Here’s a sneak peek at what we have planned in addition to hearing from Curt Thompson and Ross and Staci King throughout the weekend.
Preconference Session Friday Afternoon: Casual Conversations, Intentional Storysharing
In Amy Tan’s book The Joy Luck Club, women came around the mahjong table with intention so that they could together turn their attention away from big things that could disintegrate them and toward little things that integrated them. A young adult adopted from China who has been gathering over Zoom with other young people who were adopted likened their times together to those mahjong gatherings except, she explained, what they do is come together with intention to turn their attention away from the little things of everyday life towards really big things–their unique and shared adoption experiences. On this Friday afternoon, a few of those young people are inviting you to sit at the table with them. With Kelly Raudenbush facilitating in person, you will not only get to listen in but be part of the conversation with adoptees from various parts of the country joining us virtually.
About the facilitator:
Kelly Raudenbush has been committed to caring for caregivers since she cofounded The Sparrow Fund in 2011. She earned her Master’s degree in counseling from Missio Seminary in 2002 but paused her professional practice to grow her own family. Kelly was part of the therapeutic team at the Attachment & Bonding Center of PA for 4 years before bringing counseling under the umbrella of The Sparrow Fund in 2019. She has a particular interest in (a) partnering with parents to help children process and understand their histories in healing ways; (b) encouraging, equipping, and empowering parents as they navigate the effects of trauma and build connections with each other and their children, and (c) helping caregivers and teachers in our own neighborhood and across the world best experience the power of relationship and grow it. Kelly has been married to Mark since 1998 and has four children, three biological and one adopted as a toddler from China in 2010.
Saturday Afternoon Breakout Sessions
Building Bridges With Your Children
Kids cannot always articulate what is bothering them, nor know how to build relationships. As parents, it is often our job to winsomely understand and draw them out. Drawing, role playing, or even petting an animal can be activities that help them to open up and express their feelings and concerns. In this session, Julie Lowe will share some practical ways we can build authentic relational bridges with our young children (and young adult children).
About the speaker:
Julie Lowe is a licensed professional counselor with over 22 years of counseling experience. She holds a Masters degree in counseling from Missio Seminary and is a registered play therapist. She is also a faculty member at CCEF (Christian Counseling & Educational Foundation) in Glenside, PA. She is the author of Childproof: Parenting By Faith Not Formula, Building Bridges: Biblical Counseling Activities for Children and Teens, Helping Your Anxious Child: What to Do When Your Worries are Big, and Teens and Suicide: Recognizing the Signs and Sharing the Hope. Julie and her husband Greg are foster and adoptive parents with six children and live in the Philadelphia area.
Having Tough Conversations With Grace
What do adoption and sex have in common? They both require ongoing conversations with our children that prompt all sorts of questions in us of what, when, and how. In this session led by experienced adoptive parent and educator Carolyn Ruch, we will explore these questions to empower us as parents with clarity and grace. We will never have these conversations perfectly, but we can have better conversations when we grow and learn together.
About the Speaker:
Carolyn Ruch is a former teacher, an author, speaker, child advocate, and steward of the Rise and Shine Movement: Equipping Adults to Protect Children from Childhood Sexual Abuse. But, her role as mother to seven children (three biological, one adopted, and three foster) is where she’s had her most joyous wins and her most painful losses. Now, a grandmother to three, she spends Fridays with Ken, her husband of 36 years, and two of the most adorable two-year-olds you’ll ever meet. Her other time is spent equipping adults in prevention, volunteering as testimonial coordinator with Women’s Walk with Christ, an international organization promoting discovery, healing, and transformation, and volunteering for The Sparrow Fund by joining other adoptive parents on the mountains and in trenches through their Spring and Fall Gatherings.
Understanding and Healing Trauma in Your Family
What is trauma? How does it manifest itself in adopted children and the families who love them? In this session, Dr. Phil Monroe will lead us in exploring the challenges of trauma and our responses to it as well as guide us to better understand how we can be agents of healing and growth for all of our children.
About the speaker:
Philip Monroe is a psychologist and leads Langberg, Monroe & Associates, a counseling practice in Jenkintown, PA. His specialities include trauma care, addictions, and problems with anxiety and depression. For the past 22 years, he has been a part of the faculty at Missio Seminary where he was chair of the Graduate School of Counseling. He is the founder of the Global Trauma Recovery Institute and now Visiting Professor. In addition to his clinical work, he also provides support to the Trauma Healing Institute which mentors and trains clergy around the world to better understand trauma in their communities. Phil is the adoptive father of two. You can read his personal and professional musings at www.philipmonroe.com.
