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Stirling Baptist Church Family Life Centre – Story from Printed Newsletter Spring 2012

Stirling Baptist Church Family Life Centre

The pressures of modern living have brought about a significant rise in divorce and single parents. Many parents and children have experienced the emotional, relational and financial pain of the breakdown of their family unit. This breakdown often leads to conflict, disorientation, economic hardship and estrangement.
In November 2011 Stirling Baptist Church officially opened a family life centre with the immediate focus of offering support in three areas of family life:

 Adult relational issues
 Parent to child relational difficulties
 Children’s issues outwith parental relationships.

The premises include a large space for meetings which boasts one of the best views across Stirling, several smaller counselling rooms and a kitchen.
The first priority following a very suc-cessful Open Day was to establish links with existing agencies which provide family based support. The following service providers now make use of SBC FLC on a regular basis:
Families Need Fathers is the UK’s leading shared parenting charity. They now hold a local branch meet-ing in the centre.
Open Secret is an independent com-munity based organisation offering support and hope to adult survivors of childhood sexual abuse.
Tourettes Scotland is an organisa-tion which provides support and infor-mation for families living with Tourettes Syndrome. Their newest group is in SBC FLC. Parenting children with additional needs can often be a major cause in adult relational difficul-ties.
Other organisations who hope to use the centre in the future include “Heart to Heart” and “Christians against Poverty”.
Pilot courses specialising in marriage enrichment and parenting small and teenage children have been carried out. It is hoped that we can make good links with local high schools and GP centres and offer to run these courses. As we become established we would like to be able to offer a range of family related support ser-vices, counselling services, play therapy, family mediation and contact centre work.
Longer term there is the potential for collaboration between those using the centre and for new projects to develop, supported by volunteers. This is an exciting new project for SBC that has the possibility of serving and supporting our community.
For more information contact:
Dr Kathleen Forbes
Tel: 07889 631124

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