Rand, Justice and Employment Services Program Manager at Willow Creek Community Church. 

 

              ******************************************************************

 

Greeting Friends!

 

Sometimes when I think of Heaven, the foremost thought that comes to mind is the reunions!  Re-uniting with cherished loved-ones in that first initial embrace…the idea literally evokes an emotion in me that brings me to tears.  We can only imagine what that might be like!

 

Incredibly, I’ve witnessed a similar type of reunion here on Earth that created the same pull on my spirit.  The Returning Hearts Celebration sponsored by Awana Lifeline is such an event.  Inmate parents are reunited with their kids for a full day of fun and activities.  If you stood by the sidelines and watched as I did, I think you’d have experienced a moment of transformation…true joy like Heaven will be.

 

Do you have a heart for those who have been incarcerated, sexually exploited, trafficked, and the children who are most vulnerable and at-risk for being the next victims…..

 

 

Join us for Returning Hearts at Decatur Prison

September 27, 2014

Reuniting Inmate Mom’s with their Children

All Day Fun EventJ

Transportation Provided

200 Volunteers Needed in a variety of fun roles!

This is a FREE event—a $20 donation is requested by Awana to offset costs.

Must be 18 years of age or older to serve & pass a background check by the prison.

 

The registration link for the Decatur Returning Hearts Celebration is now on  line at awanalifeline.org.

After you register, more specific information will come your way. 

For immediate questions or concerns, contact:

Jennifer Smith
Event Management Specialist

jennifers@awana.org
630-540-4668-office

 

 

ETC Training Coming to Willow Creek!

 

 

  

 Empowered to Connect teaches TBRI (a family-based intervention that is designed for children who have experienced relationship-based traumas such as institutionalization, multiple foster placements, maltreatment, and/or neglect) model developed by Dr. Karyn Purvis highlighted in The Connected Child.

 

 

Learn how to effectively and consistently employ a balanced parenting approach that allows you to provide compassionate discipline that connects with your child’s heart and corrects inappropriate behaviors. 

 

 

Mondays, September 8 - November 10 (you must commit to attend all 9 sessions)

7:00 - 9:00 p.m.

Willow Creek Community Church

67 E. Algonquin Road, So. Barrington, IL 60010

 

 

 

ETC Parent training is offered by Steve and Cheryl Pickett for families in the Chicagoland area. Watch this video to hear Steve talk about the value of this training in their families life.  http://youtu.be/Zv3F_gqKQ_4

 

For more information about the training visit http://www.empoweredtoconnect.org/training, or contact trainers at etc@scpickett.com,.  Registration if FREE of charge.  A list of required resource books and materials available upon request. Childcare not provided. 

 

To register, contact Steve and Cheryl Pickett at etc@scpickett.com. 

Adoption Movie: The Dark Matter of Love

Sometimes hilarious, sometimes heartbreaking 'The Dark Matter of Love' melds the story of Masha, an eleven year old Russian girl, learning to love her adoptive American family with rare archive of science experiments exploring parent child love.

Check out the trailer:


Director Sarah McCarthy fuses revealing footage of these experiments to the narrative, drawing audiences deeper into the dark matter of love and encouraging audiences to contemplate their own relationships through an unflinching, scientific lens.

Bring Dark Matter of Love to your own backyard!

Partner with Tugg, a website that allows anyone to bring the film to their local theater or a community venue such as a church, university, or community center! 

 

Hosting a screening is an amazing way to bring your community together, raise funds (the Tugg platform allows your event to double as a fundraiser!), and lead a discussion about attachment and adoption. The process to host your own event is easy -  Click HERE for details on  how to get started today! 

www.thedarkmatteroflove.com

New Empowered to Connect Resource

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Learning to Tame BIG Feelings Posted: 10 Jul 2014 09:27 AM PDT (www.empoweredtoconnect.org)     The other day, I heard the words many of us dread: “You’re a bad mommy.” I was also informed by my son that I was teaching the kids how to be mean, not kind. Honestly, I had to agree with him. The moments leading up to his accusation had not been filled with exemplary parenting. I had yelled and been unkind, throwing around phrases like, “I’m sick and tired of you always ________!” Not my best moment. So, as he said those words, I knew I had a crucial decision to make. I could dig in my heels, insisting that he deserved what he got and had no right to question me, or I could acknowledge that I had made mistakes and there was truth to what he had said. I took a calming breath, looked him in the eye, and said, “You’re right. I’m sorry for yelling at you. Can you forgive me?” It wasn’t easy, and part of me wanted to dwell on his behaviour instead of mine. But I knew that before we could go back and deal constructively with his stuff, I needed to own my stuff and repair our relationship so we could move forward with a solid foundation of trust and connection. It took a few minutes before we were back on track, but we got there. This parenting thing is hard work, especially un-learning our default reactions and learning new trust-based strategies and ways to respond. One of the most difficult yet rewarding aspects of our parenting journey so far has been facing the reality that we have so much to un-learn. It’s been difficult because, well, it’s tough to ‘teach an old dog new tricks’! It’s been more than worth it, though, as we have watched our connection with our kids deepen and strengthen through our efforts to replace our default strategies with connecting, trust-based strategies. Lately my “unlearning curve” has been all about my comfort level with big emotions. To be honest, I am extremely uncomfortable with big, noisy displays of emotion. I value logic and rational thinking delivered in a calm, non-emotional way. You can imagine how well this fits with the reality of parenting school-age children from hard places! At times I have found myself responding to my children in cold and inflexible ways when they are experiencing big emotions, especially when the feelings are directed at me in the form of hurtful words or actions. Recognizing that this is neither helpful nor compassionate, and desiring to move forward in a more connected way, I have been working on my own ability to stay attuned and emotionally present in the moment with my children when they are experiencing these big feelings.  I am learning (and practicing) what it means to remain available to them to meet their needs, rather than getting all caught up in my own big emotions. I am learning that big people that respond with their own big emotions are generally not able to help little people tame their big emotions in healthy ways. This doesn’t come naturally, and it takes lots of practice, but we’re getting there. There are still many times when I react out of shame or anger to those big feelings that are being expressed through inappropriate words or behaviour. As I practice being more aware of my own emotional reactions and continue to get better at connecting with the hearts of my children, I am learning to see past their behaviour while not ignoring it. As I do this, I find that they are more able to let go of the behaviour and talk to me about their feelings, as well as their underlying hurts, losses, and pain. This certainly doesn’t mean that we don’t deal with the behaviour – it just means that we don’t allow ourselves to get stuck on the behaviour, preventing us from teaching our kids how to express the big feelings that are driving it.  As the authors of The Whole-Brain Child point out, once we name it, we can tame it! For practical strategies to help you navigate many parenting challenges, including emotional storms, check out The Whole-Brain Child, by Dan Siegel and Tina Bryson.

Family Night Celebration at Willow Creek

The Vulnerable Children's Ministry

Invites you to a Family Night Celebration!

Wednesday, August 27, 2014

Willow Creek Community Church

67 E. Algonquin Road, So. Barrington, IL

 

* Music and message for kids from “Mr. Jeff" (Jeff Fulton), Promiseland Leader!

 

 * Treats and surprises for the kids!

 

Who should come? Adoptive, foster and Safe Families with their kids. 

This is also a great opportunity to invite and make positive memories with the placing parents of the kids in your home. 

 

5:30 Dinner together (Atrium: look for the tables with our signs)

7:00 Worship service (Lakeside Auditorium)

7:30 Family Night Celebration (Room b100, under the chapel)

 

Please register for the event at www.willowcreek.org/midweekclasses (You will need to create a user name & password that you can use each month.)

 http://avoiceforhischildren.blogspot.com    https://www.facebook.com/AVFHC.