Family Life Officer until June 2010

My name is Jenny Gillies and I was the Family Life Officer. My post was funded jointly by Mothers' Union in Chester and by The Diocesan Committee of Social Responsibility who worked together in what is known as 'The Partnership'. I worked full time to support Parishes and Mothers' Union as they reach out in ministry in the area of family life. In particular, my work focused around the areas of Baptism, Marriage, Parenting, Ageing and Older People and Bereavement. We see family as inclusive of everyone and we recognise that there are lots of issues that families face like problems with finance and debt or struggling with issues connected with divorce and separation or being a single parent family or a step family or singleness.

As well as working within the Church, I represented the Diocese of Chester and Mothers' Union in a wider context, for example on some parenting forums and community consultation activities. My role was not to do all the work, but to enable those who want to engage with work to do just that. This may be through offering advice about what's already going on or about how to start up a project, training to those who need it, or providing resources to equip people to do the work that they need.

Baptism

I was working with a group of clergy who are keen to develop some new baptism liturgy that is appropriate to their local context. I have also worked to resource and train several parishes that have been keen to develop their baptism ministry.

Are you interested in developing your ministry by developing a team of volunteers or using new resources? Why not contact us?

Useful links:

Marriage

Would you like to developing your marriage ministry or your understanding of marriage itself? The Diocese of Chester runs a 5 week course called 'Marriage Matters' written and taught in conjunction with the Reverend Dallas Ayling, Rector of The Priory Parish Birkenhead, it is designed to be part of the Pastoral Worker's Course and is open to all. The course, which is 10 hours long, covers:

  • Relationships
  • Co -habitiation
  • The Marriage Service
  • Marriage preparation models and materials
  • Marriage enrichment
  • Suggestions for ways to be effective on supporting a relationship when things go wrong

For further information contact The Committee for Mission and Ministry via gerri.tetzlaff@chester.anglican.org

Useful links:

Separation and Divorce

How can we uphold 'Christ's teaching on the nature of marriage' (MU aims and objectives) whilst giving effective pastoral support to those who are separated or divorced? This is a dilemma that faces the church and one that the diocese has formed a group to explore.

Useful links:

Parenting

Since 1999 Mothers' Union has been running a worldwide parenting course that trains facilitators - that is those who want to set up and run courses that parents can join so that they can share ideas, pick up tips and make friends.

Useful links:

Ageing and Older People

In the Diocese of Chester, there is a group that is specifically set up to explore Older People in the Church from a variety of perspectives. It is working to produce a resource for parishes offering useful materials and help information.


'It worked for us'

is the title of a new resource pack that has been developed in The Diocese of Chester aimed at helping parishes to develop their ministry amongst older people. The pack contains over 18 tried and tested ideas that are currently being used by churches as well as details of people who can be contacted for further advice.

Click Here for document

Bereavement

I was available to work with clergy or groups to explore with or resource them in the way that children deal with bereavement and loss. Also, Chester Diocese runs, in association with Acorn Listening, various courses that support those who wish to work in this area of ministry.

The Diocesan Director of counselling works with individuals and some groups. Please contact at:

Church House, Lower Lane
Chester CH3 6HP
(+44) 01244 620444

Useful links:

General Family Support websites

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