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Member Care Training with Safe Place Ministry

I was given the opportunity along with four of my colleagues of Kids Alive serving in member care to have a week of training provided by Safe Place Ministry.  Common Ground Farm & Retreat in Kempton, PA hosted our time together.

As Miro and Rachel drove me to Common Ground, I was watching the scenery pass me by and I was captivated the beauty of spring coming to eastern PA.  It was also fun to drive over an old covered bridge and to see throughout the country side some old stone houses and barns.  Once at Common Ground Farm and Retreat, I met Bethann from Safe Place and she showed me and Rachel around the retreat center, which is lovely and quaint.  The thoughts running through my head were, wow I get to spend a week in this beautiful, lovely, quaint retreat center and farm.  It was absolutely breath taking and peaceful and tranquil.

My favorite spot throughout the week was sitting by the pond right outside my cabin.  Being serenaded every day by the choir of bullfrogs and various birds singing accompanied by the babbling of the creek just beyond the pond.  Being able to just "be" in this tranquil environment and sit in the presence of my Creator God in His creation was very refreshing to my spirit...soul giving.  My first morning as I was listening to the bullfrogs, an old, old song came to mind - Bullfrogs and Butterflies by Barry McGuire.

It was great to see Bethann and Jennifer from Safe Place Ministry who came to the Dominican Republic in January and to meet the rest of their team...Jillian, Jane and Sharon.  We were hosted by Mike and Lindy who own Common Ground Farm and Retreat.  We were fed by an amazing chef, Roy.  All week long Roy fed us some delicious Pennsylvania Dutch food.

Throughout the week, we had about 7 different sessions that were taught and discussed.  We learned what is member care and the difference between member care and human resources.  We learned the need and purpose for debriefing along with how to debrief a person or persons.  We learned the need and purpose for crisis incident stress debriefing and how to do that with the people who were directly involved.  We learned about the rhythms of rest.  We learned about the need and importance of sabbaticals and leave of absence and the difference between the two.  We learned about transitions and guiding people through various transitions well.  It's a lot of information that we received and so I am still processing through it all.

My sleeping quarters

Pond Cottage and Fireside Cottage

The pond

The barn

The barn

Cottage on the hill (off the grid)

Farm House and Garden Cottage


Turtles

Canadian Geese

Babbling Creek

Bullfrog

Violets

Amazingly fragrant tulips



Little Pine Creek

View from top of the hill on the farm

Meals around the table

Meeting time

Meeting time

Difficulties of the people we serve

Meeting time

Meeting time

Meeting time

Meeting time

Backside of the pond

Down by the creek side

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