Is a debrief right for you and your family? It might be if you’ve been through some challenging events that don’t feel settled, or if you have had lots of changes in ministry and/or location. Debriefing can also help bring good closure to one season as you move into a new season. If you haven’t had one after several years in missions, it’s often a great time to debrief. This 5-day debrief was designed for long-term staff and the challenges they face so it is not the same as a student debrief after an outreach.
“Transformative.”
“It has raised my whole faith.”
“Debriefing like this should be part of the rhythm of missions.”
“This debrief was the highlight of my summer.”
“These tools are so helpful, I learned so much. I can’t actually think of any constructive criticism right now, and I can always think of constructive criticism.”
“I hadn’t realized how much I had been carrying ‘for’ Jesus. As we processed together, I was set free. I understood the depth of His love for me and He showed me that His intention was to carry the load ‘with’ me.”
It was a stretch for many to apply but God provided and met them in encouraging ways.
Do you want to apply or get more info on this or other family debriefing opportunities? Contact [email protected]
Schedule: Each morning, parents will meet with an adult debriefer to debrief their experiences. During this time, the kids will meet with a dedicated children’s debrief team and participate in a preventative care debriefing model that also provides direction and opportunity for processing with Jesus. They will learn emotional literacy and other skills in identifying positive changes that they want to bring with them and negative changes that they want to leave at the cross.
Afternoons are primarily for heart work/family time, though parents will be updated on their kids and learn skills for helping their kids continue to process grief and losses while living cross culturally. Some evenings will have optional family activities.
However, the three hours each morning of kid’s debriefing is the only supervised kids program.
Cost:
We know that there are excellent debriefing options that offer family debriefing in resort-like settings with staff providing cleaning and cooking. We celebrate these options and recognize that there is a genuine added benefit to being able to fully let down and focus only on your debrief. However, we also know that the price point is sometimes out of reach for some missionary families. Our goal is to keep costs as low as possible for this debrief option.
$500 per family, plus $50 per person
Costs are in CAD
The cost covers housing in a small two bedroom apartment. Debriefees will arrive and leave on their own power.
Families with kids under the age of 7 will need to bring a nanny to be with those kids during morning sessions.
If necessary, contact [email protected] to arrange pick up and drop off at the Toronto Pearson Airport (YYZ) (cost will vary).
Over the past years of debriefing with YWAM Meadowlark and at various summer YWAM missionary family debriefing retreats, Matthew Smith and Ian Stuart have refined a unique TCK debriefing curriculum blend that focuses heavily on preventative care, but also keeps Christ central to the processing. It both gets tools into the hands of missionary kids and their parents, and leads children to identify some specific positive things that they want to bring forward with them and negative things that they want to leave at the cross. Involving elements of both a TCK training model and a LeRucher model of debriefing children.
Biblical Basis (for debriefing and for each of the following)
Emotional Literacy
TCK Identity (strengths, dangers, and the both/and aspects of TCK life)
Grief and Loss (identifying them and the danger of piling them up until a collapse)
Processing (verbal, journal, art etc.)
Discovering Jesus’ enoughness (healing, forgiveness, truth & living water)
We will also be giving an overview on supporting and educating parents.
Participants will be trained in age appropriate adaptations for grades 2-6 and grades 7-12.
Want to arrange a training? Contact [email protected]