Green Pastures

Next Sunday, October 2, between 2pm and 5pm, Green Pastures, the People’s Church (GP), will be holding an open day at its new Freedom House facility on the Ballynafie Road, near Ballymena.

The five-bedroomed, detached property represents the latest step in the  Galgorm-based church’s Compassion Ministries programme, which offers help to women in the community currently suffering from eating disorders, self-harm, depression, addiction or any form of abuse.

Freedom House will eventually provide secure accommodation for 12 women as they embark on a six-month residential programme which, says acting project co-ordinator, Pamela McGlade, “will see them forgiven, equipped, released and excelled to move on to the beautiful life that God has planned for them”.

Pamela, a senior social worker with the Northern Health and Social Care Trust, has taken a career break to stand in for  Karen Kernohan, who normally heads up all Compassion Ministries’ activities at GP. She says that within Northern Ireland, it’s been well documented that incidences of eating disorders, depression and suicide are all on the increase:

“Within our own Northern Trust area, we have among the highest rates for drug addiction, teenage pregnancy and deaths relating to alcohol addiction,” she adds. “Behind these statistics, women in our community are suffering and there is a desperate need for organisations like Freedom House to provide support for them as they deal with the root causes of their behaviour and addictions, rather than simply medicating the symptoms.”

Closely modelled on the successful work undertaken with girls in the United States and the UK by Nancy Alcorn’s Mercy Ministries, the Freedom House residential programme seeks to help each individual girl identify the life-controlling issues she faces and break their hold on her life. This is achieved in a safe, comfortable and God-centred environment. There is no cost for participation in the programme and girls can spend up to eight months in residence.

“On Sunday, we hope that people who have heard about us or who are interested in supporting us or even the girls themselves who feel that we might be able to help them will come along and see the facility and learn a little more about what Freedom House is about,” says Pamela. “By that stage, our website will also be live http://www.freedom-house.co.uk and that’s where people can go for more information or to begin the application process.”

Initially, Freedom House will offer places to four girls. It is hoped that this will happen by the end of January next year. Ultimately, 12 girls will be in residence at the centre at all times. 

You can discover more about the Freedom House and the Compassion Ministries programme at GP's own website on www.gpastures.co.uk . And you can telephone reception at the church on 02825650123 for detailed instructions on the location of Freedom House.