Living to Love Being Offered Again
Sanctuary News Network
05/27/05 by Jeanette Laird

Living to Love, an interactive course for teens - to help create healthy relationships between guys and gals, will offer a summer opportunity in Camarillo, California. There is limited enrollment to keep the group a size where true sharing and accountability can happen. Those who have gone through it before will tell you how much fun they have had, and how they have a way to evaluate their actions in interacting with others. Best yet, they know what they will and will not allow themselves, or others, do.

Robert and Jeanette Laird will lead and facilitate this course, along with several support people from that community, to follow along with the kids after the class is over. We very much encourage communication with each other as a support group, talking to parents (they are really on your side kids!), and a trusted older person they respect.

Robert has counseled at camps and lead successful youth ministry. He is someone that kids can relate to and know they will be understood. Jeanette has worked with kids in a multitude of ways and kids always feel they have a friend who cares.

June 7th is the parent's night (as well as the deadline). If this parent/kid/support team is in place - we have a much greater chance to build healthy relationships and eventually healthy home lives for themselves and their future spouses. At the parent's night, we will share our outline, goals, and how you as a parent can reinforce positive behavior.

Many parents don't realize that in the jokes and thoughts of early teens -girl-boy attractions, concerns and fascinations are already occurring - even if they don't talk to you about it! Just watch the silly games, phone calls, etc. They are just getting their feet wet.

It is the ideal time to really talk about the pluses, dangers and to create a healthy plan for whatever situations present themselves, so they are not surprised - and worse yet, become a statistic. They don't want that either! They are scared to death of that too.

In our previous groups, given the safe environment, students have shared common stories of friends, pressure they have already felt (you might be surprised!), and fears. If they can work through consequences and actions for themselves - deciding with their own conviction -there is much more chance they will follow through on decisions than if they are just told the do's and don'ts. There is now ownership. Everyone wins.

As done previously, the course will run in two week segments: the evenings of June 14th and 21st, July 5th and 12th, and August 16th and 23rd. It will cost $75 per student, or for more than one child in one family - $60 each. Space is limited, and the class will start quite soon, so sign up now. You can use PayPal and leave comment of student name, phone, e-mail and age. Or send it to Sanctuary Christian Ministries with the same information. Helping to create healthy, respectful relationships.

For more information contact Robert or Jeanette at r.laird@sanctuarychristianministries.com or j.laird@sanctuarychristianministries.com.