Our world is full of individuals who have moved into adulthood burdened by what is in their past. The chains from childhood brokenness (parents’ divorce, abuse, neglect and so forth) have covered them and no matter what they have tried, they still see the issues affect every area of their lives. Everything from broken relationships to the inability to trust, the issues of abandonment, betrayal, depression, fear, etc. are evidences of the trauma they have lived and are still living with.
A new program, called “Chained No More…A Journey of Healing for the Adult Children of Divorce”, is the only program of its type that brings God’s healing to the specific issues that cover this hurting segment of our world. This process is a unique approach to bring participants back to their devastating experiences in childhood, feel it once again, explore the power these experiences have had on their lives, find deep healing in Jesus and then give them strong, practical tools to move toward a much healthier future, free of the chains that have bound them.
My name is Robyn Besemann and I live in Oregon. I grew up in a pastor’s home and always had a heart for ministry. For the past 13 years, I have led a large single parent family ministry which included established groups such as Divorce Care for Kids (DC4K) and The Big D…Divorce Thru the Eyes of a Teen. I have not lived through divorce as a child or an adult, but my education comes fom endless hours of conventions, conferences, workshops, symposiums, court dates and hearing, but the most affective was listening to single parents and their kids. I was also camp mom in a camp that welcomed over 3,000 children per summer. I would listen to the children cry over their family traumas until the wee hours of the morning. God was beginning to bring me to understand the incredible hurts in our society today because of divorce and the issues surrounding it.
I now speak at conferences and conventions as well as smaller events, sharing with pastors and church leaders, children’s ministry events, grandparents’ groups, etc. Prison ministries are requesting Chained No More to bring strong healing with those who are incarcerated and their families.
While leading DC4K and The Big D, many people requested a program for college kids and adults as well, so the Lord led me to write “Chained No More” for those who were 18 years old and older. So far, our youngest participant has been 22 and our oldest has been 87 years old, many of who have never shared about the past trauma in their lives.
“Chained No More” is a 13 week class that takes participants through the Chain of Grief. This is not a DVD series or lecture-based. The healing comes from what the Lord reveals through what participants write in their books by answering deep and probing questions. Leaders become facilitators, observers, mentors and cheerleaders as participants fill out page after page and leaders bring the Word of God to them toward understanding and healing. Included in this program are a Leader Guide and a Participant Book, which are to be used together. A leader can lead one participant through it up to a class of no more than 10-12 to have the most effective results. There is also a CD I wrote and recorded called “Through the Rain…Crisis to Hope”, a musical journey for those who are struggling with the emotions of looking back and discovering the hurt in their hearts, which is available at the www.robynbministries.com.
Never in my life have I seen such transformational healing in lives by the hand of God! I will never get tired of seeing someone work in their book and then raise their head with a huge “aha moment” as they realize how the past has brought them to the struggles they face today and then see their entire outlook change. I am eternally grateful that God led me to write this program in the way He did and that every class we have led, lives are transformed. I am also delighted to receive emails and calls from other leaders around the country rejoicing about what He is doing in their classes as well. All praise and glory to the Lord God!