Fresh Hope Pact: Revived by His restoring grace

Between 1^st and 3^rd of November 18 people (7 men and 11 women) took part in a Pact weekend at the Drulingen headquarters of FPC on the topic of “Facing marriage breakdown: Revived by His restoring grace.” A team of six led the weekend and looked after the participants.

The keynote of this first session in a series of three was Isaiah 30.18 and Hebrews 4.16. It developed in two phases:

the participants examined the impact of marital breakdown on their relationships and their personality with a view to getting a grasp of the challenges and false solutions facing them in the stage in which they seek to LIVE AFRESH;

the participants reflected on the ways God in His grace offers them to make a new start and step into a profound inner restoration. In this way they were able to discover that renewal is learned in daily life by relying on the counsel of Scripture.

Various learning aids came into play: images, questionnaires, syntheses, testimonies, messages, videos, song… Workshop times in small groups alternated with plenary sessions, times for taking stock personally and times of prayer.

In addition valuable informal sharing in those convivial moments when the kitchen team spoiled the participants, or in the evening around a cup of tea and cake.

It was a weekend to “catch one’s breath”: together we were replenished by Him who is Himself LIFE to rediscover with Him what is essential for OUR life.

Two further sessions are planned for 2025. After inward restoration we shall reflect practically how to rebuild and live with fresh perspectives, in particular as single-parent families.

Martine C.