As we go through the ups and downs of life, there are times when we want to grapple with hardship, hurts, or emotions by ourselves, but sometimes it is more helpful to do that with others. We can find strength in community with others who have experienced the same kind of hurt; we can find hope and encouragement through conversations with people who truly understand what we’re feeling.
GriefShare and DivorceCare offer that kind of community. Both are Christian-based support groups that meet weekly for 13 weeks. The groups are led by compassionate people who have experienced their own hurts and can therefore understand and relate. Grant Pahlau, Pastor of Care Ministry, has heard many times that these groups have made a huge difference in people’s lives. The material, carefully developed by experts, meets people where they’re at in their hurt and their journey toward healing.
Lynn West-Norris, who leads GriefShare at Faith, says, “When my husband died 4½ years ago, I was crushed by sorrow. I didn’t know grief would encompass my whole being. Attending GriefShare was vital to my own understanding of loss and healing and being able to move forward. Now I have led my first GriefShare group!”
Bonnie Glad, who leads DivorceCare, says, “Divorce was never something that I expected to happen to me. When I married, I believed it was ‘till death do you part.’ DivorceCare was my lifeline during the worst time in my life. The combination of the video sessions, group discussions and workbook assignments were exactly what I needed. DivorceCare provided for me the tools I needed to manage the emotional roller coaster that I was riding. As a participant, I signed up for a daily encouragement email from DivorceCare. Some days I felt as though the email was written just for me. It was so helpful walking through my divorce with others who understood how I was feeling and what I was struggling with. DivorceCare provided me with the hope and encouragement that I needed.”
Are you experiencing deep sorrow with the loss of a loved one or struggling through the emotional roller coaster that comes with separation or divorce? Whether this pain is new or long endured, you don’t have to walk this road alone. GriefShare and DivorceCare are available to offer support, hope, and healing.
Janet Smith and her husband Dan have been members at Faith since 2005. After years of homeschooling their four children and leading a homeschool group, she now works in the Faith office as Assistant to Care Ministry. She serves in Stephen Ministry and in Women of the Word.
Outside of work and ministry, Janet enjoys baking, reading, hiking, crocheting, and spending time with her kids and grandkids.