 Purpose

 Pricing Overview (subject to change)

 Perspective

GriefShare is a product of Church Initiative, a ministry founded by Steve and Cheryl Grissom in 1993 out of their own experience with suffering. Their mission is to “create biblical, Christ-centered resources that mobilize lay people to help hurting people within the context of the local church.” The curriculum is based on Biblical principles with scripture references and Biblical promises throughout the course.

 Structure

GriefShare groups require two lay leaders who facilitate groups that meet weekly for an hour, one session per week for thirteen sessions. Each session consists of the following three elements:

Between sessions, brief daily individual lessons are provided, including scripture, reflection questions, quotes from fellow strugglers, journaling prompts, and practical steps for healing.

 Best For

According to their website, “GriefShare is designed to be sponsored and offered by local churches. These materials are only available for purchase by churches.” The target audience of the program is any individual experiencing loss regardless of socioeconomic status.

 Evidence That It Works

Over 1 million individuals across 20,000 Churches have found support through GriefShare. It is also a great outreach tool. On average, over 85% of group attendees are not from the host church, and half do not have an active spiritual life and are not followers of Christ prior to the course.

 Cost and Resources

To get started, you need space for the participants and a TV/DVD player for the videos. You will also need to purchase one of three kits: 5 participants for $340, 10 participants for $440, and 15 participants for $540. The materials needed for the two lay leaders required to facilitate each group are included in these costs. You may choose to offset costs by charging a small fee to participants.

All materials included in GriefShare kits can be found at griefshare.org/startagroup/kit.

 How to order:

 What We Love

Losing a loved one, although challenging for everyone, may be particularly difficult for individuals already struggling with material poverty and broken relationships. GriefShare allows people to strengthen social capital by connecting with others in the midst of their loss. Participants become part of a “family” and make new friends with people experiencing similar circumstances.

We also love that GriefShare provides great support for churches who are launching a GriefShare program. This includes a free webinar available for leaders interested in implementing GriefShare, as well as a step-by-step guide available for individuals interested in presenting GriefShare to their church leaders for buy-in and recruiting potential group leaders.

 Considerations

GriefShare is specifically for people grieving the death of a family member or friend. Other types of loss, such as divorce, job loss, or a friend moving away, are not addressed in GriefShare.