Departments

Family Ministries

About the Department

Family Ministries seeks to recognise that families are the building blocks of community, the church and society. We believe God created families to nurture warm, meaningful, and loving relationships and discover what it is to love and be loved. In families, children develop beliefs, values, and attitudes, which translate into behavioural patterns that shape their future and the future of their communities.

In line with the world church theme "I Will Go", the primary role of the department is to partner with leaders at every level of the church structure to support families in their church and their local communities by: 

  • recognising the great diversity of modern families (including singles)
  • educating and supporting leaders and families to ensure both home and church are safe environments, especially for children
  • training and equipping family life leaders
  • enriching marriages
  • educating and resourcing parents
  • fostering healthy relationships and emotional wellbeing

We solicit your prayers as together we ask God to transform our families for his honour and glory.

Our Department's Objectives

The overall objective of the Family Ministries department is to strengthen families through both seminars and resources that will enable them to grow spiritually and emotionally, and become better equipped to evangelise in their communities. We aim to bring about restoration through relationships and foster a spirit of love and unity amidst diversity, promoting the principles of 1 John 4:7-8,

"Beloved, let us love one another, for love is of God; and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God. 8 He who does not love does not know God, for God is love."

Director's Role

  • Supervise the work of the Family Life department
  • Organise and conduct events to promote healthy relationships within families
  • Provide resources to Family Life Leaders in local churches
  • Provide pastors with a programme for premarital counselling
  • Supervise the NEC Counselling Service
  • Provide training for family life leaders in local churches
  • Organise the Family Camp
  • Responsible for Keeping the Church Family Safe training

Policies

  • Safeguarding Policy. The Keeping Our Church Family Safe (KCFS) policy ensures best practices in protecting children and adults at risk. For more information, click here to access the safeguarding policy.

Counselling Service

The Counselling Service is available for all members of the North England Conference – both young and old – who would like support with their mental health. Counselling is available face-to-face, online or by telephone. For more information, click here.

Resources

Key dates

  • Christian Home and Marriage Week: February 11th – 18th
    • Christian Marriage Day: Sabbath, February 11th
    • Christian Home Day: Sabbath, February 18th
  • Family Togetherness Week of Prayer: September 3rd – 9th 2023
    • Family Togetherness Day of prayer: Sabbath, September 9th

Families and Mental Health: Resource Book

The psalmist declares in Psalm 42:1, “As the deer pants for the water brooks, so pants my soul for You, O God.”  

What a remarkable representation of a thirst-crazed deer desperately searching the desert for a stream of water. With the same intensity as the animal is looking for the living water, the psalmist is looking for the living God from whom life, strength, courage, and hope come. The text does not indicate the precise reason or nature of the psalmist’s anguish, yet, whatever he is dealing with takes him to a place of profound depression and, at the same time, the realization that real hope for his condition is only found in the person of the living God.  

Emotional Health experts suggest that stressful life situations, such as the death of a loved one, marriage and family problems, or divorce, may cause harm to a person’s mental health. Also, chronic illness, brain damage as a result of a serious injury (causing traumatic brain injury), the loss of a job, military combat or assault, all contribute to the likelihood of mental illness.  

Communities around the world are at present filled with masses of people experiencing anguish, despair, and worry every day. The COVID-19 pandemic, which has not totally been conquered—increasing stress in many families through job loss and escalating family tension—added to serious ongoing military conflict in many parts of the world, are seriously jeopardizing the mental wellbeing of families and of individuals everywhere. 

This is where Family Ministries can assist and support families with tools to help them communicate more effectively, deepen commitment in marriage, become better parents, and develop greater trust in God—the primary and leading source of mental health. After all, it is God who admonishes in Philippians 4:6-7, “Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.” 

It is our prayer that the 2023 Family Ministries Resource Book—emphasizing Family and Mental Health—will serve as a valuable resource for pastors, Family Ministries leaders, and members who are dedicated to supporting families, not only with their emotional health issues, but also their spiritual wellbeing, and be able to live out our vision of I Will Go with My Family.  

https://family.adventist.org/resources/resource-book/2023rb 

Helpful Links

Helpful Numbers

  • Childline: 0800 1111
  • Samaritans: 116 123
  • NSPCC Child Protection Helpline: 0808 800 5000
  • Children 1st Helpline: 08000 28 22 33
  • Thirtyone:eight: 0303 003 1111
  • Women's Aid: 0808 2000 247
  • ManKind Initiative: 01823 334 244
  • Men's Advice Line: 0808  801 0327 
  • NEC Counselling Service: 0753 921 1442
  • SEC Counselling Service: 0207 723 8050

Helpful Video Links

Resilience Series

Here are several resources from the Christian home & marriage week:

Christian Home and Marriage Week

Families and Mental Health

John Francis

John Francis

Director

Department: Family Life & Stewardship

22 Zulla Road, NG3 5DB  Nottingham, United Kingdom.

Phone: +44 115 960 6312