DivorceCare: 30 Years of Ministry
“I can’t categorical how I’ve been helped and blessed by DivorceCare. I’m simply into my first 4 weeks, and already I can’t imagine the assistance I’ve acquired. My husband of 33 years put a be aware on the counter and left. My world was shaken. Fortunately, the physique of Christ gathered round me, and now that DivorceCare has began up in our church, I really feel even larger assist. God is with me, and now a bunch of people that know what I’m experiencing and can stroll with me by way of it. I can determine with what’s shared on the movies. Figuring out that I’m not alone and assistance is there, makes a giant distinction. Listening to the testimonies of those that have come by way of it, and made it, brings hope and luxury. – Joann, DivorceCare participant
There was a time when divorce throughout the church was fairly unusual and carried with it a stigma that left individuals whose marriages had ended feeling remoted. A lot of that has modified as divorce has turn out to be extra prevalent throughout the church. Although the divorce charge amongst Christians is decrease, marriages nonetheless fail and go away damaged individuals of their wake.
DivorceCare just lately celebrated its thirtieth anniversary. It was born out of a rising must deliver hope and therapeutic, by way of Christ-centered assist, to these whose lives had been upended by separation and divorce. Women and men struggling the fallout from damaged marriages wanted a protected place to deliver their ache, their considerations, their self-doubts.
Steve Grissom and his spouse, Cheryl, understood the wrestle all too nicely. Each had been divorced earlier than they married. They needed to assist others stroll by way of the robust instances they’d confronted, so that they began a divorcee assist group of their residence with the blessing of Windfall Church in Raleigh, North Carolina, their residence church. Every week individuals gathered for a time of educating, adopted by group dialogue and time to speak about everybody’s week.
The group began out small however grew rapidly. Earlier than lengthy, it was so massive they’d outgrown their townhouse and the parking accessible of their neighborhood. It was time to maneuver their conferences to church.
Steve was spending an excessive amount of time getting ready every week’s lesson, drawing from accessible supplies from a wide range of sources. When he started looking for biblically-based supplies for these going by way of divorce and separation, he found there have been none. He felt compelled by God to create some form of formal curriculum that might handle frequent considerations created by damaged marriages, and it wasn’t simply one thing he would have the ability to do in his spare time.
Steve and Cheryl have been nonetheless newlyweds adjusting to their new life collectively. Cheryl had simply left her job to be a stay-at-home mother, which meant some monetary changes. What would occur if Steve gave up his job, too? Regardless of his considerations about their monetary safety, Steve left his job to start the work God had referred to as him to. Collectively they adopted God’s result in set up a brand new ministry: DivorceCare.
Past having personally gone by way of a divorce, Steve knew he wasn’t certified to handle all of the considerations with out enter from skilled counselors. So, he recruited a workforce of consultants. Collectively, they created a video-based church assist group to stroll contributors by way of the troublesome days forward. Now in its 30th yr, DivorceCare has been a lifeline for numerous souls touched by separation and divorce.
Every DivorceCare ministry is affiliated with an area church and facilitated by lay leaders. The ministry gives coaching and assist for group leaders so all these concerned get the identical degree of care.
“It was not till I attended DivorceCare at an area church that I started to heal. I give reward to God and DivorceCare for offering me with a life after divorce.” -Thomas, DivorceCare Participant
You’ll be able to study extra about DivorceCare, beginning a ministry by way of your native church, or tapping into an current group close to you at: www.divorcecare.org.
