St. Philip’s first GriefShare course finished up at the end of April. What a privilege it was for me, Juanita Orvin, and Gerry McCord to facilitate this strong grief support program! Thirteen participants completed their work each week, covering topics such as “What is Normal?”, “Loneliness and Sadness,” “Self Care,” “Anger,” “Regrets,” “Questions for God,” “Hope and Resilience,” and more. Here’s what a few folks said about their experience:

The GriefShare program helped me in adjusting in this new life journey without my husband. There are so many emotions that we go through, and I wondered if they were normal and how do I get through them. Everyone is different, and Grief Share discussed that by showing videos of people telling their stories. That was very helpful for me as well as the workbook which had some good activities to do. It took us through all of the emotions that are possible to go through. I really enjoyed being in a group of people and leaders sharing feelings, thoughts, and ideas. I found that encouraging and felt like we became friends who could support each other. It also showed us that God is with us, and we are never alone! ––Cinda Cave

Losing my mom to cancer as a 27-year-old was the hardest experience I’ve ever had to face, but the community I gained with GriefShare made my journey through grief easier. The facilitators, workbook, and videos gave me tools to navigate grief in a healthy way and made me feel like I wasn’t going through this alone. I am so appreciative of the GriefShare program and would recommend it to anyone who is facing the loss of a loved one. ––Holly Peterson

GriefShare provided me with tools and insights that transformed my understanding of grief. Many of us have experienced loss, but how many of us really understand the grieving process? Going through this study after the loss of my mother helped me recognize the different stages of grief and how to navigate them. I learned techniques for managing unexpected waves of sadness and how to deal with the lows when they hit unexpectedly. The support and understanding I received from others who are on a similar journey was invaluable. I walked out of there with bonds of friendship that only going through something this personal can evoke. ––Susan Harp

GriefShare is one ministry of a larger organization called The Christian Initiative. I have been very impressed with the program as well as the training and support that leaders receive. GriefShare began 25 years ago and is now in its fourth edition of videos and participant workbooks.  GriefShare offers many different options for support, including two different shorter courses, “Surviving the Holidays” and “The Loss of a Spouse,” both of which are just two hours long.

There are at least seven other churches in our area that offer GriefShare courses: Seacoast (several locations), St Paul’s Anglican in Summerville, and Coastal Community Church West Ashley, to name a few. You can easily see what is being offered and where at griefshare.org under the top tab “Find a Group.” 

I am thankful to God for GriefShare and for our clergy in allowing us to offer it. God willing, we hope to offer GriefShare again in 2026. If you have any questions about it, feel free to contact me (susanckeller55@gmail.com) or Juanita Orvin (juanitaorvin@gmail.com).