Grief Care
A compassionate, biblically grounded grief support ministry that helps people name their loss, understand their grief, and move toward healing in community. Designed for a Canadian context, Grief Care offers practical tools, guided reflection, and a supportive weekly journey for those grieving the death of a significant person in their life.
Please note: several of the uploaded Grief Care manuals identify the content as not to be copied or distributed without prior written permission from Ruth Whitt. This page is best used as a ministry overview and access point, with downloadable materials linked only where permission has been granted.
A safe place to grieve in community
Grief Care was launched at Northridge Community Church in Aurora, Ontario, and grew out of Ruth Whitt’s own experience of loss and her desire to help others find comfort and renewed purpose in life.
What Grief Care offers
Grief Care recognizes that every grief journey is unique, while also acknowledging the shared challenges many people face after the death of a loved one. The series combines practical grief support, weekly reflection, community conversation, and Christian hope in a respectful environment that honours different backgrounds and experiences.
How the group works
Each gathering typically includes a welcome, participant sharing, review of the previous week’s journal assignment, a brief prayer, the evening topic, discussion, and a new assignment for the week ahead. The format is interactive, and participants are invited to engage as they are comfortable.
Designed for participants, facilitators, and churches
Participant support
A participant manual, weekly themes, journal prompts, discussion time, and practical tools to help people move through grief with honesty, courage, and support.
Facilitator resources
Facilitator-led weekly sessions with PowerPoint teaching content, discussion prompts, pacing notes, prayer moments, and support materials for group leadership.
Church training
A companion workshop helps churches understand grief more deeply, support grieving people with compassion, recognize limitations, and pray with confidence and care.
- Confidential, respectful group environment
- Weekly assignments and journaling for reflection between sessions
- Practical teaching informed by grief studies, counselling, theology, and lived experience
- Biblically grounded content presented with respect for all worldviews
Topics covered throughout the series
Week 1
What’s normal? What’s not?
Understanding grief responses, naming the shock of loss, and recognizing the many ways grief affects a person.
Week 2
The journey of grief
Exploring grief as a journey and considering the factors that shape how each person grieves.
Week 3
What do I do with why questions?
Making space for questions, lament, and the struggle of unanswered grief.
Week 4
Special days and ordinary days
Facing holidays, anniversaries, routines, and sleepless nights with honesty and intention.
Week 5
Circumstances, places, and people
Navigating triggers, relational strain, familiar spaces, and the pressures surrounding grief.
Week 6
Regret, guilt, hurt, and anger
Addressing difficult emotions that can surface after loss and learning healthier responses.
Week 7
The tasks of grief, part one
Accepting the reality of death, processing pain, and adjusting to a changed world.
Week 8
The tasks of grief, part two
Continuing bonds with the person who died in healthy and meaningful ways.
Week 9
Life after death
Reflecting on death, hope, faith, and questions surrounding what happens when we die.
Week 10
What now?
Considering renewed meaning, purpose, and how to move forward while carrying grief honestly.
A ministry model churches can prayerfully adopt
Grief Care is more than a study. It is a pastoral ministry framework that can help congregations create safe, compassionate space for people grieving the death of a family member or friend. In addition to the weekly series, the workshop materials equip churches to understand grief more deeply, offer practical support, recognize limitations, and pray well with those who mourn.
Pastoral care extension
Supports local church care by offering structured, relational, and spiritually grounded ministry for those navigating loss.
Canadian ministry context
Created with a Canadian audience in view, while remaining biblically grounded and sensitive to varied backgrounds.
Leader development
Helps facilitators grow in compassion, listening, ministry presence, and appropriate support practices.
“Grief Care has become a meaningful extension of the pastoral care ministry in our church. It provides a safe and compassionate space where people can name their loss, understand their grief, and journey toward healing alongside others.”
Majors Fred and Carolyn Reid, Northridge Community ChurchResource collection
The resource links below have been integrated using the Grief Care file path on the Salvationist file system.
Facilitator Manual
Core facilitator resource with the full 10-week teaching flow, notes, and content overview.
Participant Manual
Participant resource covering the 10-week journey, weekly reflection, and grief support content.
Workshop Information
Attendee-facing Grief Care workshop information and training schedule for churches and leaders.
Registration Form
Participant intake form to support registration and initial pastoral understanding of each situation.
Group Member Agreement
Confidentiality and participation expectations for those taking part in the Grief Care series.
Northridge Endorsement
Church endorsement reflecting how Grief Care has supported pastoral care ministry in a local church setting.
Weekly session slide decks
Week 1
What’s normal? What’s not? Am I going crazy?
Week 2
What can I expect on the journey of grief?
Week 3
What do I do with why questions?
Week 4
What are the challenges of grief? Part 1
Week 5
What are the challenges of grief? Part 2
Week 6
What are the challenges of grief? Part 3
Week 7
What are the tasks of grief? Part 1
Week 8
What are the tasks of grief? Part 2
Week 9
What happens when we die? Is there life after death?
Week 10
What now? How can I go on living?
Church workshop slide decks
Comfort Ye My People — Day 1
Workshop opening, ministry overview, and biblical reflection on grief.
Comfort Ye My People — Day 2
Helping practices, limitations, prayer, and practical church response to grief.
Frequently asked questions
Who is Grief Care for?
Grief Care is intended for people grieving the death of a significant person in their life. The materials emphasize human loss, shared support, and weekly reflection in community.
Is the ministry only for Christians?
The series is biblically based and presented from a Christian worldview, but the materials also make clear that participants do not need to be Christian to attend. Respect, non-debate, and openness are important parts of the group environment.
What does a typical session include?
Sessions generally include a welcome, sharing about the week, review of the journal assignment, brief prayer, the evening topic, discussion, and an assignment for the week ahead.
Can churches use these materials as-is?
Use of the manuals and certain files should follow the permissions attached to the source materials. Public ministry pages should ideally provide an overview and contact pathway, with protected or approved access to downloadable files.
What support should be in place for higher-risk situations?
Facilitators should understand their limitations and have clear referral pathways for complex grief, trauma, severe depression, mental health concerns, substance abuse, or signs of self-harm risk. Churches should also ensure emergency and counselling contacts are available.
Interested in using or exploring Grief Care?
This page can direct churches, leaders, or participants to your preferred next step.
Suggested contact details
Email: corps.mission@salvationarmy.ca
Website: www.corpsmission.ca
Suggested call to action
Contact us to learn more about Grief Care, request approved materials, or explore how this ministry could support grief care in your church or community.
