grief ministry

grief ministry

Losing a loved one is one of the most devastating things a person can experience. It does not matter whether the death was expected or sudden—the feelings of grief are still just as profound. Coping with the aftermath of a huge loss like this is often lonely. Despite being surrounded by loved ones, it is hard to feel heard and understood. Leaning on those who have experienced the same grief is an effective way to find comfort.

The objective of the Grief Ministry is to provide support to those who are grieving the death of a loved through application of biblical principles to the healing process. The Grief Ministry has implemented the following strategies to support those who are grieving the death of a loved one:

Sending Sympathy and Thinking of You Cards

Purpose: Purpose: Providing sympathy and thinking of you cards with comforting sympathy messages and available resources to Balboa Baptist Church (BBC) members, Watchcare members, and regular attendees who are grieving the death of a loved one.

Frequency: Ongoing

Contact: Connie Shafer at 501-984-0448 or connie_shafer1@yahoo.com

surviving the holidays

Purpose:
Surviving the Holidays is a 2-hour Christ-centered session that provides coping strategies and emotional support during the Thanksgiving and Christmas season.

Date: November (check our Events page for exact date/time)

Location: Outreach Center

Contact: Donna Marshall at 850-294-2346 or bdkkmarshall@yahoo.com

Facilitating GriefShare Grief Recovery Support Group

GriefShar
Purpose: GriefShare is a 13-week session, Christ-centered grief recovery support group that provides help and healing for those grieving the death of a loved one. It is nondenominational and open to people of all faiths, as well as those who do not practice a faith. Both men and women are invited to attend. Participants meet with others who have experienced the death of a loved one and facilitators who understand deep emotions and sorrow caused by grief. The program is built around three components (video seminar, small group discussion and participant guide) which work together to help participants move forward on the path of healing.

Winter Session:  January (Check our Events page for exact date/time)

Spring Session: March (Check our Events page for exact date/time)

Location: Outreach Center

Contact: Donna Marshall at 850-294-2346 or bdkkmarshall@yahoo.com

Additional GriefShare Resources for Hope, Help and Healing after the Death of a Loved One

Attend a GriefShare group if available in your area. You can use the following instructions to help you locate a GriefShare group:

  1. Log on to www.griefshare.org
  2. Click on “Find a Group”
  3. Enter your zip code in the “Find a Group” search engine and a list of churches in your area that offer GriefShare will be displayed.  Click on the date and time they meet to see the contact person for the group.

There are several free resources to help anyone who is grieving the loss of a loved one on the www.griefshare.org website. These resources are especially helpful for those who are unable to attend a local GriefShare Group. They offer free daily encouragement emails, a personal study section, official Facebook page, and more. Please find some suggestions that can make a big difference in your progress toward healing below:

  • Daily Encouragement - Subscribe to “A Season of Grief,” free daily email messages designed to encourage you and guide you through the healing process. 
  • Personal study - The Help for the Journey  resource provides a six-week personal study for your journey from mourning to joy. The section contains daily reading and exercises to help you dig deeper into the grief recovery process.
  • GriefShare in Your Feed – Get a daily message of encouragement when you “Like” the GriefShare Facebook page  or “Follow” them on Twitter.

We recommend attending and getting involved in a solid Bible-believing church. This will give you spiritual support while you are grieving. Sometimes churches offer one-on-one pastoral counseling appointments. If they do not, you can ask the church what Christian counselor they would recommend in the area.