Grief support class offered at FUMC

Beginning on Aug. 20, from 5:30 to 7 p.m., a nine-week grief support class will gather in order for participants to share grief and seek healing at the First United Methodist Church in Bella Vista.

Grief is the outpouring of emotion and pain due to a loss in our lives. The loss may be as a result of a death, divorce, a sudden change, or any other of a variety of causes. The journey through grief is different for each circumstance and individual but, in grief support, the journey is shared together, emotionally, spiritually and with ways to cope.

The class will focus on understanding grief, the effects it has, and the mourning process that is a necessary journey to bring healing. The class provides insight, compassion, support and hope during this difficult time.

“Even though grief is a natural emotion, our culture does not deal well with it,” said the Rev. Brenda Wideman, leader of the grief support class. “Culturally, we are expected to ‘get over it and get back to normal!’ It is precisely for this reason that we need support to understand and live through the grieving process. In the years we have been offering these support sessions, we have had a number of folks from different walks of life participate and recommend this to their family and friends. We had one person whose husband passed away after a short and difficult battle with cancer. She attended and, at first, could only sit and cry and listen. She later grew to the point that she was bringing friends to the group so that they could experience the healing she had found. After several years, she is now living life once again and is engaged to be married.”

First United Methodist Church Bella Vista is located at 20 Boyce Drive.