Grief Ministry Archives - Christian Standard

Articles for tag: Grief Ministry

January 1, 2015

Reach Retirees for Christ

A popular expression among some churches goes something like, “Grow younger to grow larger.” Yet today, with the rising trend of retiring baby boomers (roughly 10 million per year), that motto may be as out-of-date as Grandpa”s vinyl records. Community Christian Church in Naperville, Illinois, has come up with a successful model for reaching what senior minister Dave Ferguson calls one of the “fastest-growing demographics.” About 12 years ago, the Chicagoland church began partnering with a small, struggling congregation that met in the clubhouse of a nearby 55-plus gated retirement community, and today the weekly attendance of this Community Christian

October 18, 2009

Christian Standard

Care & Counseling Grief & Suffering

Someone in the Church Family Has Just Died

By Marshall Hayden Those of us who serve in ministry with a church family are asked by members and the community to do several things. People seek counseling; and most of us refer more often than we accept. Groups are looking for a speaker; and we will accept the events we feel good about. Couples come asking us to perform a wedding. Some we accept. Several we decline. But there is one request that, as a minister, I have never turned down. A funeral is an opportunity for meaningful service, and often a chance to open hearts to the good