Des Moines Pastoral Counseling Center

Women Helping Women Tenth Annual Luncheon
Friday, March 14, 2008

Speaker: Lesley Jane Seymour
Editor-in-Chief ~ More magazine
Topic: "Reinventing Yourself"

Additionally, nearly 150 women (out of the 360 attendees) participated in the pre-event email survey, revealing that at midlife many feel they are finally realizing the potential they have. They want to be more creative and make a difference in other people’s lives. They want to travel and explore - and push themselves out of their comfort zone. They are learning to love the word “imperfect” and to have confidence and trust themselves. And they want to turn that “must do” list into a “want to do list.”

Many thanks this year to the generosity of our sponsors who helped make this event so successful.

Our Leadership Sponsor
• Meredith Corporation (http://www.meredith.com)

Presenting Sponsors
• Continental Western Group/W.R. Berkley Foundation
• Vicky Daniel Real Estate Team

Supporting Sponsors
• Des Moines University
• Kemin Industries
• KR Business Brokers, Inc.
• The Lagniappe
• Claudette and P.J. McDonald
• The Iowa Clinic Women’s Center
• The Stelter Company
• West Bank

In-kind support:
• Business Publications Corporation
• Zach Christensen, Zanda Design

Since 1999, the Center has sponsored an annual luncheon to raise awareness of our work with women and girls and to generate funds to help make counseling accessible and affordable for lower-income women and girls.

You can always help the Center year-round in our work with women and girls by sending in a contribution to the Women Helping Women Fund.

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2008 MANifest Schedule

MANifest

MANifest Weekend

The weekend gives men an extended opportunity to take a look inside themselves and to bridge the emotional disconnect that so often happens in the traditional rearing of most men in this society. The weekend is a time to get past the "no fear," "no sadness," "emphasize toughness," "reinforce anger" messages and values so many men carry around with them. The emotional lives of men need to be explored, acknowledged, and celebrated by men, individually and collectively. Retreats are held in a rustic, outdoor setting. The weekend is open to any interested man. Call (515) 274-4006 for more information.

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MANifest workshops focus on topics that are significant in men’s lives and are rarely talked about. The richness of the workshop comes from the shared experience of participants themselves. Call (515) 274-4006 for more information.

MANifest Workshops

Men and Their Fathers

Whether a man did or did not have a relationship with his father is a powerful influence on the developing male personality. Men continue to deal with their dad’s physical and emotional presence or absence within their relationships throughout their adult lives. When sons grow up with little or no expression of a father’s affirmation and blessing, they often carry a sense of failure, or shame, or anger that seems unrelated to life events. “Men and Their Fathers” workshop will provide participants the opportunity to explore these issues within their particular growing-up situations. Please call the Center to pre-register.

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Men and Sex

Henry David Thoreau once said, “I lose my respect for the man who will make a coarse jest about sex, but when asked to speak seriously on the subject remains silent.” Gym classes, locker rooms, and maybe an extremely awkward “birds and the bees” talk with a parent are the sum of most male experience with sexual discourse growing up. No wonder most men find it very difficult to know where to begin to have a serious discussion about sex. It has been the observation of the facilitators that the more men can have serious discussions, the more confidence they’ll feel in their sexuality. "Men and Sex” workshop will provide an opportunity for men to explore the sexual/emotional connection and enhance their understanding of themselves as sexual human beings.

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Male/Female Communication

This workshop will provide insights to more effective communication with your spouse / partner.

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W-O-M-A-N

Boys typically are nurtured, cared for, and supervised by women through their elementary school years. Boys develop an internalized view of women from all these experiences that Sam Keen, author of Fire in the Belly, calls W-O-M-A-N. This internalized image may vary from goddess to temptress. This workshop will explore these images and how they may affect a man’s relationships with women in his life. Please call the Center to pre-register (274-4006).