Grief Ministries @ Crossover

There are over 14 million widows in the U.S. today, averaging about 40 widows per church. Notably, in 80% of marriages, the wife outlives her husband by approximately 15 years.

Research indicates that while churches often provide initial support during funerals, many bereaved individuals feel unsupported in the subsequent months. Approximately 90% of participants in a study reported experiencing grief and emotional effects after losing a significant person in their lives, with many noting a lack of sustained support from their church community.
 
Implementing grief ministry programs can provide structured, ongoing pastoral care to those who grieve. Such programs offer a safe space for individuals to express their grief and connect with others who understand their pain, addressing the urgent need for connection beyond immediate moments of loss.

Churches play a crucial role in offering communal spaces for individuals to process loss. Providing grief support groups not only aids individuals in their healing journey but also strengthens the church community by fostering empathy, understanding, and mutual support.

Here are several ways we’re planning to come alongside those in seasons of grief as a church family.

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.

The ministry involves small groups of up to 10 people that will meet weekly on Monday nights at 6:30pm to process through grief and pray with one another. Cost is $25 per participant.

Our next GriefShare group will begin on Monday, February 23rd at 6:30pm.

Finding Joy in Life's Losses seeks to support those dealing with loss other than the death of a loved one: loss of a job, house, friendship, pet, etc.
Additionally, it will be a place to serve those that have completed the 13 weeks of GriefShare. It also involves small groups of up to 10 people to be able to process grief.

While similar to the GriefShare format, these will be monthly meetings, hosted by Mark Joseph, and has no cost.

We also hope to begin this facet of these grief ministries in June of 2026, likely in the fall, pending need.

We also hope to assemble a team of 5-10 individuals who will be specially trained in responding to death and loss. They will connect with individuals in and related to our church body who are dealing with grief.

The hope is to structure this team to give support up to a year after loss in three-month increments. They will assist with funeral arrangements, legal information, and help those grieving with housekeeping, yard-work, and ensure they feel well taken-care of.

These teams are hopefully on course to begin in August of 2026.