All our lives have changed dramatically in the past month. Our collective wounding seems to have just begun as the pandemic spreads. How can we keep from being overwhelmed by the helplessness, grief, and even anger we feel individually and collectively? Can we?
What do we do about it? For ourselves and for others? How can we care for our souls and for those around us during this unprecedented crisis? What do we need in order to support those suffering, to be present with those experiencing grief?
We’ll explore some of the practical ways we can cope with our own grief and offer hope and help to those around us, whether in our family or our faith community. This free webinar will be useful for clergy and ministry leaders, as well as individuals exploring ways to address grief and loss for themselves and others.
Led by Chaplain Andrea M. Simmonds, MDiv, Rt. Rev. Lane Sapp, Dr. Robert Rominger, Ph.D., and Kay Windsor.
- Andrea Simmonds is the Palliative Care Chaplain Fellow at Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center. She works with many people actively grieving and experiencing loss. In her unique role, Andrea meets people as they are wrestling with a variety of losses, from a death, loss of limb, loss of independence, or their own mortality as they choose to stop aggressive treatments. Hers is a ministry of presence.
- Robert Rominger, Ph.D. is a licensed psychologist serving as an assistant professor in the Department of Internal Medicine at Wake Forest University Medical Center in Winston-Salem, NC. A member of Konnoak Hills Moravian Church in Winston-Salem, Dr. Rominger helps people move from despair to hope in his clinical practice. He is active in suicide prevention advocacy and is one of the founding members of the NC Chapter of the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention.
- The Right Reverand Lane Sapp is the senior pastor of Calvary Moravian Church, Winston-Salem, NC, serving this congregation since 1996. He graduated from High Point College with a major in religion, then attended Moravian Theological Seminary in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, where he received his Master of Divinity degree in 1987. Lane was ordained on June 14, 1987, at Clemmons Moravian Church, his home congregation. In 1987 he was called to be organizing pastor of Good Shepherd Moravian Church in Kernersville, NC. At the Synod of 2002 he was elected a bishop of the World-wide Moravian Unity and was consecrated at Calvary Moravian Church on July 7, 2002.
- Kay Windsor is a member of New Philadelphia Moravian Church, a writer, a writing group leader, and a retired teacher. She leads writing through grief sessions for Trellis Supportive Care, a local hospice, and a community group, She has been writing with a group of mothers who have lost children for two decades, and published a book, Farther Along: The Writing Journey of Thirteen Bereaved Mothers in 2012. She administers a blog called Farther Along for writings and resources for those who have experienced grief.
Webinar Replay:
Resources
Collective Grief
- Fresh Expressions Webinar: Light in Dark Times: Healing Souls During the Pandemic and Beyond (Webinar Slides)
- Community Grief: ideas about helping a community through its grieving process
- Faith & Leadership Article: Our Rituals Will Change This Year by Nathan Kirkpatrick
- Small Group Guide: Healing from the Trauma of Covid-19
- More Small Group Resources
Dealing with Loss
- NY Times Article: We Will Need New Ways to Grieve by Beth Waltemath
- NY Times Article: We’re Going to See What Else the Word Funeral Can Mean by Jodi Kantor
- Washington Post Article: The Pandemic will Pass. Our Grief will Endure.
- Stages of Grief image
Books
- A Grace Disguised: How the Soul Grows Through Loss by Jerry Sittser
- Farther Along: The Writing Journey of Thirteen Bereaved Mothers by Carol Henderson (prompts for writing)
- Grief Therapy by Karen Katafiasz
- Writing Alone and with Others by Pat Schneider (prompts for writing)
- The Grief Recovery Handbook by John W. James and Russell Friedman
- Everything Happens for a Reason and Other Lies I’ve Loved by Kate C. Bowler
- On Death and Dying by Elizabeth Kubler-Ross
- Grief, Dying, and Death: Clinical Interventions for Caregivers by Therese A. Rando
Podcasts
- Everything Happens by Kate C. Bowler
- Unlocking Us by Brene Brown (particularly the episode with David Kessler)
Video
- When the COVID-19 Pandemic Leaves Us Feeling Helpless with Bessel Van Der Kolk
Devotion
- 30 Days of Comfort: a collection of sacred texts and quotes from a variety of secular and faith traditions
- Comfort, O Comfort My People: a compilation of scripture and quotes to give ongoing comfort after the death of a loved one
Additional Resources and Helpful Numbers
- National Suicide Prevention Lifeline: 800-273-8255
- The Trevor Project Hotline: 866-488-7386
- Childhelp Hotline Aiding Victims of Child Abuse: 800-422-4453
- Download the Insight Timer app for Yoga Nidra and other guided meditations: https://insighttimer.com/
- To find a Trauma Informed therapist in your area check out https://www.psychologytoday.com/us or the International Association of Trauma Professionals https://www.traumapro.net/
For more information on mental health, visit our Mental Health Resources During COVID-19 Outbreak webpage.