Helping families cope with transitional moments of life

LIFE IS a constant stream of transitions. As long as we live, we are in transition.

We are often in transition from hopelessness about our children to hopefulness when they proverbially turn the corner; we are in transition from fear about life and its circumstances to faith in a higher force that buffers us from the impact of circumstances; we are in transition from the margins of life, beaten, battered and bruised to the central place of the healing balm of renewed and refreshing resources; we transition from being victims of the cruel blows of a hurting relationship to a restored and peaceful calm; we are often in transition from not being able to see our way to glimpsing a dim but certain ray of sunshine down the road that will change our condition. Sadly, transition also works the other way – from health to illness, from relative comfort to pending disaster, from having all things in our favour to becoming victims of forces outside of our control, from being extremely hopeful to experiencing excruciating disappointment or despair, from celebratory joy to overwhelming sadness, including the loss of a loved one.

Meadowrest exists to be a bridge for those experiencing the transition from joy to sadness. Its services are aimed at helping those required to find a resting place for loved ones, as well as dealing with the emotional challenges associated with bereavement. Without doubt Meadowrest, since its inception over 20 years ago, continues to make its mark within the funeral services industry, enjoying a strong and growing brand and increasing market share against its major competitor.

Yet, Meadowrest itself is in transition as the UCJCI established in 2016 UCME, which has initially amalgamated a number of its business entities under one umbrella group with one board of management to ensure economies of scale, but also to challenge each within the group to maximise its potential growth as well as explore other business opportunities.

PROVIDING CARE AND SUPPORT

What separates UCME from other commercial enterprises is that it does not exist for itself or provide financial returns to individual shareholders, as outside of the church, there are none. Rather, it exists to also provide care and support for those who are in the transitional moments of life outside of bereavement. These entities, including Meadowrest, provide critical financial support for the charitable objectives exercised through the ministry and mission of the UCJCI. These include, among others, its work with children and youth in the schools, children’s homes and congregations we operate; the home for the aged; the numerous community projects and programmes of intervention within the communities where our congregations are located. We seek to support those in transition with additional resources to supplement their prayers and their faith.

We wish to congratulate the leadership of Meadowrest for its new direction and for its unwillingness to rest on its achievements to date, and wish that within the transitional moments of life, it will continue to be a critical source of comfort and peace.

As a church, we continue to call upon the Government to strengthen the regulations in the funeral industry regarding entry and standards, as this can only serve to ensure the quality assurance associated with acceptable levels of service delivery so critical for its survival and expansion.

NORBERT STEPHENS

UCJCI General Secretary