What we offer
Personal Support
TfT provides confidential support to Christian men and women who face issues related to sexuality. This may be in their own lives or in the lives of relatives, friends and church members. We offer this support in a number of different ways.
Initial Assessment
When someone first approaches us for help we undertake an informal assessment. This is an opportunity for the person to share details of his or her situation, to discover some ways forward, and to explore how the ministry of TfT can help.
This assessment is either conducted by a TfT staff member or trained volunteer worker in liaison with the office. The number of sessions involved will vary between one & four, and may occasionally be conducted over the telephone. Strict confidentiality is always maintained in accordance with our Code of Confidentiality.
Personal appointments
Jonathan Berry (the TfT Director and co-founder) is available to speak with people seeking personal support or advice, including relatives, friends and church leaders of those facing personal issues. Jonathan travels widely around the UK taking on various speaking engagements, so appointments can usually be arranged in different regions, according to his travel schedule and availability.
Barnabas Groups
Support groups exist across the UK and Republic of Ireland where Christians can meet in confidence to encourage one another, share, learn and pray together, whatever their sexuality. These are called Barnabas Groups (Acts 4:36). The groups are for members of TfT (men and women) who therefore agree with our basis. One of the aims of our groups is to encourage members to share more fully in the life of their churches.
Voluntary Workers
It is sometimes appropriate to provide pastoral support through regular contact with a TfT voluntary worker. This may involve face-to-face meetings, telephone conversations or email correspondence.
Email Support
We have four email support groups for men, women, wives and parents who are members of TfT. These groups allow for mutual support to be shared with others in similar circumstances. They are especially valuable when no local help is available.
Counselling
TfT has a directory of qualified therapists, counsellors and counselling agencies across the UK who have agreed to take referrals from us. They vary in their methodology and TfT staff discuss with each contact who might be the most appropriate counsellor for them. We also recommend the Association of Christian Counsellor's Find a Counsellor facility on their website.
Courses
Ways Forward With Christ is a 10 session course produced by TfT and designed for members who want to work through issues related to sexuality in a confidential & committed group environment. The sessions cover a wide variety of subjects including The Bible & Sexuality, Addiction & Dependency, Low Self-Esteem, Hope & Healing, Valuing Our Stories, My Ministry in the Church, and Relationships. The course will be introduced in a number of locations during the coming months. Please contact us for more details on the course and on becoming a TfT member.
Barnabas Groups that are currently running the Ways Forward With Christ course include:
- Belfast
- Edinburgh
- Glasgow
Relating to Others is a new course launched in Summer 2010. It is intended to meet the following objectives:
- To learn more about the whole range of human relationships from a Biblical and practical perspective, in order to develop healthy relationships ourselves.
- To support each other in developing our relationship with God.
- To provide a supportive, Christian environment where we can learn together and share openly.
- To make progress in the health and quality of our relationships, under God. .
Barnabas Groups that are currently running the Relating to Others course include:
Wirral
Speakers
Our Director, Jonathan Berry, is available to speak at church meetings, Bible colleges, conferences, youth groups etc by appointment. He speaks on a biblical and compassionate approach to same-sex attraction and related issues. Some speaking engagements are undertaken by other staff members or by one of our trained Voluntary Workers.
Much of what we share from a Biblical perspective is relevant to everyone, whatever their sexual attractions might be. We also address issues like singleness, loneliness, relationships in the church, and understanding God's love and forgiveness.
If you'd like to get a taste of our teaching, you may like to listen to this talk, given by our Director, Jonathan Berry.
Please contact us if you'd like to arrange a visit. This service is limited to churches/conferences within travelling distance of our speakers (ie England, Scotland, Wales and Ireland).
Conferences and events
We organise regular weekend and day conferences each year for our members. By restricting these events to members, who have all agreed with our Code of Confidentiality, we create places of safety and acceptance where we can be encouraged and challenged without the fear of judgement and rejection that many have experienced in the past.
In October, we hold our annual national weekend members' conference. In the spring, we also hold a one-day conference in London. Upcoming TfT events are listed above as well as selected non-TfT events.
Here is the review of our National Conference 2011 that was held in October 2011. Recordings from recent conferences are available as CDs and/or MP3 downloads for purchase from here.
Resource library
We have an extensive range of books, articles, testimonies and CDs for purchase or loan. A full resource list is available on request.
Recordings from recent conferences are available as MP3 files for download from here:
http://www.christianrecordings.co.uk/2011/03/true-freedom-trust/