Rachel's Vineyard National Conference

Hobart: Sept 26 - 28, 2008
Hope and Healing after Abortion
To educate and empower through a deeper understanding of abortion trauma, its aftermath and ways to forgiveness, wholeness and healing

Venue: Maryknoll House of Prayer, 15 Home Ave, Blackmans Bay
Program: National Team Meeting – Friday 26th Sept 2008
Conference: Saturday -27th Sept 2008
Forward Strategies meeting - 28th Sept 2008

Download Brochure here
(Word doc) Any problems please email for a copy to be sent to you by email or ring for a paper copy.

Workshops:
Here are few workshops that will be presented. New ones will be added. Do you have a workshop you would like to offer later. Email: You may confirm your workshops at conference registration.

1. The Nuts and Bolts of Friday night
A workshop for those who would like to explore the educational theory, goals and methods of the Friday night of the Rachel’s Vineyard Healing Retreat and how these work to establish the basics for the healing elements of the weekend. The beginning of the retreat is full of many rich and powerful images and themes designed to achieve comfort, trust and communication between participants and assure them that this is a safe place to explore healing. We will look what role each ritual and element plays in preparing the participants for the rest of the weekend. A better understanding of what and why we do things helps us to better facilitate these sessions with confidence. We will also explore how they relate to what follows on the retreat. This workshop will unpack the elements and explore its structure. We will also look at options that simplify the flow of the evening.
Presenter: Fr Peter Maher, BTh, MEd (Adult), Rachel's Vineyard Team, Sydney.

2. Unfolding the Spirituality of the Rachel Vineyard Retreat Weekend
Spirituality may be seen as a response of the whole person to God. It gives us an awareness of God's presence in our lives, affirms us in our experiences and empowers us to move from what binds us to live with hope and meaning in our lives. The unfolding of the Spirituality within a Rachel Vineyard Retreat enables those taking part to get in touch with their experience and to speak the truth of that experience within a safe and respectful environment. Through the welcome of a non-judgemental community, the power of scripture, the use of symbols and rituals, the truth is welcomed; healing and freedom is experienced and a new way forward is discovered.
In this workshop we shall identify and unfold some of the significant personal and grace-filled steps encountered in the experience of a Rachel Vineyard retreat.
Presenter: Sr Carmel Drew sjj Spiritual Director

3. Symptoms of Post Abortion Grief
Julie Kelly has been working as a Counsellor in the area of Post Abortion Grief and Healing for 8 years. She will be presenting a workshop on common post abortion grief symptoms and will illustrate how these have impacted the lives of many from her wide range of experience.
Presenter: Julie Kelly, founder of Rachel’s Vineyard Retreat Ministries, Australia and counsellor.

4. Spiritual Direction
Spiritual Direction is an opportunity to become more aware of the deep truth of our lives and of the ongoing possibility of healing and transformation. It is a journey into fuller cooperation with God so that we may live the fullness of life promised to us. And this invites all of us into ways of walking with one another so as to notice God and to notice new possibilities, often in the least likely places.
Presenter: Peter Ryan - B.A., B.S.W., BTh, M.T.S. - Social Worker, Spiritual Director

5. The use of Role Play
The aims of this workshop will be to introduce you to the basic principals of the use of Roleplay in groups or counselling settings. Drawing on the principals from Gustalt and Psychodrama. The participant will get a chance to explore the use of experimental approaches which can be useful in bringing a person’s story to life and ingaging them in a more wholistic experience which can be often more affective than just “talking about” their story. Come along and bring your playfulness and creativity.
Presenters: Peter Callander M.A Cultural Psychology
Josephine Dare MS and Psych counselling

6. Finding Jesus the Healer through the Scriptures
This workshop will give us the opportunity in finding Jesus through the scriptures. Discovering how Jesus speaks to us through the scriptures and how we find healing as a Rachel’s Vineyard presenter or retreatant.
Presenter: Fr Denis Allen

7. Men on Rachel’s Vineyard Retreat – A Two way Opportunity for Healing
This presentation will explore what the presence of men on retreat brings to the Rachel’s Vineyard experience. Whether they come as grieving fathers whose babies have been aborted against their wishes or as men who have coerced their partners into aborting a pregnancy, their presence adds another dimension to healing.
In order to move beyond the emotions that bind and retard healing, women’s feelings of grief, distrust, anger, hurt and abandonment can be processed through an encounter with a grieving male. Women can be lead to a sense of compassion by witnessing men’s feelings of grief, shame, guilt and regret in relation to their part in an abortion decision. This new understanding can break down misconceptions and any distorted, misguided or rigid viewpoints and women may have.
Men have the capacity to deeply repress their areas of loss and pain – however, they too long for reconciliation and peace and the restoration of their role as father and as protector.
Presenter: Anne Neville R.N., R.M., Dip. Past Psychotherapy, Dip. Marriage & Family Therapy; Cert. Interpersonal Relationship Therapy; Accredited Grief & Loss Counsellor N.A.L.A.G. (Vic); Clinical Member CAPAV; Director of Counselling, Open Doors Counselling & Educational Services Inc.; National Interdenominational Co-ordinator (Australia)

Information: Josephine Dare, Tel: Home (03) 62473640; Mobile 0419 135 518
Email: josephinedare3@gmail.com
OR Anne Sherston email: projectracheltas@smartchat.net.au

Registration form (you can cut and paste into a word doc and send it off with your cheque)
Name:
Address:
Telephone:
Mobile:
E-mail:
Occupation:
Experience in this ministry/profession
(optional):

Your objective in coming to this workshop (optional):


Dietary requirements (vegetarian etc):

Conference Fees:
Full accommodation, tuition, meals and public lecture (Friday to Sun):
Waged: $350. Early bird (full payment by August 14) $300
Unwaged $250 Early bird (full payment by August 14) $200
Willing to share a room -please tick
If you have a preferred room companion please name ………………….
If you wish to stay extra nights please contact Sr Sarah at Maryknoll on 03 62293109
Total Conference Fee $........

Cheques payable to “Project Rachel”
Return to: Project Rachel Conference
P.O Box 478 Kingston Tas 7051
Contact: Josephine Dare
Tel: Home (03) 62473640;
Email: josephinedare3@gmail.com

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