Christian Fellowship Plans Grief Seminar

Asked what inspired him to plan a Journey Through Grief seminar at Christian Fellowship Church, pastor Doug Bozung did not pause a moment. "Coming out of COVID there were a lot of unexpected deaths and a lot of grieving people," he shared.

The situation had prompted Bozung to invite Tim Sheetz of BASIS, a grief ministry associated with Handi-Vangelism of Ephrata, to visit in December 2021 for an evening seminar that introduced Bozung's Learning to Lament sermon series.

The series led to the scheduling of Journey Through Grief - Help for People in Pain, a seminar at the church, 758 Spruce Road, New Holland, on Saturday, Nov. 5, from 8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. The seminar, which will be led by Tim and Kathy Sheetz, is appropriate for those who are middle school age and older.

Bozung is acutely aware of the pain caused by the pandemic, having lost two friends and church members, but he emphasized that the seminar does not focus only on grieving the loss of a loved one. "That is definitely part of this seminar, but it's about any sort of loss," he noted, listing loss of health, finances, a job opportunity, or even a dream. "There are a lot of ways we suffer loss," Bozung said, pointing out that children experience loss in a divorce. The seminar also helps attendees learn to minister to others experiencing loss. "It's very comprehensive," he said. A notebook of resources is provided for the seminar. "We will not go through the whole notebook, but there's a 10-page handout," said Bozung.

In January, Bozung preached the Learning to Lament series, based on the book "Dark Clouds, Deep Mercy" by Mark Vroegop. "(Vroegop) sees lament as a spiritual discipline that Christians need to develop," Bozung explained. Titles of sermons Bozung preached based on the book included "When We Feel Forsaken," "When Injustice Prevails," and "Daring to Hope."

Readers who wish to take part in the seminar are asked to register at http://www.cfcnewholland.org/journey by Saturday, Oct. 29. There is a nominal fee to attend.