Preparing Families for Life Overseas
A day workshop for families who are preparing to live abroad
Dates for 2013 will be announced shortly
Moving
overseas as a family is an exciting and challenging experience! The
popular ‘Preparing Families’ day at Redcliffe College is specially
designed to equip parents and children understand and prepare for life
as a family in another culture.

The
separate adult and children’s programmes give you the tools to not just
survive – but thrive living overseas. Each session draws on the expertise of
Marion Knell (Global Connections TCK Forum, European Member Care
Network), Janet Chapman (Global Connections TCK Forum, OMF
International) and Stephen and Yolanda Jerrard (New Tribes Mission).
For the adults:
Parents will be helped to understand the dynamics of bringing up
children in another country, and the effects of cross-cultural living on
family life.
For the children:
Primary
school-aged children will participate in a parallel pre-field
orientation programme run by Janet Chapman and Stephen and Yolanda
Jerrard, where they will be able to explore their own feelings about the
move and be given strategies to cope. You can listen to an
interview with Janet and Yolanda here
Babies and pre-schoolers
attend the Redcliffe crèche where there will be a range of games and activities provided.
Feedback from families:
‘I
just wanted to write and say how much we enjoyed the day on Saturday.
The best thing to come out of it was that my 9-year old daughter said
that she now didn't mind about the possibility of the move. She had been
quietly apprehensive about it and the leaving of friends etc., but is
now clearly not so worried about it as she had been. Please pass on our
thanks to the leaders of the children's ministry for helping the
children get a clearer picture of what they can expect in the next few
weeks and months.'
Cost and to book
The cost in 2012 was £35 per adult or £60 per couple, £15 per child (aged between 3 months and 11 years). Prices for 2013 will be announced shortly.
More about the speakers
Marion Knell
leads the adult sessions. A trained teacher, she became involved in the
care of missionary families while working for Arab World Ministries.
Marion heads up the Global Connections forum on Third Culture Kids, and
lectures on the subject at UK Bible Colleges and International
Conferences. Marion is also involved with the European Member Care
Network and works for a secular international relocation company as a
youth and adult trainer. Her book, Families on the Move was published in
2001 and her latest book Burn-up or Splash Down - surviving the culture
shock of re-entry is now available.
Janet Chapman has
worked in Third Culture Kids ministry with OMF International since 1984,
living in Malaysia, The Philippines, Singapore and now Preston. Her
work has included teaching year 2, advising families, giving homeschool
support, developing orientation material for children, debriefing TCKs,
co ordinating teams running TCK programmes at conferences and leading rekonnect, an annual re-entry camp for TCKs. In 2009 she qualified as a
counsellor.
Stephen and Yolanda Jerrard work with NTM (New
Tribes Mission). They served as house parents for several years in West
Africa and Papua New Guinea. Now based at NTM’s headquarters, their
ministries involve serving missionaries through working in personnel,
member care and MK/TCK care.
Directions
Redcliffe offers a host of
short courses and
events throughout the year.
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