to support the Glebe Christian Youth Centre for underprivileged children. On one occasion their efforts provided a holiday for these children and, on another, they raised the funds to provide a refrigerator for a family in desperate need of help. Members of the congregation regularly provided volunteers to assist in the annual Austcare Doorknock Appeal and also Meals on Wheels. Enjoying Families Workshops, led by Margaret McLelland, were aimed at helping families to have more fun and less stress. They dealt with issues such as discipline in the home and getting in touch with a child’s inner world. Rainbows, which started in 1990 with leaders from the congregation trained by Stan Stewart and Father John Hosie, was a programme conducted for primary-age children of divorced and separated parents. The course ran for six weeks on Sunday afternoons with a final all-day session. In one year, 19 children participated, including a few from bereaved families. Divorce and Separation Workshops and Grief Recovery Workshops were developed in Australia and introduced to our Church by Stan Stewart. Chris and Sheila Bowen and Ross Lorenz later took over from him as the Leaders. The workshops were designed, through sharing their experiences, to help participants in understanding and overcoming the pain and distress that are suffered in these situations and to assist them in beginning to rebuild their lives, through self development and group support. The workshops were successful in achieving their aims, judging by participants’ comments such as: workshops made me feel safe and secure’, ‘The was reassuring to know that you’re not the only one’, was ‘It ‘I learning to trust again’, and was learning to forgive’. ‘I
to support the Glebe Christian Youth Centre for underprivileged children. On one occasion their efforts provided a holiday for these children and, on another, they raised the funds to provide a refrigerator for a family in desperate need of help. Members of the congregation regularly provided volunteers to assist in the annual Austcare Doorknock Appeal and also Meals on Wheels. Enjoying Families Workshops, led by Margaret McLelland, were aimed at helping families to have more fun and less stress. They dealt with issues such as discipline in the home and getting in touch with a child’s inner world. Rainbows, which started in 1990 with leaders from the congregation trained by Stan Stewart and Father John Hosie, was a programme conducted for primary-age children of divorced and separated parents. The course ran for six weeks on Sunday afternoons with a final all-day session. In one year, 19 children participated, including a few from bereaved families. Divorce and Separation Workshops and Grief Recovery Workshops were developed in Australia and introduced to our Church by Stan Stewart. Chris and Sheila Bowen and Ross Lorenz later took over from him as the Leaders. The workshops were designed, through sharing their experiences, to help participants in understanding and overcoming the pain and distress that are suffered in these situations and to assist them in beginning to rebuild their lives, through self development and group support. The workshops were successful in achieving their aims, judging by participants’ comments such as: ‘The workshops made me feel safe and secure’, ‘It was reassuring to know that you’re not the only one’, ‘I was learning to trust again’, and ‘I was learning to forgive’.
ST%20IVES%20UNITING%20CHURCH%20-%20Fifty%20Memorable%20Years%202.docx