Family Life: The Joy of Love
FAMILY CONFERENCE 2021
5 & 6 November 2021
Virtual Conference
Day 1
MEET THE
PROFESSIONALS
WORKING WITH FAMILIES
The current realities of families in Singapore challenge us to ask:
How can we, professionals who work with families, support and strengthen the family unit in Singapore?
This question forms the core driver of Family Conference 2021. We have gathered academics, subject matter experts, family life practitioners, advocates, and families from all parts of Singapore to discuss trends, challenges, best practices and opportunities for collaboration.
Who is this for: Professionals that work with Families (counsellors, social workers, psychologists, physicians etc)
Day 2
MEET THE
FAMILY TEAM
BUILDING AND EMPOWERING OUR FAMILIES
How can the family answer the call of Pope Francis to be the "Salt of the earth, Light of the world and the Leaven of society”?
We unpack the teachings of Amoris Laetitia and learn how to discover this Joy of Love in our families. We can then go forth to build our own holy family, understanding the call to holiness starts in small ways and actions. Hear from the volunteers of Affiliates and Associate that have been supporting families for as long as 30 years!
Targeting Families, Church Workers & Volunteers that work with Families (Youth coordinators, Catechists, Family Life Ministries etc)
SYNOPSIS
OPENING ADDRESS
Most Reverend William Goh
Roman Catholic Archbishop of Singapore
5 Nov
FRIDAY 1.30 PM - 5.45 PM
KeyNote Address
State of Family Life in
Singapore
The current global pandemic has increased the needs, hopes, and challenges we face as families. One of the most effective approaches to deal with serious infectious diseases that become pandemics, is for the population to stay at home, avoiding public contact that worsens transmission of the infection. Thus, the stay-at-home directive (SAHD) is crucial to combate the pandemic. However, in addition to the disease itself, SAHD inflicts stress at various levels. While people hoped that working from home would allow them more family time, many families are experiencing more stress and conflict. Family relations (mostly parent-child and husband-wife interaction) are impacted daily by SAHD. Family stress and conflict are constant challenges in normal times for families everywhere, but we need to be prepared to deal constructively with new challenges. Based on findings from sociological studies, I will discuss ways to manage constructively the additional stress brought on by the pandemic and SAHD.
Adjunct Professor Stella Quah
Health Services and Systems Research, DUKE-NUS Medical School, National University of Singapore
Specialised Track
Facilitating Flourishing
Families (Children)
Helping Children Flourish: Understanding the Family's Role in Facilitating the Social Emotional Development of Children
The influence of the home environment to the development of any child is immense. This is particularly so for young children. Drawing from development theory and from the findings of the Singapore Kindergarten Impact Project, this session will seek to understand the contribution of the home and other factors to the social emotional development of children. From these, insights into how families can help facilitate the social emotional development of children will be discussed.
Associate Professor Kenneth Poon
Associate Dean, Education Research; Co-director CRCD, National Institute of Education
Specialised Track
Interventions Towards Flourishing Families (Couple & Marriage)
Keeping Faith in the Pan-Endemic Period
This talk will focus on how family members can help each other keep their Catholic faith/spirituality alive in our pan-endemic period amidst the various challenges. We will also explore how we as Catholic professionals and clinical practitioners can contribute in our own unique ways to the psychosocial and spiritual growth/ development of couples and families here in Singapore. And in doing so, we hold this “Hope” for them, while they learn to navigate through this pan-endemic period towards being a Christ-centred family. Mindful too of the recent population survey 2020, where younger Singaporeans, as well as our Catholic youth are becoming more secular in their approach to life and religion.
Dr (Fr) Charles Sim, S.J.
Master of Counselling/ Couple & Family Therapy, SR Nathan School of Human Development, Singapore University of Social Sciences
Specialised Track
Interventions Towards Flourishing Families (Teens/Youth)
Adolescence represents both a tremendous time of growth and challenge. Teens going through the throes of growing pains are often accused of not thinking, relying solely on finicky feelings, and exhibiting emotions rather liberally. This session discusses what parents and caring adults can do to help adolescents effectively navigate the tightrope of developmental tasks, with as minimal pain as possible, for all!
Dr John Tan
Executive Director, CARE Singapore
Vice-Chair, Commonwealth Alliance of Youth Worker Association
Steering Committee Member, Mentoring Alliance Singapore
Specialised Track
Interventions Towards Flourishing Families (Post Marriage)
Unfamiliar Grief: Sitting with the Pain
Members of the helping profession are familiar with grief and loss in experiences of death, and relationships ending. However, what do you say to the pain of a couple who have remained childless through their marriage? How do you provide support and comfort to parents who have a child with special needs? How can we address the struggle of parents and siblings trying to be strong for a child who has been diagnosed with a chronic illness or worse, a terminal one? This session hopes to start a conversation on some ideas of how we can address grief and loss in these less encountered experiences through validation and “sitting with the pain” through the use of the professional self.
Daniel Ng
Principal Social Worker
Moving Forward
Resources for Family Life Practitioners
At the Family Development Group in MSF, we work with Social Service Agencies to develop and deliver programmes and support services to couples and families at key transition points where they may face more stressors.
In this session, information on available services and resources will be shared to support you in your work with families.
Nancy Ng
Director, Family Support Division, Family Development Group. Director, Professional Practice Development
Office of the Director-General of Social Welfare, Ministry of Social & Family Development
6 Nov
SATURDAY
9.00 AM - 6.00 PM
CELEBRATING THE JOY OF LOVE
Celebrating
Sacraments
Mass
Blessing of Families
Rev Msgr Ambrose Vaz
Vicar General (Pastoral)
ANCHORING ON OUR FAITH
The Joy of Love in
Families
Building your Holy Family
Living the Call to Live Holiness in Today's World
What is a Catholic family? Amoris Laetitia can help us reflect on the characteristics of a Catholic family and what it is called to be.
What does it mean to be a holy family? What does it mean to be holy?
All people are called to holiness.
We attain holiness in our state of life – in our marriage and families. (AL, 313 and 316)
Come and reflect how we as a Catholic community can do to help families live out their calling.
Fr Gerard Louis C.Ss.R
Vice-Provincial Superior,
Redemptorists of Malaysia and Singapore
EXPERIENCING THE JOY OF LOVE
A: Single, Alone but Never Lonely
Choice SG
It is part of our human need to seek authentic love and to be accepted for who we are. Living fully as blessed singles, in our spiritual life, we must first find the courage to enter into the desert of our loneliness and to transform it by gentle and persistent efforts into a garden of solitude. A garden so plentiful as to share ourselves through our relationships with our family, work and community. In the end, to love another, is to experience the presence of God in the other.
B: Preparing Engaged Couples for Marriage
Catholic Engaged Encounter &
Marriage Preparation Course
Marriage preparation is designed not just for a beautiful wedding day but for a lifetime of grace-filled blessings. In this talk we discuss how marriage preparation can help couples to discover the dignity and beauty of marriage. It enables early communication to foster a deep understanding of each other so that in their marriage ‘the spouses assume an active and creative role in a lifelong project’ (Amoris Laetitia 218).
C: Experiencing the Joy of Love One Day at a Time
Couples Empowerment Programme &
Worldwide Marriage Encounter
Saying “I do” on our wedding day is just the beginning of a journey together. A journey that allows us to work our dreams and hopes, on common goals and projects, and to experience the joy of love in marriage. To continue to experience this joy of love, Pope Francis writes in chapter 4 of Amoris Laetitia about the “transformation of love” because “Longer life spans now mean that close and exclusive relationships must last for four, five or even six decades; consequently, the initial decision has to be frequently renewed” (AL 163). In this talk, learn how to live out and frequently renew your love for each other through the three Ts of Time, Traditions and Treasure, as well as to learn how to navigate and to manage marital conflicts in a life-giving way.
BUILDING FLOURISHING FAMILIES
Growing my Marriage & Saving Others
Introduction to “Marital First Responders” (MFR)
If a friend or a relative were to approach you to talk about his/her strained marital/ intimate relationship, how would you respond to that person? How would go about having this conversation to help your friend or relative better manage the strained intimate/ marital relationship?
Applying L.E.A.P & C.A.R
Recognizing unhelpful behaviors of friends
Dr (Fr) Charles Sim, SJ
Master of Counselling/ Couple & Family Therapy, SR Nathan School of Human Development, Singapore University of Social Sciences
EXPERIENCING THE JOY OF LOVE
D: Parenting – What Happened to This Sweet Child of Mine?
Couples For Christ
Pope Francis said in Amoris Laetitia 57: “I thank God that many families, which are far from considering themselves perfect, live in love, fulfil their calling and keep moving forward, even if they fall many times along the way”. The family is the building block of society and of the church. It is a beautiful gift from God, and He has a beautiful plan for it. As parents, we can nudge our children to discern and choose God’s plan for them. This talk will share about how to bring up our children in the ways of the Lord, understanding the stages that our children go through, their specific needs at each stage and applying the 4As of Positive Parenting.
E: Loving Through Loss (Finding God’s Grace Amidst Grief)
Beginning Experience & Catholic Divorce Support Group & Pieta
It is as if time stops altogether: a chasm opens to engulf both past and future.” (Amoris Laetitia 254)
Our family is a place to experience the Joy of Love. However, when we encounter separation, divorce or death, we experience grief and loss. Through this talk, understand the grief cycle and process and learn tips to manage such grief and loss. Find out from sharers and presenters how to manage such struggles, where you may find support or to learn how to support others.
OUR SPEAKERS
Adj Prof Stella Quah
Professor Quah’s areas of research are health sociology, family sociology and public policy. Among her published studies as Principal Investigator are the impact of individuals’ physical and mental illnesses on their families, on family caregiving, and on the health care system.
Daniel Ng
Daniel is a social worker with over 20 years of experience in various practice settings, including elderly, family, medical and social work education. He also holds a MSc in Family and Systemic Psychotherapy. Across his career, Daniel has provided support for many families grappling with issues of grief, loss and bereavement, ranging from unexpected medical diagnoses, divorce, extra-marital affairs, death, addiction and even infertility.
Assoc Prof Kenneth Poon
Professor Kenneth Poon is trained professionally as a clinical psychologist, special educator and early childhood educator. His work for the past 20 years has focused on the wellbeing of persons with developmental disabilities & disadvantaged environments, as well as their families.
Fr Gerard Louis, C.Ss.R
Fr Gerard obtained the Licentiate in Sacred Theology at the Pontifical Gregorian University in Rome. He teaches theology now at the St. Francis Xavier Major Seminary and the Catholic Theological Institute of Singapore. At the beginning of 2019, he was elected as the Major Superior of the Redemptorist Vice-Province of Malaysia & Singapore and continues to teach theology and engage in pastoral work.
Nancy Ng
Nancy is the practice expert in representing MSF for curriculum and course development, building up practice capability for social workers and other related social service professionals with tertiary institutions and training partners like the Singapore University of Social Sciences and Social Service Institute.
Dr (Fr) Charles Sim, S.J.
Dr (Fr) Charles Sim, S.J., is a Jesuit, family therapist, teacher and researcher. He is the master trainer for "Marital First Responder" and "Person-of-the-Therapist" training courses. He also designed and developed the Master of Counselling specialization in Couple & Family Therapy, and the Graduate Certificate and Diploma in Systemic Therapy programmes at SUSS.
Dr John Tan
Dr John Tan is the Executive Director of Children-At-Risk Empowerment Association, a youth-serving charity he helped found in 1997. He is also the founding president of Youth Work Association Singapore. John's interests are in positive youth development, youth mentoring, adolescent mental wellness, and suicide prevention.
Our Conference Celebrates
1st year as Catholic Family Life &
200 years of Catholicism in Singapore!
Two hundred years ago, on 11 December 1821, St Laurent Imbert landed in Singapore. From then, missionaries from faraway lands came and planted the seeds of faith. Thereafter, the growing local Church has seen the ebb and flow of history, which shaped modern Singapore. From 13 December 2020, our Archdiocese will mark this pivotal year to launch a new era of faith.
Source: CatholicSG200 website https://catholic200.sg
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