CE\ Meeting FAQs \ TOOBs? \In Crisis \ Ohio Employment \ Harley ??\ Competitive Religions - 2/28/08

[Smartmarriages]

- CEU FOR MICHIGAN SOCIAL WORKERS?
- MON MARCH 17 MEETING - FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
- I WANT TO ORDER YOUR TOOB PROGRAM
- RESOURCES FOR COUPLES IN CRISIS
- OHIO: LOOKING FOR MARRIAGE EDUCATION INSTRUCTORS
- WILLARD HARLEY'S THREE WORKSHOPS
- THE COMPETITIVE WORLD OF RELIGION

#########################
- CEU FOR MICHIGAN SOCIAL WORKERS?

> Hi Diane,
> I'm a LMSW in Michigan.  Michigan is not on your list for approved CEU's.
> I was wondering if this is in the works?  I received the
> brochure and the line up looks great.  Would love to be able to
> come, but cannot afford to if CEU's are not available.  I would greatly
> appreciate any information you could give me.
> Diane Casey
> Catholic Charities of the Upper Peninsula
> 
For many years, there were no Social Work Continuing Education (CE)
requirements in Michigan, so there was no need for Michigan social workers
to obtain CE.

There is now a requirement, and the good news is the ASWB approval we have
for the conference Covers Michigan Social Workers, so you're covered for the
59 CE hrs just like everyone else.  Thanks for alerting me to the fact that
I need to update the CE page on the website.  I'll copy this to the list to
alert other Michigan Social Workers but also to ask if anyone else sees any
holes on the CE page: http://www.smartmarriages.com/ceu.html

###########################
- MON MARCH 17 MEETING - FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

The pre-conference planning meeting will be at the SF Hilton on O'Farrell St
at 7pm. Just a block from the Powell St BART station. Parking is expensive -
don't drive unless you must.  Lots of good questions:
----------------
Is this meeting limited to Coalition members? How does one becomes a member?
There is no membership requirement - the meeting is for anyone interested in
Marriage Education. And, by the way, if you're interested in Marriage
Education you are hereby a member of the Coalition - there are no dues and
there is no application process.
-----
Because of prior cruise plans I won't be able to attend the conference in
July but I'm curious and would like to attend the March 17 meeting. Is that
OK?  That's fine. It's a good idea to come and get plugged into the
California Coalition ESPECIALLY if you can't make it to the conference in
July.  Dennis Stoica and many other members of the California Healthy
Marriages Coalition (CHMC) will be there March 17 and this will be a chance
to meet and network.
-----
Is the March 17 meeting limited to Californian's only? I think you said that
and sorry to be asking again.   NO, it's open to everyone. If you will be in
the area, please join us.  You may be confusing the March 17 meeting with
the "For Californians Only" Roundtable on July 4th at 4:30pm the conference.
----------------
Do you have a flyer I can post at my agency to let people know about the
meeting? I could put the flyer on the wall above the stack of brochures I
put in the kitchen.  Great idea. I haven't created a flier for the March 17
meeting (maybe someone will do that and share it with me). There are two
fliers available for the conference.  One is targeted specifically to those
in the local SF region - about what's available for the public and options
about attending one day or one event:
http://www.smartmarriages.com/uploaded/doorstep.08.pdf

The other is about the general conference:
http://www.smartmarriages.com/uploaded/Flyer.SF.11.30.pdf

I'll try to work on one for the March 17 meeting.  Or, someone have pity on
me and send me one as a pdf.  -diane

#######################
- I WANT TO ORDER YOUR TOOB PROGRAM
> I received the brochure but I am unable to attend the conference and would
> like information about your Teach out of the Box program. Is it a DVD of the
> training program with all of the materials?  How much does it cost?  I am a
> Mental health Counselor and I would like use the Smart Marriages program in my
> work.
> Arzella

First, Smart Marriages® is a generic umbrella term that covers a huge range
of programs that provide Marriage Education. There is no program called
*Smart Marriages®*....don't want you to be frustrated as you search for the
Smart Marriages® program.

There are many TOOB (Teach Out of the Box) programs with a variety of
titles. These programs include the training to teach the program on DVDs
plus additional leader and couple manuals.  The content and prices for the
various TOOBs varies.  You can find the TOOBS listed with descriptions and
live links to their programs for more info and to order in several places:

1) on page 20 of the conference brochure.

2) on the conference program tracks page for the TOOBs/FOOBs that will be
presented at the conference: http://www.smartmarriages.com/toobs.html

3) on the Smart Marriages® Directory of Programs page for TOOBS:
http://www.smartmarriages.com/directory_browse.html#type_16
AND, also for the TRAIN-AT-A-DISTANCE programs:
http://www.smartmarriages.com/directory_browse.html#type_15

FOOBS are Free Online Out of the Box programs.

#########################
- RESOURCES FOR COUPLES IN CRISIS

> Diane, we're looking for something we can refer folks to that are in crisis,
> and who need some immediate intervention....
 
I suggest you start at the Directory of Programs:
http://www.smartmarriages.com/directory_browse.html

Maybe refer them to a program listed in Deeply Troubled section:
http://www.smartmarriages.com/directory_browse.html#type_2

Or, Infidelity section:
http://www.smartmarriages.com/directory_browse.html#type_4

Though you don't name the crisis ­ so realize it could be just about
anything - parenting, porn, violence, etc.

Also, I don't know where you're located - maybe you should refer them to the
Phone coaching section:
http://www.smartmarriages.com/directory_browse.html#type_46

And/or, the "strengthen your marriage at a distance" section:
http://www.smartmarriages.com/directory_browse.html#type_11

Diane 

######################
- OHIO: LOOKING FOR MARRIAGE EDUCATION INSTRUCTORS

> EDUCATION FACILITATORS
> Male and Female Marriage Education Facilitators/
> Instructors needed to coordinate and present marriage ed. programs to serve
> Mont. Co. and areas south. PT, 8 hours/week. Married couples encouraged to
> apply. Go to http://tinyurl.com/2c6xor
> First published in the Dayton Daily News on Feb 24 2008
#####################
- WILLARD HARLEY'S THREE WORKSHOPS

Diane, 
You said in an earlier email that Dr. Harley is presenting three workshops
in San Francisco and that these form a track and that we must take all
three.  I just received my brochure and I don't see anything that explains
this requirement.  I also don't see anything about it on your website. I'm
hoping that this means that this policy has been changed. I've already taken
workshops about his Marriage Builders programs and I'm not interested in the
workshop about adapting the programs to other cultures. However, I would
very much like to take his Accountability workshop #405. I'd like to see if
the ideas can be applied to my own program.  Please clarify if it is
permissible to register for just the one session.
Wayne

I think this is what you remember: Someone wrote in because they were upset
when they didn't see a Willard Harley Institute in the SF line-up. I
explained that instead of teaching a full-day institute, Harley had decided
to present 3 workshops. I suggested that this person sign up for all three
workshops.  However, it is not required that you take all three of the
Harley sessions - you CAN take one or two or three. - diane

#######################
- THE COMPETITIVE WORLD OF RELIGION

McManus - Ethics & Religion
February 27, 2008
Column #1,383
by Mike McManus
 
Nearly half of Americans have left the faith of their childhood according to
an important new study by the Pew Forum on Religion and Public Life.

Why?  America¹s congregations are much more competitive than many realize. A
Baptist pastor has to spark growing attendance, or he is likely to be
replaced.

Yet, in general, churches are losing their appeal. Those who are
unaffiliated with any church are growing faster almost all denominations.
Only 7 percent of the 35,000 polled said they were raised in a home
attending no church; that figure more than doubled to 16 percent of today¹s
adults.

Contrary to conventional wisdom, however, only a quarter of the unaffiliated
say they are atheist or agnostic. Three-fourths simply say they are ³nothing
in particular,² many of whom consider themselves spiritual, if not
religious.

The Catholic Church has lost more members than any. While a third were born
Catholic, only a quarter are Catholic today.  The Catholic Church remains
America¹s largest, with 67.5 million members, but has lost 20+ million.
That loss is not noticeable due to an influx of 20 million Latino
immigrants. Interestingly, there are 21 million more Catholics today than in
1965.

Ex-Catholics, like me, are America¹s second largest religious group and are
a tenth of the population.  Most of us became Protestants.  Nevertheless,
the percentage of Protestants in the nation has surprisingly plunged from
two-thirds of the public in the 1970s to only 51 percent today.

The denominations which have suffered the greatest hemorrhages since 1965
are Mainline Protestants, according to data from the National Council of
Churches who they are affiliated with. The 11 million United Methodists in
1965 dropped to under 8 million. The Christian Church (Disciples of Christ)
have plunged from 1.9 million to 462,000. Episcopalians fell from 3.4
million to 2.15 million, down 4 percent in just the last year. The
Presbyterian Church (USA) is down from 4.3 million to 3 million.

Evangelical and Pentecostal churches are the growing ones. The Assemblies of
God exploded from 572,000 in 1965 to 2.8 million. The Church of the Nazarene
doubled from 343,000 to 630,000. Some are denominations which did not exist
in 1965 such as the Evangelical Presbyterians and the Presbyterian Church of
America, that spun off from the Presbyterian Church (USA) over its support
of abortion.  The newest kids on the block are Anglicans, who have abandoned
the Episcopal Church over gay ordination and liberal interpretation of
Scripture.

However, it is the non-denominational churches which have expanded the most.
Only 2 percent of Americans grew up in them, but 5 percent (11.6 million)
attend today.  Many are in large megachurches, that offer scores of
ministries which meet the needs of individuals better.  They can also hire
more inspiring preachers.

Prof. Stephen Prothero, Chairman of Boston University¹s Religion Department,
says that large numbers of Americans are leaving liturgical churches in
favor of evangelical Christianity. ³The trend is towards more personal
religion, and evangelicals offer that,² such as programs that are targeted
at subgroups such as youth, he told the New York Times. ³Those losing out
are offering impersonal religion, and those winning are offering a smaller
scale.  Mega-churches succeed not because they are mega but because they
have smaller ministries inside.²

He¹s right. Rev. Rick Warren, pastor of the 30,000 member Saddleback Church
in suburban Los Angeles, was asked by the Dean of the National Cathedral,
which is Episcopalian, what his secret was for such growth.

He replied, ³The most important part of our church is not who shows up on
Sunday, but the fact we have 3,600 small groups who meet in homes for Bible
study, support, and  encouragement.  ³That is the real church which
stretches 100 miles from Santa Monica to Carlsbad, where 20,000 to 22,000
meet weekly.²

What¹s more, the church has ordained 13,000 lay ministers who serve in 400
different ministries reaching to the community at large.

Some minority faiths are growing rapidly, such as Mormons who were only 1.7
million in 1965, but reported 5.8 million in 2006. Jehovah¹s Witnesses
mushroomed from 330,000 in 1965 to 1.07 million. Muslims are growing but
still are only 1.4 million, less than the oft-claimed 6 million. Oddly,
three African American denominations each report exactly 2.5 million
members.

Last week I reported that 28 percent of Americans consider themselves
Christian but did not attend a traditional church service last month.
That¹s a whopping 65 million adults. For example, 12 million worship in home
churches that are unaffiliated with a larger church.

It¹s time for shrinking churches to ask their members how they can be better
served.

(Like more help in strengthening their marriages and families, Diane said
from the peanut gallery.... - d)

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12th Annual Smart Marriages® Conference, Hilton San Francisco Hotel,
June 30-July 6, 2008  (General Conference July 2-5)
Pre-Conference Training Institutes June 30-July 2
Post-Conference Training Institutes July 6
DOWNLOAD a conference brochure and register at:
http://www.smartmarriages.com/download.brochure.html

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http://www.smartmarriages.com/directory_browse.html

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Coalition for Marriage, Family and Couples Education, LLC (CMFCE)
Diane Sollee, Director
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202-362-3332

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