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Created by God, as a
center for discipleship, nurture, guidance, love, affection, and so
much more, the family has been and continues to be one of the
targets of Satan’s attacks. Seventh-day Adventist Family Ministries
is in the business of helping to facilitate the development of
stronger and healthier families and churches. Through the agency of
well trained pastors, and educators, the Central Jamaica
Conference’s Family Ministries Department sought to facilitate the
local church Family Ministries Leaders with the basic Family Life
Curriculum on the weekend of March 30-April 1, 2007 at Camp Verley
in St. Catherine.
This certification programme was conceptualized and planned to
expose, equip, train, retool, motivate, and encourage a strong and
vibrant awareness of the urgent need for this ministry. The
certification objectives included:
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Exposing each leader to the basic Family Life training material
outlined in the Family Ministries Leaders’ Curriculum.
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Providing each leader with relevant and current information,
facts and figures about families.
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Establishing a Parish Network of Family Ministries Leaders,
which will be functional in coordinating parish activities.
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Providing a forum for interaction and fellowship among Family
Ministries Leaders and workers within the Conference.
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Motivating each leader in how they can more effectively serve
their constituency in this very important area of ministry.
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Creating a forum where Family Ministries Leaders can pray
corporately for the ministry and its needs and issues.
Having accomplished all
these objectives, over eighty (80) persons were certified for
completing the curriculum. The modules covered within the programme
were:
1. Biblical Foundations
for Family Ministries
2. Human Growth and Development
3. Understanding the Family as a System
4. Spiritual Parenting
5. Marriage Strengthening
6. Anger and Conflict Management
7. Your Family: An Evangelistic Center
8. Sexuality Education
9. Communication
10. Effective Family Ministries in the Local Church
We were tremendously blessed to have eloquent presenters in the
persons of Pastor Anthony Reid (CJC Family Ministries Director,
M.A.), Pastor Errol Thomas (M.A.,C.F.L.E), Elder Anthony Gordon (B.A.,C.F.L.E),
Mrs. Patrice Williams-Gordon (M.Sc.) Pastor Lorenzo King (M.A.) and
Mrs. Joan Latty (M.Sc.).
The CJC Family Ministries Department prays that God will continue to
bless our families and the Church, as we strive to train a large
network in pointing the hearts of fathers, mothers and children to
the graciousness of our Lord, Jesus Christ.
-Alethea Brown |
