MUMC launches daylight grief group in Manchester

Photo by Sara Swanson.

submitted by submitted by Rev. Susan Hitts, Manchester United Methodist Church

A grief group has recently launched at Manchester United Methodist Church. The group will gather from 11am – 12:30pm on the first and third Wednesdays of the month in the library room of the Manchester United Methodist Church.

Sometimes people define grief as the response to death, but we see grief as bigger than that. Grief is the response to loss. Loss might be the death of a loved one, but it also might be the loss of a job, a relationship, or even a health change. Loss of any kind may cause grief.

The idea for the grief group originated from a season of loss in the lives of a handful of people. They wanted to talk about their grief together, but they needed a place that met during daylight driving hours and was local to Manchester. They also wanted to be able to talk about grief that was recent or was in the past, because grief has no timeline.

This group is talk based. There is no pressure to share, but you are welcome to talk about your loss in this safe space. As we talk, you may find it helps to hear how others have responded to similar feelings of grief and loss.

The group has a variety of support persons who may be in attendance at any meeting and will also be available as a resource to you outside of the group time. These support people include a retired funeral home grief specialist, a licensed counselor, the local faith liaison nurse, a behavioral health navigator social worker, and the pastor of the Manchester United Methodist Church.

This group is faith based, but not faith exclusive. What does that mean? It means that there are people who may discuss the interplay of their own faith as it relates to the grief process. This is not a Bible study or a time of teaching on a particular faith, yet attendees must be respectful of other people discussing, questioning, or finding support through their individual faith tradition within the group if it occurs. We seek to be a safe space for all people of all faith beliefs or no faith belief.

If this sounds like it is a good fit for you, now or in the future, feel free to drop by and spend some time with others who are ready to laugh, cry, and do the work of grief alongside you. We will have the coffee pot on to greet you!

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by Sara Swanson

Sara Swanson is an editor, writer and founder of the Manchester Mirror.