1. BEREAVEMENT CARE AWARENESS
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2. SECTION 1
Introduction
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3. GROUND RULES
What ground rules do we want in the group to help it run smoothly?
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4. BEREAVEMENT CARE AWARENESS AIMS TO:
Develop knowledge, skills and understanding of how churches can be involved in providing appropriate levels of ongoing support to those who are bereaved.
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5. OUTCOMES On completion of this training you will:
Gain basic information of the impact bereavement has in people’s lives and the different ways in which individuals commonly respond.
Have had the opportunity to reflect on your own experience of bereavement.
Be able to identify key factors in providing effective support.
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6. OUTCOMES
To identify the key factors that are essential for churches to provide effective bereavement support.
To gain information on support services that are available locally and nationally.
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7. KEY FACTS AND FIGURES
Over half a million people die in the UK each year.
88% of funerals have some ‘religious’ content – although the number of secular funerals is increasing rapidly.
Information on the availability of bereavement support is not routinely given by funeral directors, registrars and NHS professionals – or churches.
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8. Death, society and the Church
SECTION 2
Death, society and the Church
Slide 2.1

9. DEATH AND SOCIETY
Discussing and thinking about death and dying has become society’s last taboo.
Until they are bereaved themselves, it doesn’t touch many people’s lives closely.
Most people no longer understand the support that bereaved people need and hope that they will ‘get over it’ soon.
This leaves bereaved people unsure and ignorant of available support.
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10. DEATH AND THE CHURCH
Many people who would not consider themselves churchgoers still turn to the church in a time of bereavement.
Some churches see their role merely as one of liaising with the family at the time of the bereavement and organising the funeral.
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11. DEATH AND THE CHURCH
Many churches gave limited support around the time of the funeral or with an annual memorial service.
Few did anything beyond this.
Most wanted to do more but were limited because of lack of resources.
Few knew much about the availability of bereavement support organisations or other resources.
The most pressing needs were for information, resources and training.
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12. DEATH AND THE CHURCH
Jesus wept with Lazarus’s family at his death (John 11) and was ‘filled with compassion’ at the grief of the Widow of Nain (Luke 7).
The early church was greatly exercised to give support to widows and orphans (James 1).
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13. BREAK
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14. Reactions to bereavement
SECTION 3
Reactions to bereavement
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15. PERSONAL EXPERIENCES
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16. EXPRESSIONS OF GRIEF Emotional Physical Psychological Behavioural
Spiritual
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17. FACTORS AFFECTING GRIEF
Grief is complex and influenced by a number of factors:
The quality and type of relationship they have with the person who has died.
How, when and where the person died.
The age, gender, personality and level of understanding of the grieving person.
Their previous experience of significant loss.
Their cultural and religious beliefs and influences.
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18. FACTORS AFFECTING GRIEF
Their involvement in mourning rituals.
Their family and social support network.
Their other concurrent stressors.
Their upbringing (learnt behaviour).
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19. CASE STUDIES
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20. DELEGATE PACK
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21. BREAK
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22. Understanding bereavement
SECTION 4
Understanding bereavement
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23. THEORIES AND MODELS OF GRIEF
Worden
accept
experience
adjust
reinvest
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24. THEORIES AND MODELS OF GRIEF
Dual process model
moving between loss and recovery
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25. THEORIES AND MODELS OF GRIEF
Continuing bonds
keeping healthy connections
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26. THEORIES AND MODELS OF GRIEF
Tonkin’s model
life can grow around grief
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27. Working with bereaved people
SECTION 5
Working with bereaved people
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28. DEALING WITH STRONG EMOTIONS
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29. CASE STUDY
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30. DEALING WITH STRONG EMOTIONS
Anger and guilt are two strong emotions that are frequently experienced by bereaved people.
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31. COMPLEX AND COMPLICATED GRIEF
The features of complex and complicated grief:
Prolonged and intense yearning and longing for the person who has died
Recurrent intrusive and distressing thoughts
Difficulty concentrating and accepting what has happened
Difficulty moving beyond acute state of mourning
Feeling that life is now meaningless and holds no future happiness or satisfaction
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32. COMPLEX AND COMPLICATED GRIEF
Complex grief is more likely in these situations:
The death of a child
Suicide
‘Lifestyle’ deaths − for example, drugs overdose
Sudden, traumatic death
Death of a relatively young person
Death where there is no body
Murder or manslaughter
Multiple bereavements
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33. EFFECTIVE COMMUNICATION
We can demonstrate care and understanding and the desire to help through:
The words we say
The tone of our voice
Our body language
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34. RESPONSES TO LOSS
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35. BREAK
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36. SECTION 6
Conclusion
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37. THE NEEDS OF BEREAVED PEOPLE
Needs that are common to most are:
For their grief to be ‘normalised’.
To understand a little more about the journey they are on and to be given strategies to help them while they are on it.
To understand that their journey is unique to them, that they will get through (not over!) it and that there is no time limit.
To feel understood, listened to and supported.
To have the opportunity to explore spiritual issues.
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38. THE NEEDS OF BEREAVED PEOPLE
To know that there is hope for the future and that there can be a new ‘normal’ life that is not the same as before, yet can still be good.
To be given information on the availability of and how to access support services.
To receive practical support – particularly in the days and weeks after the death.
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39. HOW THE CHURCH CAN MEET THESE NEEDS
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40. WIDER CONSIDERATIONS Dependency Children and grief Self-care
Slides 6.5a – 6.5c

41. FURTHER INFORMATION
For information and resources on bereavement support visit For more information about our marriage and parenting resources visit
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42. PERSONAL REFLECTION We have:
Considered the impact bereavement has in people’s lives and the different ways in which individuals commonly respond
Reflected on our own experience of bereavement
Identified the basic needs of bereaved people
Identified the skills, structure and safeguards needed to provide appropriate levels of support to bereaved people
Looked at the different models of bereavement support
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43. CHURCH REVIEW AND PLANNING
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44. THANK YOU FOR COMING
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