Blog

It’s time for me to get back to working with children and families.

11th April 2024

Hello everyone,

After much thought, prayer, and talking it through with Tim, family and friends, I’ve made the decision to leave employed work at TLG at the end of the summer.

For the first 11 years of TLG, I had the joy of supporting Tim and joining in as a volunteer.

I got to see first-hand how God took our heart to help struggling children in Bradford, and used a bunch of ordinary people to begin a journey to inspire and equip churches in other places.

When I was first asked in 2010 to work out what a TLG Early Intervention programme might look like, I thought I was developing something for someone else to lead! Apparently not! It’s been an incredible privilege during my 14 years working at TLG to have pioneered, created, trained and advocated for the wellbeing of children and families who are struggling with the impact of adverse childhood experiences. This cause hasn’t changed for me at all, if anything it has become more urgent and I’m feeling the pull to be back in community and delivering support practically with children and their parents/carers. Four years ago I handed over the operational leadership of the Early Intervention programme, and I know it’s in very capable hands.

I have returned to study and continue to enjoy being trained up in psychotherapeutic counselling for children. Whilst I am, and will totally remain, a champion of the highly capable non – specialist supporters (TLG EI Coaches and ML volunteers – you are absolute treasures in this), I have also begun to see that in the face of such great need around us, there are not enough specialised responders and I personally am feeling the call.

As I train, I am thoroughly enjoying the joys and challenges of growing in a specialism I feel made for. I want to sharpen up and spend more time closer to children and families in need whilst I complete my training so that I can be holistically equipped and sharpened up for the role. I sense God’s smile and prompting to get stuck in.

Whilst making this decision, and as I begin to take the steps to implement it, I have received many words and pictures to confirm it, but mostly it chimes with a passage of scripture which I’ve tucked into my heart from Malachi (4:6 NIV):

‘I will turn the hearts of parents to their children and the hearts of children to their parents.’

I believe God has shown me that this will be a big priority of his spirit in the final times before Jesus returns again. We are all a part of this at TLG and I see the fruit of it in the stories of children supported by TLG programmes. For my part, I’m being re-deployed to respond in a new way.

I don’t have a job to go to as yet, but I’m looking out for opportunities to work with families where I’ll keep learning to follow God’s prompts in responding to the emotional and relational needs I see.

I have loved being employed by TLG with this brilliant team and will continue to champion the work. I will stay closely connected, and have accepted the invitation to be a TLG ambassador, in a voluntary capacity.

I remain devoted to supporting Tim in his TLG adventures and continue to be excited as churches pick up the TLG programmes and deliver this vital support to children and families in their communities.

I’m sure I will see you at a TLG event soon.

May God’s kingdom come.

Warmly,

Rae ☺