Grieving the loss of a loved one who has died is one of the most difficult journeys in our life. St. John’s Lutheran Church in Hamburg is offering a grief support group twice a month.
This group is open to members and non-members. Anyone from the community is welcome. Rev. Mark Jensen is facilitating the group and has completed several courses in continuing education about grief counseling, and loss and grief.
“The grief support group provides an additional resource for learning, sharing, encouragement, and spiritual strength as people are grieving,” said Rev. Jensen.
Jensen completed Grief Support Group Facilitator Training at the Center for Loss and Life Transition in Ft. Collins, Colo., this past August, as well as other trainings in past years. The training was led by Dr. Alan Wolfelt who has written 83 books on grief and is a national speaker and counselor.
Resources for the grief group are written by Wolfelt. To sign up for the session grief support group, contact the church office at 610-562-3808. Cost of the materials for the support group are $25. Assistance to pay for the resources is available upon request. The first official meeting was held on Oct. 19 but people can join the group at any time.
St. John’s Lutheran is also planning a special Memorial Service to honor loved ones, including family or friends, who passed away during the pandemic.
“The pandemic has no doubt made laying loved ones to rest and facing grief much more difficult,” said Rev. Jensen. “Gatherings were limited in size. Travel may have been restricted or difficult. Hugging has been off limits. Funerals and burials have been postponed or altered. At no other time in our history have family and friends been limited in the way they grieve.”
The Memorial Service will be held in the sanctuary at St. John’s on Sunday, Nov. 14 at 3 p.m. with a meal and fellowship time at 4:30 p.m. This service will include memorials for St. John’s Lutheran members and community members at large beyond this congregation. This will be a healing time to recognize your loss while finding support and compassion in community.
Families who have lost loved ones are invited to submit one or two pieces of memorabilia for a Memory Table featuring a physical photo, poem, hat, pin, piece of clothing, or anything relatively small in size that will be displayed for the community to view at St. John’s Lutheran for a few weeks leading up to and during the event. Please drop these items off to the church office. Mark them with your name so you may pick them up following the Memorial Service.
This Memorial Service and meal are planned by the Evangelism Committee. Evangelism Committee members include Rose Schultz, Brad Hehr, Kay Hagenberger, Karla Jensen, Joyce Thren, and Sandy Warner, and Rev. Mark Jensen.
RSVPs for the Memorial Service are requested. Include the number attending the service and number attending the meal. Questions, please call the church office at 610-562-3808, talk to an Evangelism member or email revmarkjensen@comcast.net.
