Family Resource Center

The Family Resource Centre (FRC) serves as an interdisciplinary and intercultural resource and development network in the area of family and marriage. As such, it provides continuing education opportunities for professionals and lay people through seminars, workshops and short-term courses. These programmes are designed to serve those who are currently working within various marriage and family disciplines. Seminars are offered which address a variety of counseling, legal, ethical, religious, and political-legislative issues, as they relate to the family. These seminars are conducted in cooperation with local churches, social service agencies, educational institutions, and family agencies.

The Centre offers a six-month training program (Family Ministry School) in partnership with the College of Counseling and Health Care for individuals and families with a calling to restore families to their biblical destiny and minister the love of Christ to families all over the world.

The Centre exercises its influence to bring awareness of family issues inside and outside the U of N, and will promote the analysis and application of preventative and restorative therapy in families.

The Centre maintains up-to-date information on current resources available in the area of family and marriage, and facilitates resource networking among those working in this area by:

• Developing a resource library of books, DVD’s, videos, articles and other media, as well as seminar packages that can be made available to families, churches, professionals, and service agencies.
  
• Compiling a reference list of individuals and agencies offering services for family and marriage matters;
  
• Promoting communication through the publication of articles, books, newsletters, brochures, and pamphlets, as well as though audio, visual and electronic media;
  
• Serving as a networking and communication centre for various churches, mission agencies, and family agencies.

The Centre seeks to be actively involved in current research, remaining on the cutting edge of family and social development trends by:

• Evaluating the effectiveness of current family models and counseling approaches through field-based research;
  
• Networking with existing volunteer, professional and government-sponsored agencies that provide services to families;
  
• Facilitating the integration of social and medical resources to the family (AIDS and other sexually transmitted disease information, family planning, medical and nutritional services).
  
• Offering marriage and family services to communities;
  
• Establishing agencies that offer biblical alternatives to existing social service programmes;
  
• Promoting the role of families in ministry and service