Each spring and fall GSM offers a weekend of interactive counselor/teacher/Samaritan training.  This fall offered a rich opportunity for learning and stretching Nov. 9-11.  Friday evening after dinner, Lay Counseling Director, Kathy Lane led the discussion of miracles.  Saturday, GSM Counselor Ben Lessley started off the class of 40 by unpacking heart-focused therapy principles.  He introduced the importance of the “inner person,” and heart-focused couples counseling. Clearly Ben has more to share!

Brenda Hail from Tri Cities GSM instructed the group on the need for emptying, resetting, refilling, and rest.  And, how we need others to pray and intercede for us. Why? One reason is that “overwork gravity pull” impacts effectiveness!  Insight into our own motivations revealed new understanding.

Donna Granger from Prineville challenged and stretched the group in the afternoon with many examples of how spiritual gifting and “following the Holy Spirit” opens new paths for client healing and treatment.  She explained how walking into the reality of our Christ-earned spiritual authority is a powerful counseling tool.  She shared her art work which illustrates her own “open path.”

Drama therapy training presented by Jane Keohane and Ruth Votaw finished a great day. “Drama Therapy is an active, experiential approach to facilitating change. Through storytelling, projective play, purposeful improvisation, and performance, participants are invited to rehearse desired behaviors, practice being in relationship, expand and find flexibility between life roles, and perform the change they wish to be and see in the world,” as described by the National Association for Drama Therapy.

Contact the Beaverton office of Good Samaritan Ministries for more information about additional classes for interactive counselor/teacher/Samaritan training offered each Wednesday including topics such as art therapy and sand-tray therapy.

503.644.2339
goodsam@gsmusa.org

Does your family work together as a team?  Do you communicate effectively with one another?  Are family problems resolved in a consecutive, healthy manner? What does your family stand for?  What do you stand for?  Strive to be a family that functions in an effective, balanced way helping every member to grow in nature, in stature, and in favor with God and men.

Family Camp weekend retreat is from Friday evening until Sunday afternoon and designed to train the family to:

• Interact and function together in an effective, productive way
• Work together as equal team members in the Kingdom of God
• Do the work of the Lord Jesus Christ as active Samaritans in this world
• Effectively and powerfully conquer evil by standing and working together in agreement
• Function in relationships in the world, as they learn how to function in relationships in the family; Get excited about free will and decision-making
• Live a life of prayer
• Use time effectively

The teaching sessions, the recreational times, and the worship experiences meet needs of the whole family.  The separation of children from the whole group is kept to minimum, though some extra play time or special story times are provided for very young children with shorter attention spans.

Cost for 2 nights lodging and 5 meals
Adults $90
Children 7-12 yrs $45
Children 4-6 yrs $22.50
Younger Children Free.
Friday, October 12th 7:30pm through Sunday October 14th, 2pm
To register, email Good Samaritan or call 503-644-2339

Gail and her Grandkids have attended Family Camp on and off for 15 years:
Gail left camp encouraged after not wanting to come to camp, and not being able to afford to go. She was invited to attend with a partial scholarship and showed up with very raw emotions. It is no small task to bring Jonathan, a special needs young man of 6, and Sarah, a 9 year old. Gail’s daughter and mother of these two children died just this year, leaving Gail as their only parent. Amidst the grief of losing her only daughter,Gail took great steps forward from the theme of camp, “Choosing Joy.” She needed to move past her circumstances which often drove anger, frustration, and despair. She left camp optimistic, and expressed her need for moral support and more joy. A follow-up call led to connecting Gail with Samaritans in Forest Grove who have supported her and contacted her. Just last week during a second follow-up call, Gail expressed her gratitude for the connection, and the care for herself, not found anywhere else. She is looking forward to fall camp. Being equipped with support and tools she gains at camp will help her be a stronger single parent, grandmother, and mother.

Armando: “I learned so many things. This is my second time coming to camp and we’ll keep coming. It’s good for our kids. We learned to build a family. There’s a lot going on our life. People may judge you, but being here, you can see families going through the same issues and you
can learn from them. We’ll keep trying to do our best, with the help of the Lord.”