By Kris Stewart
Great Basin Sun Contributor
As many of you know, I lead a grief recovery group in Winnemucca twice each year. It’s called Griefshare and it’s a program that started twenty nine years ago and is currently used in over 15,000 churches/communities worldwide.
It’s a program that relies on God’s Word for structure, support and success.
It is specifically for adults who have lost a loved one to death and need help to constructively process their grief and move beyond the shackles of mourning to a place of peace and joy in their lives.
I can tell you that after losing my husband Fred in 2019, I felt lost and hopeless. I knew I needed to go on for my daughter; but, my pain was overwhelming. I had a hard time doing much of anything. I read bookings about grief, saw a counselor and even attended a meeting at a local hospital; but nothing helped, until I summoned my courage and went to a Griefshare meeting in Carson City.
The program made sense to me and felt comfortable once I arrived. Everyone present, including the leaders had or were experiencing exactly what I was. The program is structured and presented over thirteen weeks. It includes a weekly video, a participant workbook and time for weekly group discussion. It’s a no pressure atmosphere that allows participants to engage at whatever level feels right to them.
For me, it allowed the opportunity to ask the big questions and get answers. I felt comforted by the program and started getting my first “good nights sleep” since Fred’s passing. It renewed and strengthened my faith and gave me a new and steadfast understanding of God’s promises. Most importantly, it helped me find a deeper and more profound faith in God, and apply that faith and relationship in my daily life. It gave me a roadmap to peace.
I want to be clear that you do not need to regularly attend church or even have a specific declared religion to benefit from Griefshare; but, I also want to be upfront and say that Griefshare is a Christian ministry aimed at healing those suffering from grief through the Word of God.
Griefshare is not a flowery program that preaches at you. I can only speak for myself; but, I felt irritated by folks who would whisper well meaning but trite sounding advice and scriptures at me in the aftermath of losing Fred. I silently thought “this is the last thing I need “. So, instead of that disconnected, preachy approach, Griefshare uses real people and their very real losses to guide us to the truths of life, death and loss, teaching us how to navigate our way through grief to a place of peace. Central to the journey is a focus on God’s promises to each of us. Knowing where our loved one is and where we are headed lifts so many burdens. When I realized that I need not grieve for Fred because he was now exactly where he belongs, he isn’t missing anything, and is at perfect peace with our Lord in Heaven, the weight of my grief lifted quite miraculously. I was left only with my own grief journey, which suddenly felt much more manageable.
Griefshare has updated its program and materials for only the fourth time in 29 years. They saw the need to focus on the new challenges that the pandemic and its associated isolation has added to the human challenges of grief.
By the end of the program it’s not only possible but likely that participants will begin to feel better, will develop important new friendships and feel confident that with continued time and effort, they can and will again reach a place of peace and joy in their daily lives.
Our next session of Griefshare begins on Thursday, February 1, 6:00 - 7:45 pm at the upstairs meeting room of Winnemucca’s United Methodist Church. If you have questions about the program, please call Kris Stewart at 775 304-9399. Please call to let us know that you would like to attend so that we can have a seat and materials ready for you.
All materials and classes are provided free of charge to participants, and online resources are available if you miss a week or wish to participate online. We also provide a light supper and refreshments at each of our 13 weekly meetings.
If you are hurting or know someone who is, please join us for Griefshare and begin the journey from mourning to joy.