The course is for women only. All sorts of women come on the course; women of all ages and from all walks of life. Some had their abortion recently, for others it may be many years in the past but the effects are still felt. Christians from any denomination or church tradition are welcome. We seek to welcome you into a warm, loving group with tenderness and grace at its centre. We also understand the need for confidentiality, for example the venue of the course is only disclosed to those who have registered.

What if I am not a Christian?

Our course has been designed for use in a Christian group setting. If you are not a Christian but would like to explore the issue of post abortion healing please contact us for further assistance. We have a wide network of contacts in this field and might be able to put you in contact with a suitable organisation in your area.

What happens?

We meet on a weekday evening. The first evening is intentionally low key. We will introduce ourselves to you and tell you a bit about the course. There is some administration to do and we will then have a short group discussion and a time of prayer together.

We follow a structured programme. Each week there will be a short talk at the beginning and a group discussion afterwards followed by a time of prayer. During the course we will be looking at different themes that helps guests unpack issues from the past in an encouraging, non-judgmental and gentle way. We are fully aware of the many sensitivities around this subject. Guests can process as much as they wish at their own speed and will never be asked to explore anything they do not wish to face or think about. One woman who came on the course said each session was like ‘joining the dots of a numbered puzzle’. The more dots that were joined, the clearer the picture became.

There are three important practical points to make you aware of before you join the course:

1. There is a task to complete between the sessions, which will take about one hour each week. It is not difficult and there is not a great deal of writing. This task is a vital part of the course and helps you get the most out of it.
2. One of the sessions takes place all day on a Saturday. This is the most important part of the course. About 50% of the benefit of the course comes from attending this day so please do not sign up for the course unless you are able to commit to this Saturday session.
3. It is important that the abortion was more than one year before the start of the course. This is because we have found that after an abortion, many women shut down at some deep emotional level for between 12 and 18 months and at less than one year find difficulty engaging with the course.

Why a group course?

People often assume that one to one counselling might be better than a group. The people who have come on the course tell us that the opposite is true; that a group has been the most effective and best place for them to process this issue. They tell us that the pooling of experiences as well as the shared common ground really helps them make progress towards healing and that, as the weeks go by, the group becomes a powerful support network and source of shared strength.

What stops people signing up?

Getting through the door is the hardest

Some women signing up for our courses say things like: “My desire to keep it a secret was so great I nearly didn’t go on the course.” There can be a strong desire to keep a past abortion a secret, and contacting us to request course details can seem like a huge step. We understand this and would encourage you that contacting us could be the first step towards healing. Afterwards they say: “I wish I had done this sooner!

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If you have any questions please contact the Restore and Rebuild course team via email: courses@restoreandrebuild.org

We understand the need for confidentiality. Only the leader directly involved with a course will be passed your contact details.

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