Ministry Spotlight: GriefShare
Next Thursday, November 14, a new session of GriefShare will begin—a group designed to provide support to those who are walking through the painful experience of losing a loved one.
Read on to learn more about GriefShare from Jim Meredyk, who has been leading GriefShare groups at Hillside for nearly 9 years.
Q: How long have you been attending Hillside Church, and what prompted you to start leading GriefShare?
Jim: I believe I started attending Hillside Church in July 2013. We connected with Scott and Joni Pearson right away and joined a new small group they were forming. One of the members of that group was Gordon Ellison who was a pastor for seniors at the time. I had shared with him about my involvement with another pastoral care ministry called BeFriender Ministry. He asked me in 2015 if I would be interested in facilitating a new ministry called GriefShare and I said yes. So, we either started GriefShare in 2015 or 2016, I can’t remember for sure. I have always had a heart for pastoral care and for those who are hurting.
Q: What is GriefShare and what happens at a GriefShare meeting?
Jim: GriefShare is an international Scripture’s based ministry for the purpose of walking beside those who are hurting due to the loss of a loved one. It is comprised of thirteen sessions. In each session we have a time for check in, followed by a review of the previous week’s lesson, followed by a video presentation lasting about 20 minutes, followed by review of the video. Each session is 2 hours in length. We start on time (6:30P) and end on time (8:30P).
Q: Who would you encourage to attend GriefShare, and why?
Jim: I would encourage anyone who has experienced the loss of a loved one who was someone important in their life—it could be a friend, co-worker, family member, or anyone who was impactful in their life. My experience in GriefShare has demonstrated growth for anyone who completes the 13 sessions; they always are in a much better place at the end. We have had two people go on to start GriefShare in their church—one was at Wooddale Church.
A new session of GriefShare at Hillside will begin on Thursday, November 14 from 6:30-8:30P. For more information, go here.