Solace – a place of peace in the midst of chaos. Solace is a weekly program for vulnerable women who want a place where they can feel safe enough to discover who they are. Each of us are created in God’s image. We have intrinsic value, worth and beauty because He created us that way! Our dream is to help the ladies at street level take steps towards realizing and reflecting this truth. we want to encourage women to uncover what that means in their lives and to begin to see each other as God-imaging people. We want women to know that we are available during this time for you!

Goals:

1. Foster and offer and environment of trust among the women of our community (something that is hard to come by among ladies at street level)
2. Walk through personality tests and activities to help the women learn about themselves
3. Show that differences in personality among the women in the community are needed and worth celebrating
4. Equip the women with tools to better handle the challenges of life; with the primary focus on mental, esteem and confidence issues
5. Get the ladies started on a journey of self awareness, and strengthen their sense of identity

6. Give opportunity for personal growth through "discovery journals" that the ladies can compile with all of their findings and reflections.
7. Offer practical suggestions of how to apply what they have learned to everyday life that the ladies can take home with them

 

Program Description:
Solace is a two-hour drop-in program offered weekly for the ladies at street-level. We start off the time with visiting while waiting for most of the ladies to show up, though this seems like a mere time filler, it's crucial in maintaining, and building our relationships with these women. Next, as a group, we take part in a personality test (official standardized assessments), or activity, or creative craft that will help identify something about each person's personality. We discus the results, allowing room to acknowledge or reject the results of their test and provoke their thinking about why. We encourage everyone to share their results, not to analyze anyone else's, or judge, but to learn about and celebrate one another's differences also. The final part of our time is spent in response: allowing the ladies to think of ways to adapt, change or strengthen themselves based on what they have found. This is a new addition to how the program ran in the summer of 2009 It is a new focus that will, Lord-willingly, allow the ladies to grow and take steps of healing that will carry over into everyday life.

 
An Example: Love Languages
Solace – Love Languages
Review
Question: Does anyone remember what the five love languages are? (have them give a mini description of the test administered in the summer)
Hand out journals and have each review their personal results.
Question: What did you find out about yourselves...what are your love languages? (encourage each to share)

Exercise
Brainstorm together....how can we practically show each of these love language to others? Get creative! (cover main types of relationships....friends, family members, significant other)
Activity # 1 - Big creative activity together (large paper, lots of colour). All of us participate and write/draw things down on the paper.
Activity # 2 – Give each person a chart so they can write down/draw/cut and paste their favourite ideas on to it. Then they can glue it in their journal as a reminder.

Discussion
Question: Is it important to know one another’s love languages? Why or why not?
Question: Is it important to practice using someone else’s love language? Why or why not?
Personal Implementation
Look at important relationships that you come in contact with daily (roommate, spouse, friend, etc.). What are their love languages? (Personal time to journal, then share with the group if they would like)
Give an example from the past of how you have shown them love through your love language(s). Did they accept it?
Give an example from the past of how they have shown you love through their love language(s)? Did you accept it?
Using what you learned today (ideas that you came up with), write/draw new ways that you would like to show these specific individuals love this week (from their love language and from yours).

**** End off with a simple PRAYER!

Come Join Us!
Thursdays 1:30-3:30pm

First Christian Reformed Church
531 Talbot Street

London, ON N6A 2S5
(Classroom in the Basement of the church--right next to the fellowship hall)