At NewSpring Church in Wichita, KS, we use the Through This Valley curriculum in the following way:
We reserve 1.5 hours, one night a week for 8 weeks in a row.
The people who attend receive their printed/bound workbooks on the first week of the cycle and they are encouraged to bring them back for the rest of the cycle.
After watching the video as a large group together (which usually takes 30-35 minutes), we then split up into smaller groups (no more than 10 people in each small group) to discuss our stories of loss, things that were impactful from the video content, and/or the questions that are listed on each week's facilitator guide for the remainder of the 1.5 hours. We encourage the group facilitators to close the group with prayer.
A facilitator is required for each small group that you form. Whether that person is a pastor/other church staff member, local mental health practitioner, or a lay-leader that has experienced loss and is much farther along in their journey, we want to remind you that these small group sessions are not group therapy. They are simply a place where folks with similar experiences can come together or their journey to share their grief stories and receive comfort and encouragement from others.
We typically offer water, coffee and light snacks for attendees. While this certainly isn't a requirement for a successful meeting, it tends to help people feel more at ease as it sets a more casual tone for the evening.
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We created this program at our church, NewSpring Church in Wichita, KS, and it's our goal for this program to be used far and wide to support those experiencing the pain of grief. It is completely free. Our only requirement is that you not edit our materials, including the video sessions or workbook.
Just click on the link in the top of the menu bar to contact us about hosting. We'll get you set up with an account on our site where you'll have access to all the materials (workbook, facilitator guide, banner template, etc) or if you prefer not to use the small group component, you can simply share the link throughthisvalley.com with your church goers and they can watch the videos on their own time.
If you have any questions about how this program works, or suggestions for us on how churches can use our program, please contact Wendy Hoover at wendy.hoover@newspring.org.