This differs from GriefShare because it provides Christian Grief Ministry Training and Grief Care Support Curriculum For Churches and Individuals. I have taken the training and it's fascinating and thorough! DVD sessions are taught by Francis Welch, who has vast experience in both the local church and education. The founders, Doug and Joan Wyrtzen Bagg, have a lifetime of successful ministry with Word of Life, and the personal experience of widowhood. 

 

"All our Christian grief ministry training materials are written for the churches to help support their ministry to those who have lost loved ones. It is written to comfort people who have lost their loved one, increase their knowledge of what God says about death and the hereafter, and eventually equip them to be an active partner in the church’s grief care team and provide hope during grief." (from the website)

 

GriefCare also offers help for those who's loved one died from suicide, a holiday outreach for churches called "Grieving Through the Holidays," a 6-week grief support group program, and outreach DVD's to law enforcement and individuals.  

GriefShare is a world-wide ministry that has helped millions of people dealing with the death of a loved one. Whether it be loss of a spouse, a child, other relative, or friend, this is a support group to help you move through the grief process. I, myself, have  attended and then facilitated GriefShare groups over the years. It is a high quality DVD series, with group discussion afterwards and a helpful workbook. 

 

GriefShare also offers two great one-time seminars: Loss of A Spouse, and Surviving the Holidays. 

 

Go to their website and enter your zipcode into the search box to find a group in your area. You may also sign up for free email daily devotionals which many people have found very beneficial.

 

"A GriefShare support group is a safe, welcoming place where people understand the difficult emotions of grief. Through this 13-week group, you’ll discover what to expect in the days ahead and what’s “normal” in grief. Since there are no neat, orderly stages of grief, you’ll learn helpful ways of coping with grief, in all its unpredictability—and gain solid support each step of the way." (from the website)

 

Active since 1975, "Stephen Ministry is now in more than 13,000 congregations from more than 190 Christian denominations, in all 50 states in the US, 10 Canadian provinces, and 30 other countries." 

Check with your local church, or churches in your community to get involved or to find a local Stephen Minister.

 

I have often shared their "Journeying Through Grief" booklets with people. This is a set of 4 booklets that you send at specific times. Visit the website to order a set for yourself or for friends. 

Four Books at Four Crucial Times
Book 1: A Time to Grieve
. . . sent 3 weeks after the loss
Book 2: Experiencing Grief
. . . sent 3 months after the loss
Book 3: Finding Hope and Healing
. . . sent 6 months after the loss
Book 4: Rebuilding and Remembering
. . . sent 11 months after the loss
Each book focuses on what the person is likely to be experiencing at that point in grief—offering understanding, empathy, compassion, and hope.