Fourteen participants attended a Living Free Faculty Training Workshop, which was held on July 19th and 20th, 2010, in Chattanooga, Tennessee. Participation in the workshop is part of the process for one to become a certified trainer of Living Free.

It was exciting to have people present who are involved in a variety of ministries here in the United States and around the world. One woman attended the Living Free Faculty Training Workshop so that she could use Living Free in her own church and in a prison ministry she is involved in.

A Living Free Ministry Report for 2009 and the First Half of 2010

El Pacto, in Bogotá, Colombia, has been using Living Free Ministry resources to help everyone they come in contact with to grow spiritually. Below is a report from Beatriz Arguello, who heads the ministry of Living Free in conjunction with El Pacto.

• The introductory videos are shown on Sundays, and the groups meet during the week.
• From February to June 2009, there were 24 people in Insight, 26 people in Free to Grow, and 15 people in Restoring Families.
• Then from July to October there were 30 people in Insight, 10 people in Free to Grow, and 15 people in Concerned Persons.
• There was also a group of 12 people, who were potential facilitators, that participated in the Knowing God curriculum. This was an opportunity for them to be trained but also edified.

The theme for the 2010 Living Free International Training Conference is Breaking Down the Walls.

A copy of the conference schedule is available here.

Our speakers this year will focus on breaking down the walls that divide us.Through the word of God, the Spirit of God, and the people of God ministering in small groups, Living Free seeks to break down the walls that have been built up in everyone's life. At the conference there will be plenary sessions with all the speakers listed below, along with small group interaction and training in more specific areas of interest including addictions and the ministry of Lifeline, a ministry that brings the faith-based community together so that there can be healing from the devastation of addictions.

Living Free groups have been used for many years by outreach minded churches to help people in moments of personal crisis and to open doors for effective evangelism.

Trinity Church International (TCI) of Lake Worth, Florida, under the direction of Pastor Dan and Sandy West, is that kind of church. Volunteers from TCI work in prisons and halfway houses and distribute food to needy families. Several times each year they host outreach events where they offer clothing, hot meals and the gospel of Jesus Christ.

Family Care of East Liverpool is a non-profit organization dedicated to providing assistance to at-risk individuals and their families. Knowing that every person is important to God and that He desires for each of His children to live free of life-controlling problems, Family Care offers training using curriculum from Living Free.

Donny Lytle, who is the director of Family Care, recently shared about how he found out about Living Free and the curriculum offered:

A few years ago I felt as though God was calling me to the community to help people find hope for life. We were searching in different areas and really focusing on helping people to be overcomers in their lives through Jesus. My wife and I started to work on writing our own material. We had a son who was a heroin addict and went to Teen Challenge in West Virginia. There he found Christ and has been delivered. He had a friend who completed the program and was working in Bristol, Tennessee. I went to meet him and he showed me the Living Free materials that he used. I was so excited to see that all the things my wife and I were trying to put together were there!

I came home, got online, ordered some material and did the free video on the net for facilitator training. I started sharing with my pastor, and we decided to see how God might use this in our setting. A year ago we rented a small office space in downtown East Liverpool, Ohio. We started praying and asking people who would like to be a part of this. We set up training guidelines according to Living Free and our church Hope Christian Fellowship. Ten people came and have completed facilitator training and the Insight Group, along with other requirements.

The theme for the 2010 Living Free International Training Conference is Breaking Down the Walls.

Our speakers this year will focus on breaking down the walls that divide us.Through the word of God, the Spirit of God, and the people of God ministering in small groups, Living Free seeks to break down the walls that have been built up in everyone's life. At the conference there will be plenary sessions with all the speakers listed below, along with small group interaction and training in more specific areas of interest including addictions and the ministry of Lifeline, a ministry that brings the faith-based community together so that there can be healing from the devastation of addictions.

A new curriculum from Living Free, Where is the Image of God in You? Expressing Character Traits in Godly Ways, is now available. The author is Brad Rymer, who is actively involved in leading Living Free groups and serves on the Turning Point Board of Directors. Trained in conflict mediation, Brad is a marriage and family mediator.

The purpose of this study is for us to see how some of the different character traits we have can be used in constructive rather than destructive ways in our lives and relationships so that we are operating more and more in the image of God according to the way He created us. Also, this study can help us better understand others as we build godly relationships.

It has twelve sessions and includes:

If you are new to our website or haven't visited the Living Free store in a while, there is a new feature that can help you when you are considering a curriculum purchase. Please notice the flipbooks, which are available for all Turning Point published materials. Each flipbook contains a complete curriculum that you may preview.

To access the flipbooks, click on the product details for any curriculum that interests you. On the product details page you will notice below the title the phrase "Flip through This Curriculum." Just click on that link and it will take you to the title page for your curriculum of choice. This link will allow you to view the complete curriculum page by page. An example of a flipbook for the Insight Group Facilitator's Guide can be accessed directly by clicking here.

We hope that you will enjoy this new feature of our online store.

A new curriculum from Living Free will soon be available. Where Is the Image of God in You?, written by Brad Rymer, a marriage and family counselor, seeks to show how some of the different character traits we have can be used in constructive rather than destructive ways in our lives and relationships. Participants will learn to operate more and more in the image of God according to the way they were created. This study can also help people better understand others as they build godly relationships.

The following is an excerpt from an update from Dr. Don Pratt, President of Florida Integrity Training. The FIT program uses several Living Free curriculums including Insight, Free to Grow, Anger, Our Master or Our Servant, and Handling Loss and Grief.

Somewhere in all this zeal and activity, focus has been lost. We exist to service our clients. It really does not matter how much it costs us, how hard it is to do or to get set up. It does not even mean anything if we are snubbed or go unrecognized within our own church communities. What we can say, though, is that we have seen powerful changes through Christ in the lives of the small groups of people that we work with. We would rather help a small number in a big way rather than make a big splash with numbers in superficial ways.

...Over a year ago... we lost our main source of funding, and we could no longer provide our books to the inmates and clients. We tried different coping strategies such as teaching without our curriculum books. Classes dropped to 10% because we found that the books, which our clients cannot afford, are the key to success in our program. They provide structure, focus, and a comprehensive plan for the bettering the lives of the broken hearted and downtrodden.

Then some wonderful things started happening. Some of our dedicated facilitators began purchasing books for their own classes (about $150), and the classes went on. We started asking more for donations, and more of them came in. Interest in our leading training has steadily grown. This month, for example, we have leader training sessions in Providence, Rhode Island and Brooksville, Florida. Next month we will have two more, one in Bradenton and one in Miami. Every month someone new finds us on the web and contacts us for materials. They are from all over the U.S. and represent various denominations. Some even come for leader training.

Today... there are many opportunities and challenges. We need prayer for leaders to work our curriculum as well as favor to be allowed into the facilities where we could minister. We need funds, especially for books and our printed certificate and tracking services. Specifically, we have an immediate need for male volunteers... We already have the approval and the clients. This is a rare opportunity where the institution is inviting us in.

In spite of the obstacles, there are many rewards, and the rewards are deep and satisfying. By “staying with” our clients and being patient, we see them blossom right in front of our eyes. We were there for them when they needed us.