Growing in Grace through Loss and Change

Beginning in January 2021, a six-week Growing in Grace through Loss and Change program will be offered via Zoom.

For better or worse, change involves loss. We’re pretty good at celebrating adding things to our lives, and not so good at routinely cleansing, healing, or processing things when we experience change, particularly when it involves loss. The experience of life during COVID, the death of a beloved human or pet, change in job, home, school, partner, health or economic status all cause grief. Growing in Grace through Loss and Change provides simple action steps to become a cleansing/healing machine and live a lighter, happier life. This study will also give you new skills in responding to losses in others’ lives and can be the foundation or expansion of a healing ministry in your parish.

Two opportunities to participate

There will be two opportunities to participate in this study, which will be held via Zoom:

Weekend: 4 to 5:30 pm Sundays (January 31 through March 7)
Evening: 6 to 7:30 pm Thursdays (January 28 through March 4)

How to participate

Register below for your preferred time/day (You can switch to a different time/day or make up missed classes with another group). Participants will need to purchase “The Grief Recovery Handbook, 20^th Anniversary Expanded Edition – The Action Program for Moving Beyond Death, Divorce, and Other Losses including Health, Career, Faith” by John W. James and Russell Friedman (available on Amazon). Participants will receive weekly class outlines via email, do assigned readings, attend Zoom classes and, if you desire, be assigned a listening partner with whom you can do the exercises at mutually convenient times.

Facilitator

The study will be facilitated by the Rev. Sarah Shirley, interim rector of St. Luke’s in Powhatan and a Grief Recovery Outreach Specialist who helps grievers (everybody) feel better and have more fun. She was certified as a specialist by the Handbook’s co-author John James in 2004, and since then has taught Grief Recovery in multi-week book studies, weekend retreats, and one-on-one in the U.S., Mexico, and Afghanistan. This will be her first workshop in the Cloud!

Questions?

There is no cost for the study except the purchase of the book. Book scholarships are available. Contact revsarah@mac.com if you need a book scholarship. Questions about the program? Contact the Rev. Sarah Shirley at rector@stlukespowhatan.org.