DIVORCE CARE

Divorce Care is a support group for those who are in their first or second year of divorce. Meetings are held on Saturday from 4 to 6:00 pm in the St. Paul Room. Come and join us and let the spirit of God nurture you. Child care is provided.

If you would like additional information, please leave a message for Marty Lorraine at (661) 324-2883.

HOME SCHOOL PARENTS

Parents have a primary right and duty of educating their children through the witness of their lives. By creating an atmosphere of faith in the home, and leading them to the sacraments, parents can better prepare their children to be responsible members of society and committed disciples of Christ in the Church.

We offer spiritual support, provide opportunities for socialization, share curriculum ideas, and meet other needs unique to Catholic home schooling families.

If you would like information, please call: Christian Say (661) 587-9474,
Mary Puncer (661) 588-9523 OR Diane LaRochelle (661) 589-7480.

MARRIAGE MENTORING

Marriage Mentoring is a program for helping newlywed couples deal with the changes in their lives during the first two years of marriage. An experienced couple can help you deal with the pressures introduced into the relationship by such things as the changing relationship with family and in-laws, roles and responsibilities and expectations of each other, money matters, the role of God in your relationship, and many other.

If you are a newlywed or soon to be wed and would like more information please contact Deacon John OR Marcia Monsma (661) 833-2218 x190.

MARRIAGE PREPARATION

Marriage is a process of growing together. The average couple will spend several hundred hours planning for their wedding, a ceremony that usually lasts less than an hour. The hours spent in marriage preparation will give you skills and insights to last a lifetime. The program is tailored for each engaged couple. Each couple will work exclusively with one facilitating couple throughtout the entire program.

The program is designed to build trust and rapport between you and the facilitating couple, to create an atmosphere conducive to free discussion. Our program consists of nine meetings, each about 60 to 90 minutes in length. These meetings are typically held weekly or biweekly.

It is our goal that couples completing this program will enter marriage with tools essential for building a life-long commitment based on sacramental understanding and proven marital behaviors.

If you are soon to be wed and would like more information please contact Deacon John OR Marcia Monsma (661) 833-2218 x190.

NATURAL FAMILY PLANNING

Natural Family Planning teaches a faith-filled way to postpone or achieve pregnancy. This is NOT the rhythm method developed in the 1930's. The modern sympto-thermal method of Natural Family Planning (NFP) is proven to be 99% effective in postponing pregnancy. NFP is 100% safe and has no health risks, as it involves NO potentially harmful birth control drugs or devices. In addition, NFP increases health awareness,
is low in cost, and is immediately reversible. Most importantly, NFP builds better marriages and is morally acceptable, as it respects God's order of creating...letting God be God in our lives!

For additional information, contact Jesse and Eloisa Silva (661) 213-4313 or jesilva@sbcgobal.net

RE-MEMBERING CHURCH

Re-Membering Church is an outreach to inactive Catholics. The program is designed to provide instruction and build community for those who have been away from the church.

Each session is led by a priest with the assistance of a lay minister. Sessions begin during fall and spring.

For more information, please contact Pat Wenn (661) 396-1738 OR Eileen Lindsay (661) 836-2881.

SPIRITUAL 12 STEP PROGRAM

The Spiritual 12 Step Program names Jesus Christ as the Highest Power. This group offers support to people who are interested in using the 12 Steps as a focus for their lives. Guidelines are used for the program to ensure confidentiality.

Meetings are held every Thursday from 7:00 - 8:00 pm in the Bishop John Steinbock Fireside Room.

For additional information, please call Tom O'Leary (661) 300-0102. You can also visit their website at: www.spiritual-12-step.com