Putting the children first - CFN newsletter 39
CHRISTIAN FAMILY NETWORK NEWSLETTER 39
- Child protection: let's use our common sense and put children's needs first, says David Pearson
- News: Lords reject morning-after pill ban; World Wide Message Tribe in major change; worshipping with older people resource
- Sites: Rob Frost ministry; resources for lone parents
- Marriage MOT: Is there anything you should say sorry for today?
- This week's chuckle:biblical one-liners
- Members' Zone latest
We're taking the debate on child protection a stage further on this week with the first of a two-part piece from David Pearson, director of the Churches Child Protection Advisory Service. He's got plenty to say in response to our forthright article from Kevin Logan (Don't touch the children! CFN week 38).
Have a read and send us your views or use the Bulletin Board.
We've also got part one of another two-parter - an encouraging family testimony from former Middle East missionary Doreen Holmes in our Members' Zone Resources section.
If you fancy a holiday or a short break, you can also check out our growing mini-directory of travel, hotel and guest house sites in Sites Worth Seeing - again only available in the Members' Zone.
If you've not joined as a member yet, click HERE for your month's free trial , and do let us know what you'd like to see on CFN in the future.
Don't forget: if you need CFN leaflets or sample copies of Families Together to promote the Network to friends, family or church, just mail your request to Sue Mills. She'll be delighted to help you.
Have a good weekend!
Russ
Bravo
Christian Family Network
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ALWAYS PUT THE CHILDREN'S NEEDS FIRST
- Rev Kevin Logan's article DON'T TOUCH THE CHILDREN! in our last update has prompted the following response by David Pearson, Director of Churches' Child Protection Advisory Service. Part one follows - Part two will be in our 16 February update.
I was saddened
to read Rev Kevin Logan's description (and experience) of child protection
in his local church. Child protection polices and safe practice guidelines
are absolutely essential if the safety of children is to be ensured in churches
and other organisations caring for children.
I would argue that the need of the church for such procedures is greater than
elsewhere, as churches are open to everyone. And safe practice need not involve
keeping children at arm's length. Such a negative approach not only neglects
children's needs but is demoralising to workers - as Kevin Logan amply illustrates.
CCPAS is the lead Christian child protection agency working uniquely across
denominations throughout the British Isles. We publish model child protection
policies and guidelines and produce a range of training resources. These services
are supported by the Department of Health, the Association of Chief Police
Officers and leaders from across the church spectrum.
Mr Logan refers to his experience within the Church of England and Campaigners.
Over the past few years we have run thousands of child protection training
sessions in churches, including on behalf of Dioceses of the Church of England
and children's organisations such as Campaigners. I am very well aware of
attitudes which prevail in some quarters. Some infant school teachers who
have attended our seminars say they are not allowed to hold a young child's
hand, let alone give a hug.
To my mind this is an example of bureaucracies' extreme attempts to protect
themselves and ignoring the needs of children and, of course, of workers,
too, who have a need for sensible guidelines
- Where has common sense gone out of the window? When does touch become dangerous? For more from David Pearson on child protection, check out the
rest of this article in our Advice
section
- This kind
of material is really the tip of the iceberg compared to what's available
in our Members' Zone. Click HERE
for your free month's membership and you'll be able to access a treasure
chest of resources, ideas and tips to help you grow as a family!
Lords reject
bid to ban morning-after pill
A move by Baroness
Young to halt over-the-counter sales of the morning-after pill to teenagers
was defeated by 177 votes to 95 in the Lords on Monday (29 January).
Click HERE for the full story
Tribe change
line-up ... and their name
THE World Wide Message Tribe is no more. Long live The Tribe.
Click HERE for the full story
Resources
for worship with older people
Worshipping with Older People – a new booklet by Rochester’s
Older Persons’ Officer, Dot Hooker, and Lay Reader Sue Brooks –
looks like being a runaway success.
Click HERE
for the full story
In a new partnership with marriage resource site 2-in-2-1, we'll be including a marriage tip on a regular basis from their resident writer Kate. This week:
Is there anything you should say sorry for today?
How do you forgive someone when they've hurt you? It can be very hard and very painful.
If someone acknowledges their mistake and says they're sorry, then it's a little easier to be generous and let the thing go, not hold it against them. But can you or should you forgive them, if they don't seem sorry?
What happens inside when we don't forgive someone? The hurt sits there like an infection and it festers, it spreads out and colours our view of life. It makes us hard inside, hard, unyielding, bitter. It actually damages us.
What happens when we forgive someone? It means letting go on our desire to punish or hurt them. We let go on our demand to be repaid for the hurt inflicted. We give up on any desire to take revenge. It hurts, but somehow, it's more the hurt of having a wound cleaned than the hurt of the wound inflicted in the first place.
It brings us back into relationship again. There may be new bridges to build. We may find new levels where we need to choose to forgive. We may need to walk in the forgiveness, to make daily decisions not to pick the offense up again, but the wound is drawn and the poison can drain out and healing can begin.
When you've hurt your loved one, do you want them to forgive you?
Is there anything you need to forgive each other for? Don't leave it too long.
- Check out the full range of Kate's advice, plus stacks more marriage resources on the 2-in-2-1 site.
Check out the dates for Love Fifteen - a new stage collaboration between Riding Lights Theatre Company and Parentalk, promising to tackle the ups and downs of family life; plus Great Dads - a June conference with Christian Viewpoint for Men and the YMCA, the faithworks tour, youthwork, and helping the bereaved training events. They're all in our Events guide in the Members' Zone.
Send
us your family/church event for a free listing!
If you've heard of the holiday/bible week Easter People, or musicals like A Dangerous Journey or Hopes and Dreams, take a look at www.robfrost.org. The site for the ministry headed up by the popular Methodist evangelist, author and broadcaster has stacks of useful information about his evangelism, arts and teaching resources.
Described as a "life organiser" for single parents, planetoneparent.com has plenty of advice for handling difficult issues, lots of information and chatroom areas for practical advice and emotional support. You may not agree with its approach on some things, but it's worth a look.
- There are
more sites worth a visit in our Members'
Zone, including Mid-Africa Mission, and our mini-directory of
holiday choices. Our easy to navigate Webwatch Index currently lists
more than 400 sites. Click HERE
for your free one-month trial membership
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THIS
WEEK'S CHUCKLE
Biblical one-liners
Q Which area of Palestine was especially wealthy?
A The area around Jordan. The banks were always overflowing.
Q Who is the greatest baby sitter mentioned in the Bible?
A David. He rocked Goliath to a very deep sleep.
Q Which Bible character had no parents?
A Joshua, son of Nun.
Q Who was the greatest comedian in the Bible?
A Samson. He brought the house down.
WE'VE ALWAYS WONDERED ...
Why we ever thought we knew what tiredness was before we became parents zzzzzz ...
CHRISTIAN
FAMILY NETWORK THIS WEEK (MEMBERS'
ZONE)
- Advice: David Pearson on child protection policies that make sense and help the children
- Resources: Doreen Holmes' family testimony: the bionic ear, part one ...
- On the Bulletin Boards: confirmation - is my teenager being unfairly pressurised, plus all-age worship and more
- Top sites this week: Rob Frost ministries, Mid Africa Mission, resources for lone parents, and our mini holidays directory
- Webwatch Index: fully categorised for easy use - more than 400 sites at your fingertips
- Site Search
Engine: the easy way to trawl our 350-page plus archives
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