Family & Social Programs

New Beginnings Program - “A NEW VIEW OF YOU” - A Faith-Based Life skills Mentoring Course

Dr. LaSalle R. Vaughn, Pastor of New Life Christian Center, founded the New Beginnings Program in May 2003.  The program was part of the New Life Christian Center community outreach.  It was incorporated into the International Community Development Corporation (ICDC), a 501 (c) (3) non-profit organization, in September 2004, and has had an ongoing partnership with the ministry to date.

Mission Statement: To help families abandon harmful lifestyles and choices through Biblical teaching, mentoring, and balanced living modeling.

Families in Crisis
In 2004 the New Beginnings Program was revised to focus on family unit restoration.  This process was called the Families in Crisis Project.  Pastor LaSalle R. Vaughn’s book “A New View of You” was instrumental in developing the course curriculum.  The programs’ area of focus deals with family unit restoration. The Families in Crisis Project provides social, financial, personal, and professional development classes through “A New View of You”, a faith-based life skills mentoring course.  The course curriculum consists of eight topics covered over sixteen sessions with support group meetings designed to help change at risk families’ lifestyles.  These classes focus on critical decision-making, marriage skills, parenting, addictions, financial literacy, anger management and personal development.

Our objective is to inform and equip families with faith-based knowledge resources and provide positive mentor relationships, which can empower them to move from social, or financial co-dependence to self-sufficiency.  The targeted population is in the greater San Antonio area.

Course Curriculum
The New View Of You curriculum consists of eight weekly classes with support-group meetings designed to help change at risk families’ lifestyles.

CLASS TITLES AND DESCRIPTIONS:

• Self Esteem:  Build increased self-worth through cognitive processes involving perceptions and thought restructuring.
• Critical Thinking:  Discuss process-oriented ways to receive powerful outcomes through unique problem-solving skills and critical thinking steps.
• Marriage Skills:  Strengthen relationships through effective communication techniques, assertiveness training, conflict resolution tips and spiritual guidance.  (Includes a monthly ongoing support group.)
• Parenting Skills:  Develop skills to create a safe, nurturing home environment through problem solving, conflict management, bonding activities, limit-setting, and establishing and maintaining order.
• Anger Management:  Increase understanding of the different pathways involved in managing anger and explore effective and appropriate process-oriented activities to reduce its’ impact.
• Addictions:  Discuss a myriad of behaviors specifically designed to break a wide range of addictive patterns through lifestyle changes, cognitive restructuring, peer support and spiritual guidance.
• Domestic Violence:  Define and discuss traits unique to men and women who batter and are battered.  Discuss ways to promote individual and family healing and break the relapse cycle of abuse.
• Financial/Personal Development:  Provides educational information to help families become financially stable and leads to greater insight for personal and professional development.

Children’s Program
Consists of the above eight topics presented in a children’s format.

• Adolescent Program
• Rites of Passage Program:
• A young men and women’s mentoring, youth enhancement program.
• Youth Training Session: A 9-Week Program

To promote positive youth behavior through the utilization of Godly principles, teaching, introspection activities, and peer-group discussions that will enable its’ graduates to successfully obtain affirmative self-worth skills thereby maintaining acceptable societal living.

Program Outline

Week 1: Where Are You?  Self-Assessment (Session One of Three Sessions)
A self-assessment course directed at helping youth define themselves.  Establish the importance of spiritual maturity and review the seven habits of effective people.

Week 2: Where Are You?  Self-Assessment (Session Two)

Week 3: Where Are You?  Self-Assessment (Session Three)

Week 4: Understanding the Importance of the Relationship (Part 1)
Curriculum directed at helping youth understand the day-to-day relationships that can be both beneficial and/or detrimental to their lives.  This class will establish the importance of our interactions with one another as well as focus on a positive interaction with GOD.  In addition participants in this class will examine the three levels of relationship that are needed for successful living.

Week 5: Understanding the Importance of the Relationship (Part 2)
Gives an in-depth study of the results of positive spiritual and human relationships.  Assist in the recognition of the significance of the correction process in obtaining positive relationships.  Develop a relationship tree, which will examine immediate areas of growth opportunities and areas of concern for each participant.

Week 6: The Life Influencer…The Good, The Bad, The Ugly
Examine the lifestyles in our world that promote both positive and/or negative relationships.  Specifically, a through study of the entertainment industry and how it shapes the world in which we live through the utilization of study material from Elder Craige G. Lewis of Ex Ministries.  Participants will see the need to inspect the music, movies, and television shows that promote negative societal and relational behaviors.  Develop skills that lead to the freedom from the negative influences.

Week 7: Failure is NOT an option
A highly affirmative class that allows the youth to see the positive impact that they need to have on society.  Using extracurricular exercises and ropes course instruction on the need to push through life’s tough circumstances. This session presents the opportunity to learn the plan for success through outdoor lessons when life presents failure (detrimental behavior) as an option.

Week 8: The King in Me
A teaching exercise that instructs each young person and shows him or her that they are called for greatness. Presenting Biblical facts that prove there is a king in every kid.  Instruction is given on the process of developing the king inside of the youth.

Week 9: A New View of You
A wrap up class that provides a copy of the book “A New View of You”, by Dr. LaSalle R. Vaughn, to reinforce the new view that each young person has obtained through the six week course.  Helping to establish the importance of spiritual maturity and the seven habits of effective people.