Parents Association Meeting

Christine Froehlich
September 18, 2005

In the rolling hills and cornfields of Iowa, the new class of STF members is now attending a 21-day Kickoff workshop held from Aug 6 – 28 at Camp Abe Lincoln, a YMCA camp on the Mississippi River. Lecturers Michael Irwin, Rev. Phillip Schanker and Rev. Joshua Cotter are presenting Divine Principle lectures and internal guidance throughout the workshop. With an additional emphasis on experiential learning, new STF members were blessed with 3 "adventure days" where they practiced a ropes course, simulated rock climbing, various team-building games and a carefully orchestrated water gun fight. For four days during the workshop, they will get their first taste of STF fundraising in the local areas, following a full day of orientation and safety guidance. This year, there are 8 new second generation team captains for the first year program, who have offered to stay for a third year of STF, and who were trained throughout the past year in safe driving, external management of a team, and morning services, DP lecturing, and mentoring training. This is excellent leadership training for these young people.

Simultaneously two other workshops have taken place in the same location. The STF members who are returning to complete their second year attended a Second Year Kickoff 7-day workshop, at which they received internal guidance lectures on witnessing and basic life of faith from Rev. Joshua Cotter, Mr. Mito and second year STF staff, as well as 4 days of DP lecture training led by Hiroshi Higashino, CARP leader at the University of Bridgeport.

On the weekend of Aug 12-14, there was an STF Parents Association workshop, with over 40 STF parents attending. Throughout the day on Friday, (before the larger workshop began) the STF Parents Association Advisory Board members met with STF staff members, and STF International Director, Mr. Ittetsu Aoki and discussed numerous topics, such as a presentation of educational goals for each year – 1st and 2nd and 3rd, a report from Gary Abraham on the STF Assembly and Parents Association meeting in Korea, concerns of parents raised by each Board member, and further planning for the Parents Workshop itself.

In the afternoon, Rev. Jin Man Kwak (Executive Vice President of World CARP) and Mr. Aya Goto, (Senior VP of World CARP) joined in the meeting as parents discussed one of their central concerns: the transition from STF to College life after commencement from the second or third year. Anne Marie Weinmann (Director of CARP in Maryland) gave a report on the 30-day workshop student workshop held this summer, under the leadership and inspiration of Akiko Ikeno and Mr. Mito. They also discussed an assessment of the overall situation of STF and where we have come so far for the first, second and third year programs. This year’s plans include a new Sunday schedule for the first year - there will be no fundraising, and instead the STF members will engage in extended DP studies and lecture practice, and eventually visit with local Family Federation communities as they travel on their mobile teams. The vision is for them to meet with younger second generation and serve in those communities in a cooperative effort with Family Federation leadership.

On Friday evening, as more parents arrived, they joined in with their sons and daughters to listen to the lecture by Rev. Schanker. On Saturday morning the contents of the Advisory Board meeting were conveyed to STF Parents, including a special presentation of the first and second year curricula by STF third year members, (those who have volunteered to stay on STF an extra year for leadership training and raising up their younger second year brothers and sisters.) Parents engaged in lively discussion the following day on topics such as how we can support our second generation after commencement, as well as during their STF training, as they go through dramatic transformation and challenges to their fundamental life of faith. Rev. Joshua Cotter gave a moving testimony of his experiences with Hyun Jin Nim, and his vision of raising up our second generation to build healthy Blessed families in the future, and take ownership of God’s providence as tribal messiahs, and/or CARP and Family Federation leaders in the future.

Overall this was a healthy exchange and sharing of our hearts and minds as we continue to build the kind of leadership training program that will be a benefit to all. Special thanks to all the sacrificial efforts of the STF staff and CARP leadership and their investment of true love and faith in our young people.

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