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1. CHURCH PARTNERSHIP PROGRAM FOR 2007-2008 ANNOUNCED Last year's participants write: "We recommend it for all churches; it is well architected; it starts from the beginning; it is biblically based; the references and experiences that the Friesen’s bring to this illustrate all these biblical principles." "I feel much better prepared now to teach on marriage and parenting" "Our initial motivation was to be more involved with family ministry at church but the additional benefit was so phenomenal . . . we’re rethinking our parenting approach . . . (the class) personally had a tremendous effect." A new group of churches is now registering for the 2007-2008 Church Partnership Program which begins October 14, and we encourage you to explore the possibilities for your church to be a part of this. Details of the program are given in the Brochure and the syllabus for the year can be viewed in the Class Syllabus. If you think your church leadership would be interested in participating in this program with a commitment of personnel, time, programs, and finances over a nine month period with the goal of strengthening marriages and families in your church, please contact Paul@HIMweb.org or call 781-275-6473. By the way, all members of partnership churches are offered a $25 discount off their registration to HIM marriage and engagement conferences for the year. Speaking of which, read on . . . :) |
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2. ENGAGEMENT MATTERS—Saturday, October 13 to Sunday, October 14 Don't make the mistake of jumping in to a lifetime commitment unprepared. H.I.M. offers you (or your friends and relatives) a great opportunity to join with other couples in exploring the significance and security of marriage as it was meant to be. The Engagement Matters weekend is a two-day conference for engaged and pre-engaged couples at which Paul and Virginia and several assisting couples will offer foundation-building insights on God's design for marriage—to help make sure you as a couple are ready. Engagement Matters is offered three times this coming year (all seminars are held on Saturday and Sunday): October 13–14, 2007, January 12–13, 2008, and April 12–13, 2008. For more information click here. For online registration click here.
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3. H.I.M. "OASIS" MARRIAGE CONFERENCES—SAVE THE DATE!
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4. FRIESENS SPEAK LOCALLY Paul and Virginia will be speaking at a marriage conference in the Worcester area on October 26-27, which is open to the public and being sponsored by Chapel of the Mill in Millbury, Massachusetts. Sessions will begin Friday evening at 7:30 pm, and then will continue through the day on Saturday. More information will be posted on our website as it becomes available from Chapel of the Mill. It would be great to see you there! In November, Virginia will speak at a Creative Memories scrapbooking weekend hosted by Barbara Becker on Cape Cod the weekend of November 16-18. For more information, contact Barbara at www.mycmsite.com/ sites/barbarabecker I've attended this weekend myself the last couple of years and it's a wonderful time together, even for those (like me) who rarely scrapbook the rest of the year! Some women bring their daughters to create an artistic mother/daughter weekend, others bring a friend, others come alone to "get away." Lots of unstructured time, good food, laughter, and of course, Virginia's very special sharing from the heart. |
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5. FAMILY CAMPS END SUMMER WITH CELEBRATION Dr. Howard Clark taught the adults along similar "Blessed Family" theme lines each morning, illustrating his points from Psalms and Proverbs. Afternoons were filled with waterfront activities, slip and slide, softball, banner-making, and plenty of down-time, however you best enjoyed it! Each week ended with a banquet, s'mores on the beach, and a great slide show reviewing our adventures together. The only disappointment was having to leave, but as one child was quoted, "only 51 more weeks to family camp!" Plan to attend next year—Call Camp Berea at 603-744-6344. |
6. PAUL AND VIRGINIA ARE ALASKA-BOUND! Family Notes: Finally, Paul and Virginia are now enroute to Seattle to spend the first week of September on an Alaskan Cruise they received as a gift in honor of their 30th wedding anniversary (May 2006). It is a very special vacation they have earned (and needed!), and we wish them well. Virginia writes, "we are more than ready to relax, sleep, and enjoy another part of God's majestic creation." How very grateful we are for your prayer and support of God's calling on Paul and Virginia's lives! May you, too, be gifted with times of rest and refreshment. May you be restored each morning by God's new mercies and may you seek to follow His high calling on your life. See Photos and a short note from Virginia
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Home Improvement Ministries |
The H.I.M. Church Partnership program began last year and has been an exciting success. Couples from eight different churches met together with Paul and Virginia for dinner and teaching twice a month. After 17 sessions of leadership training and instruction on the centrality of marriage and family in scripture, many of them will be teaching or facilitating a marriage and family DVD curriculum this fall in their local churches.
Paul Friesen writes in his new book, "So You Want to Marry My Daughter?" (coming soon): "To make a sports team, you study the plays, follow the conditioning plan, and try out to make the team. To be in a theatrical performance, you take drama classes, study the script, ask others to coach you, and then audition to see if you’re a good 'fit' for the cast. But to get married, you get a marriage license, have just about anyone perform the ceremony, and you’re married."
Once again H.I.M. will be offering two marriage conferences this year. Save these dates on your calendars: February 8-10, 2008 at the Ocean Edge Resort in Brewster on beautiful Cape Cod, and April 4-6, 2008 at the lovely Eagle Mountain House in Jackson, New Hampshire. "Oasis: A pause and place to refresh your marriage" is this year's theme for our H.I.M. Marriage Conferences. We'll have more information and details in our next Family Flyer, but wanted you to get these dates on your calendars right away.
The speaking calendar for 2007-2008 has been posted on our website, but we wanted to call your attention to a couple of opportunities to hear the Friesens speak here in New England this fall.
Another summer of family camps has ended after two weeks of joy- filled learning and recreation up at Camp Berea in Hebron, New Hampshire. Both weeks were fully subscribed with several families even staying offsite so they could attend. We learned what it means to be a "Blessed Family": seeking wise counsel, avoiding sinful choices, delighting in God's Word, and enjoying success! Each of these points was illustrated at the beginning of the camp day during our morning worship time as Paul Friesen invited a few lucky children up to the stage for a competition that always ended with a candy prize. :) Can six-year-olds do multiplication problems? No, but they know how to seek wise counsel! Or what would you give up last on a desert island: water, sunglasses, designer clothes, or a camera? Even young children learned to understand the importance of the life-giving "water" of God's Word for their family. 
It has been a very productive, fruit-producing summer, in which the Friesens led a total of 8 weeks of family camp, six on the west coast and two on the east coast. Each camp ended with testimonies of God's work in lives through many different channels. In addition to hosting guest speakers each week, Paul and Virginia taught on temperaments and marriage, ran daily staff meetings, counseled dozens of couples throughout the summer, and held classes for their staff on the weekends.