Weekend of Support for Those Who Experience Same-Sex Attraction

Please take a look at the following letter from Rev. Phillip Schanker about a weekend retreat he is hosting December 12-14 for young adults who experience same-sex attraction. I highly recommend this retreat as a resource for anyone who can benefit from participating in it. Please share Rev. Schanker’s letter with all the members of your community / reach out personally to anyone you know amongst your community or contacts who may benefit from an opportunity to share with others with the same experience, consider the roots of these emotions and share in acceptance and healing, and pass on this invitation to them.

This retreat is not intended for anyone who has interest in or opinions about the topic of Same-sex Attraction, but for those who experience SSA, whether wanted or unwanted, who would appreciate the opportunity to share with others who have similar experiences in a safe, supportive and non-judgmental environment. Therefore, when sharing this invitation publicly, be sure to convey it with a heart of love and encouragement, and refrain from using it as an opportunity to teach, make moral judgments about individuals or society, or preach about the need for change.

Thank you for helping to promote this valuable resource to our Unification community. Please don’t hesitate to contact me or Rev. Schanker with any questions or concerns regarding this retreat.

Crescentia DeGoede Director, Blessing and Family Ministry FFWPU-USA

IT’S ALL ABOUT LOVE

A Weekend of Understanding, Healing and Support for Those with Same Sex Attractions

Announcing a special weekend for young adults who experience attraction to others of their own gender, who would like to talk about this honestly in a loving, safe and non-judgmental environment. We are inviting members of the Unification community, but will welcome any individual, couple or family seeking to heal your heart or relationships.

The program is designed to support those who are experiencing unwanted same-sex attraction (SSA). However, we welcome those who have embraced a homosexual life to participate and contribute to the

discussion. It is also open to anyone dealing with unresolved gender issues or emotional wounds regardless of sexual attractions.

This will be an experiential weekend of healing and hope, acceptance and support. We will consider the complex causes of our emotional conflicts, and present practical approaches to personal and relational healing. We will also discuss strategies for ongoing support, programs that can include those we love, and more. We will be proposing a path of healing for those who wish to realize their heterosexual potential. Our commitment, however, is to accept and love each and every participant as they are and for who they are, not based on what we want them to be.

This private program is sponsored and hosted by Phillip Schanker, former director of the family department of the Unification Community in the USA. Our special guest facilitator is Richard Cohen, M.A., author, educator, psychotherapist and founder of the International Healing Foundation, who has helped thousands find freedom for 25 years. To learn more about IHF, and Richard’s personal journey from homosexual to heterosexual, visit http://www.comingoutloved.com. Participants will also include others who have walked the same path of healing from unwanted SSA, and found wisdom and fulfillment as husbands, wives and parents.

The retreat will be held on the weekend of December 12-14, 2014 in a peaceful and private countryside setting near Washington, DC and Baltimore, MD. An early-bird registration fee of $350 covers food, accommodations and the retreat experience. For more details, and to register before November 21, 2014, visit the event page. After the 21st, registration will be $400.

I would like to extend a special invitation to Unificationists who have experienced some measure of healing and health along this same path, who wish to serve as a loving and supportive mentor for others, to contact Phillip, to discuss participation in this or in future programs.

Phillip Schanker