Mt. Nebo United Methodist Church, 673 Martic Heights Drive, Pequea, will begin a weekly grief support program with a session on Thursday, Jan. 11, from 6:30 to 8 p.m. Meetings will continue every Thursday until the final session on April 4. In the event of hazardous road conditions, a weekly meeting will be canceled, and the program will be extended past April 4 to make up any canceled meetings.

The meetings will incorporate materials from GriefShare, a program that offers resources to help those who have lost a loved one. During each meeting, participants will discuss a specific topic, such as learning to adapt to patterns and routines that are often altered by experiencing the loss of a spouse or family member. The GriefShare curriculum will highlight the topic of the meeting with an informational video, which will be followed by group discussion and activities included in the GriefShare workbook.

The sessions will be led by Ron Harris and his wife, Sandy. Ron has previously participated in multiple GriefShare groups throughout the county, and he introduced the program to Mt. Nebo United Methodist Church last year. Although the church had offered the series in the past, it was discontinued after the previous group leader became unable to host the meetings. Due to Ron's experience with the program, both as a participant and a trained group leader, he volunteered to reinstate the group to give other people in the community the support he once received. Ron also wished to make the program accessible for those who are unable to register for other groups in the area due to their limited number of spaces.

Ron first joined a GriefShare group four years ago after the death of his late wife, Marjorie, to whom he had been married for 54 years. "One of the most challenging parts of dealing with grief is feeling isolated from others. Many people don't know what to say, and they feel uncomfortable because they don't know how to face it," Ron said. "We talk about that, and we can relate to one another. My family was a wonderful support, but I don't know how I would have made it without joining a group." Sandy joined Ron's group at Mt. Nebo United Methodist Church last year, and she offered to assist with the program this year to accommodate female group members who feel more comfortable sharing their experiences with another woman.

Before retiring in 2017, Ron worked as a pupil services coordinator for Penn Manor School District for 36 years. Although he worked closely with school psychologists and guidance counselors over the course of his career, Ron is not a licensed psychologist; he will provide participants with information about services that he is unable to provide during GriefShare sessions.

"I only require that people join the group with open minds and realize that sometimes we don't have the answers," Ron said. "Grief is a journey you have to take, and at the end of the path, there is a purpose to living on."

Registration will be accepted at any point in the series, and workbooks will be provided at no cost. To register for the program, email Ron at sonrize44@yahoo.com.