ICM 2015 WORKSHOP PROGRAM SUMMARIES
FEATURED PRESENTATION SATURDAY MORNING
(for all attendees not in the ICM business meeting)
LIVING FROM THE HEART
Lisa Bravo, Licensed Professional Counselor, will discuss the importance of living from the heart in your marriage. Learn the number one reason relationships fall apart and how to circumvent the avalanche 100% of the time. Learn tools to enhance and revitalize your marriage while intentionally connecting at greater levels than ever before!
Lisa Bravo, LPC, is a highly acclaimed, internationally recognized motivational speaker, published author, college professor and psychotherapist. She is an expert in the areas of relationships, parenting, behavior management, mental health counseling, crisis, and addictions. She has authored top-selling books on parenting, relationships, emotional competency and behavioral intervention in schools. She serves as Behavioral Health Consultant to international Fortune 500 companies. Lisa maintains a private psychotherapy practice, focusing on family construction and dynamics. As an addiction’s counselor, Lisa is an expert in identifying and recalibrating dysfunctional patterns. Lisa identifies herself as a “successfully intense” person and believes that redirecting this energy is achievable by all people.
FEATURED PRESENTATION SUNDAY MORNING
(for all attendees not in the ICM business meeting)
MARRIAGE AS A SAVING-NUPTIAL SACRAMENT
What do marriage and the Incarnation have in common? In this talk, Katrina Zenowill tackle the beauty and sacramentality of marriage from a new direction - the one-flesh union of divinity and humanity in the Person of Jesus Christ. We will see why and how this truth needs to be the foundation for any marriage ministry as well as an inspiration for our personal understanding of salvation.
Katrina J. Zeno, MTS, () is the coordinator of the St. John Paul II Resource Center for Theology of the Body and Culture for the Diocese of Phoenix, AZ, and she has been speaking nationally and internationally on the theology of the body for 18 years. Katrina co-hosted a 13-part series onTheology of the Body for EWTN, and she is the author of over 50 articles and three books, includingThe Body Reveals GodandDiscovering the Feminine Genius. Katrina received her MA in theological studies from the Pontifical John Paul II Institute in Washington, D. C., and her BA in theology from Franciscan University of Steubenville. Besides teaching at the college level, Katrina's latest endeavor is assisting Catholic dioceses, parishes, and organizations to integrate the theology of the body into every level of catechesisand formation. When not speaking, Katrina enjoys dancing salsa and Argentine tango, hiking, and learning Spanish, and she is the blessed mother of a married son, Michael.
COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT
RETROUVAILLEAND MARRIAGE ENCOUNTER:SISTER MINISTRIES UNITE!
The past Arizona leaders of Worldwide Marriage Encounter, Mary and Marty Willgohs, willshare their experiencesof working with ArizonaRetrouvailletobuild a bridge between these two sister ministries to strengthen marriages and build up the body of Christ. They willdescribe eventsthat theyhave collaborated on, suggest ideas for shared activities with other marriage ministries anddiscuss the need to eliminate competition or hierarchy between ministriesinan ongoing effort toward the shared goal of healthy,life-longsacramentalmarriages.
Mary and Marty have been active in Marriage Encounter for 28 oftheir 30 years of marriage. They have been a weekend presenting teamfor 15 years and were Arizona Servant Leaders from 2012 to 2014. They have two grown children. They are committed tohelping couplesreceive andenjoy God’s amazing gifts given through marriage.
SURVIVING SPOUSE FINDING OUR WAY IN A COMMUNITY OF DISCIPLES
This workshop will focus on the unique grief of losing a spouse while being immersed in the Retrouvaille Ministry.We will discuss the immediate and long term effect on the life that is and can be while finding our way and that of our community in the call to be a Community of Disciples.We will recognize the special gifts that surviving spouses bring to Retrouvaille. We will discuss the Surviving Spouse Charter based on Article VIII of the bylaws and work on making this a reality in our ministry.
Jeanne Botz
Jeane and her husband, Joe, made their Retrouvaille weekend in Feb 1989 in Tampa FL. That same year they attended the first Formation Weekend in Tampa in May,then presented Stage 1in September, and attended ICM in Toronto in October. They presentedStage 1for 23 years and presented the original Post Sessions. In Tampa Bay Jeanne and Joe served as the Coordinator Couple, Registration Couple,and Financial Couple. Joe was called home June 2012, and Jeanne has been coordinating the Saints Of Retrouvaille Ceremony for the 2013, 2014 and 2015 ICM, as well as giving workshops and working with the Surviving Spouse Circle She continues to be active in Tampa Bay Retrouvaille as the registration contact person.
RETROUVAILLE IN A BOX
Tulsa's 4 year effort to start a community in OKC
This presentation will describe how the Tulsa community used Skype technology and other strategies to open a Retrouvaille community in Oklahoma City. We will share how we combined communities on the weekend without losing their separate identity but sharing in the cost of the weekend. Postsessions have been remotely broadcast between communities via Skype. The technical issues of both cameras and sound will be explained and demonstrated. Both the success and pitfalls of this system will be explained. The remote broadcast provides a good experience for both the presenters and attendees.
The first objective of this presentation will be to show how a community can combine with another community to share the cost of a weekend and allow each community to retain their identity. Second, ideas will be offered as to how a community can help expand Retrouvaille to other communities. Finally, a third objective is to demonstrate how remote broadcastscan provide a good interactive experience between a presenting team from any location and their audience.
Jack & Marycarol Page
Retrouvaille of Tulsa
Jack and Marycarol Page of the Tulsa community began their Retrouvaille journey in May, 1999 after 4 years of being separated and divorced from each other. They have served in a variety of capacities ever since in their community, as regional support and development team and as International Coordinators. Currently, they are spearheading the effort to establish Retrouvaille in Oklahoma City.They have written Stage 1, Stage 2, Formation and the 12 post talks.They are the parents of 2 grown daughters.
CORE DEVELOPMENT
CORE is an essential component of any successful Retrouvaille community. Communities with high CORE couple engagement improve the overall health of their Retrouvaille community, retain couples and find writers and presenters for Weekend and POST presentations. John and Donna Bigler, Community Coordinators of Santa Clarita Retrouvaille, will discuss the importance of CORE, brainstorming techniques to create fresh CORE topics and provide examples you can use for CORE presentations in your community. This talk will have an extensive Question and Answer session and discussion about new ideas for CORE in your community.
John and Donna Bigler
WHAT IS A CHRISTIAN MULTI-DENOMINATIONAL (CMD) WEEKEND AND WHY SHOULD YOU HAVE ONE IN YOUR COMMUNITY?
Retrouvaille is a wonderful ministry for hurting marriages. It stands apart from other ministries because it is incredibly successful in helping married couples whose marriage is on the brink of disaster. The destructive effects of unhappy families and divorce are not limited to Catholics. The Retrouvaille ministry is virtually unknown outside the Catholic community. John and Donna Bigler, the Community Coordinators in Santa Clarita will discuss how your community can benefit from hosting a CMD weekend along with the practical steps of how to do it. There will be an extensive Q&A and FAQ about CMD during the talk.
John and Donna Bigler
HOW TO LEVERAGE MINIMAL TIME FOR MAXIMUM PUBLICITY
Large Communities doNOThave lots of couples doing many hours of Publicity. Rather, they focus their limited resources and minimal time on those areas that produce the most returns. Attendees of this workshop will learn what these high value activities are and how to implement them in your their community.
Mike & Charlotte Mazzei
Retrouvaille of Santa Cruz, California
Mike & Charlotte were married in Southern California in 1983. They made their Retrouvaille weekend in March 1992 in San Jose, California. They present Stages 1 and 3, all 12 Post talks and Formation Weekends. They created and present Digging Deeper Weekends. They have served in every position on their local community’s Board of Directors. Along with Fr Bill Hoffman, they served as the Expansion/Development Team on the Retrouvaille International Board from 2004 to 2006. Currently, they are one of the three couples on the Web Presence Committee.
GRIEF RELATED ISSUES
SHATTERED BUT WHOLE: A WORKSHOP FOR ANYONE EXPERIENCING A LOSS IN THEIR LIFE
The grief we experience when we lose someone special in our life is shattering. The grieving process is different for each of us causing disconnect from family, friends, work and our spiritual life. This workshop will provide information on the grieving process and the importance of movingout of isolation. We never "get over "our loss but rather find a way to weave it into the tapestry of our life.
Jeanne Botz
ON LOSING YOUR SPOUSE
The core of this presentation is my thankfulness to God for our 55 years and the discovery that my wife, Sheila, and I were helpmates on our journey to salvation.My prayer forthose of you who have lost or will someday lose their spouse is to discover the guiding perspective of seeing married life as a journey to salvation. I will share our love story as that of a couple striving to live a Christian marriage despite a serioushealth issueand the drug addiction of two of our sons.Sheila's journey is complete, mine ongoing,as I seek to discern and liveGod's plan.
Jerry and (in spirit) Sheila Hackert Sheila died Aug 16, 2009.
Jerry graduated from college in 1952 with an ROTC Air Force commission and was on active duty untill retirement. A year after graduation he married Sheila and they had 5 children in 6 years, including twin boys. In 1984 they hosted a Retrouvaille expansion team and pledged their involvement, helping start the program in Phoenix. Over the next 20 years they wrote all 3 stages and presented about 100 weekends across the USA.They stopped presenting in 1985 due to Sheila's declining health.
GUILT: THE UNMENTIONED STAGE OF THE GRIEVING PROCESS
A presentation on the guilt many surviving spouses bring in to widow/widower hood and some guilt uniquely felt by members of the Retrouvaille community.
Pam Miller
Pam and Paul Miller were married in 1980. After 25 years of marriage they attended a Retrouvaille weekend in June 2005. The next year they began presenting Stage 2 for the Baton Rouge and Acadiana Communities in Louisiana. They also traveled to other communities to present. Pam and Paul soon began presenting many of the post presentations in the Louisiana communities. The couple served as Community Coordinators and Prayer Couple Coordinators in the Acadiana Community. After Paul’s death in November 2013, Pam continued serving the Retrouvaille ministry by becoming active in The Surviving Spouse Circle. She is currently presenting a workshop for Surviving Spouses on Overcoming Widow’s Guilt.
OUR MASKS AND GRIEF
Masks prevent us from showing the "real me". This talk will be a personal sharing on how wearing a mask with our loved one contributes to marriage breakdown. This talk will also explore how to recognize the mask that we wear and how to use it effectively in our communication with others. During this talk, we will also learn that moving forward does not mean that our precious memories are left behind but rather to recognize the mask that we wear and use it in a positive way.
Alicia Waning
Alicia and her husband, Bob, attended their Retrouvaille weekend in the Suburban Maryland and Washington DC Retrouvaille community in March 1988. Together with two other Virginian couples, they founded Retrouvaille of Northern Virginia in April 1991. They served as Coordinators of Retrouvaille of Northern Virginia for 6 years and presented Stages 1 and 3 talks, as well as all of the Post Sessions. Bob lost his battle to cancer on June 23, 2012.
MARITAL RELATIONSHIPS
HEART CENTERED HEALTH AND WELLNESS
Did you know that 80% of all ailments addressed in the primary care office are directly related to stress? We live in a stress-laden world and have very few ways to detox from it. Many of us become insomniacs, workaholics, or turn to drugs and alcohol to alleviate the pain. In this workshop, Lisa Bravo will discuss why radical self-care is just as important (if not more) as taking your medication. Learn the 7 Habits for Radical Self-Care and develop your own plan while we meet.
ACCEPTING IMPERFECTIONS OF EACH OTHER
We have heard that my spouse is not an extension of myself, and that God does not make junk. Learning to accept the imperfections of each other is challenging, and this workshop will use the four personality styles as the basis for building upon the strengths we admire in our marital spouse, and then to accept the characteristics we find annoying and difficult. The participants will engage in an exercise to identify such imperfections in an open and honest manner, while respecting our spouse in the context of the marriage sacrament/covenant.
Ray Littleford and Pat Smith
Ray and Pat attended Retrouvaille of Arizona in June 2004. They present Stages 1 and 2 for weekend programs, and several of the postsessions. Currently they are the Coordinator Couple for the Phoenix community. Pat is a retired hospital medical staff manager, and Ray is a licensed psychologist in private practice.
APPLYING THE FOUR DECISIONS IN EVERYDAY LIFE
You heard them on the weekend and at POST: Commit, Love, Trust and Forgive. Come learn new and innovative ways of living out the 4 Decisions in your daily lives! You will be inspired and motivated to grow for the sake of your relationship. Plan on attending this creative and thought-provoking workshop!!!
Sylvia and Dave Langton
Sylvia and Dave have been married 49 years. They made their weekend in October 2010. They are weekend, post and formation presenters, and they also workshop presentations. Finally, they are the Support and Development Couple for the great region 2.
BLENDED FAMILIES
This presentation will include information regarding Blended Families, which will include families living together due to divorce, foster families and/or adoptive families. This presenter will include three dynamics within the talk. First, the discussion will address common encounters families experience once they become blended. Second, concepts and techniques blended families can use to improve communication. Finally, the discussion will take us to long term goals which will assist the blended families in the journey ahead.
Michele “Shelly” McCullough-Cruz, LCSW
Shelly is able to speak extensively on a professional and personal level regarding blended families. She is a retired USAF Senior Non-Commissioned Officer and Licensed Master Social Worker who currently has a private practice in Sahuarita, Arizona.
CHILDREN OF RETROUVAILLE
"Kids say the Darndest things!" The children of Retrouvaille Arizona share their unique experiences from their point of view. You may be surprised by their answers-- poignant and uplifting, as well as heartwrenching and tender! Come discover what it's like to be a kid in Retrouvaille.
Olivia Munoz
Ariel Gonzalez
Kim Armendiaz
Anna Ouellette
Mia Barrios
MANAGING STRESS EMOTIONS OF ANGER AND FEAR
Anger is like a hot stone. If you pick it up to throw at someone,you will get burned. (ancient proverb)
This is anexperiential workshop where you will do some self discovery exercises and learn some helpful strategies to become aware of and gain control of our uncomfortable emotions so they do not control us by not letting unrecognized feelings control our behavior.
Kevin and Kathie Stogsdill
Kevin and Kathie have worked in Marriage Ministry for 40 years.They started the community of ROSA, Tucson and are a stage 3, post, Formation and workshop team. They have served as the Coordinator Couple and many other positions. Kathie is an RN, is a Certified Healing Touch practitioner and a Holistic Stress Management Instructor. They work as a team and have given several ICMworkshops on Healing Touch for Couples and Couple prayer.
THE EFFECT OF SEXUAL ABUSE ON THE MARITAL RELATIONSHIP.
In a recent survey of adults, over thirty percent claim to have been sexually abused as children. This workshop explores the affect abuse has on the individual and the marital relationship. It looks into the unique attitudes victims of sexual abuse have towards sex and intimate relationships. We also explore the struggles a spouse has regarding a marital relationship with a victim of sexual abuse.