Description
Price: $21.95
(as of Aug 26, 2024 08:05:11 UTC – Details)
Seasons of Hope is a unique grief support program for Catholics that focuses on the spiritual side of grieving the death of a loved one. It invites those who mourn to accompany one another and to meet Christ through scripture, prayer, reflection, and simple activities that offer comfort and help to foster healing and spiritual growth.
The updated Seasons of Hope Leader’s Guide and four journals can be used by a parish grief ministry. Individuals are also able to use the journals for personal reflection and prayer. You can start with any of the four journals, each of which covers a standalone “season” of six sessions that each have their own theme rooted in a passage from scripture.
The Seasons of Hope program was created by author M. Donna MacLeod following the death of her daughter and has been used in thousands of parishes by tens of thousands of people since its original release in 2007. Updates to the new edition of the Leader’s Guide include: a new introduction; a new chapter about offering group sessions online; revised content and activities that meet the challenges and needs of the contemporary Church and culture; an updated resource list; access to online facilitator training materials; and information about caring for those living grief from losses such as suicide, overdose, miscarriage and other child loss, natural disasters, or homicide.
The Leader’s Guide continues to include FAQs about creating and sustaining successful grief ministries in your parish. It also provides outlines and scripts for the six group sessions of each season. Those sessions include scripture, prayer, reflection, activities, and faith sharing.
The Seasons of Hope Journals, which are perfect for individual and group use, have been revised with a new introduction and updated resource listings. The journals also include Bible references, reflections, prayers, and space for writing.
From the Publisher
Seasons of Hope Facilitator Pack
Seasons of Hope is a unique grief support program for Catholics that focuses on the spiritual side of grieving the death of a loved one.
Four Journals
The four journals can be used by individuals for spiritual reflection or prayer or by parish small faith-sharing groups for those who are mourning the death of a loved one. You can start the series with any of the four journals.
The journals, originally published in 2007, have been revised with a new introduction and updated resource listings. The journals also include Bible references, reflections, faith-sharing questions, prayers, and space for writing.
What’s Included Journal 1 discovers our source of consolation and ways to find joy. Journal 2 reminds us to remember and not be afraid. Journal 3 prompts to reach out and believe in our love and faith. Journal 4 pushes us to reach out to help others and give back to those who need to heal. The Leader’s Guide provides everything one needs to lead a group through a Seasons of Hope session.
A Glimpse Into The Seasons of Hope Program
We are made for communion. We heal in relationship. It takes courage to step out and find or to lead a Seasons of Hope group. To begin you must first make the decision to gather those grieving in your community or to attend a local group in your parish. This pack provides the tools you need to get started on your journey.
The Seasons of Hope Leader’s Guide and Journal booklets provide the vision and proven means to accomplish a Christ-centered program that comforts those who mourn. Overtime, your group will grow together as you walk through the seasons of grief side by side.
Grief brings pain whether it is expressed through emotions, physical symptoms, or disturbing behaviors that prompt us to seek help. When we are people of faith, we may sense that our spirit is wounded as well. Meeting regularly and sharing your journey with others will help you find healing and comfort amidst the pain.
“I offer my whole-hearted support and blessing.”
“Communicating loss is essential. Opportunities to communicate with others are essential. Opportunities to communicate with God are necessary. Seasons of Hope offers those opportunities and, as a bishop, I offer my whole-hearted support and blessing.”
From the foreword by Bishop John P. Dolan Diocese of Phoenix
“A godsend.”
“Seasons of Hope is a godsend. It is solidly Catholic, imbued by hope and comfort while also being open to the real experiences of each participant. It provides an opportunity for those who are grieving to be together, share what is in their hearts, listen to God and to each other, and be heard and comforted. The program is simple, easy to lead, and scripture based. It gets people through hard times, giving them courage to surrender to God and invite him into their pain, and that this made all the difference.”
Anna Loch Former Outreach Manager Gardens of Gethsemani Cemetery Archdiocese of Vancouver
“New hope.”
“Our bereavement ministry has been using this program for the last ten years and it always works for us. Donna MacLeod’s step-by-step Leader’s Guide always puts me at ease when leading grief-support meetings. More importantly, this program gives each participant new hope in the Catholic Church and how it can help a hurting person in their grief journey.”
Karen Jones Bereavement Ministry St. Patrick’s Catholic Church Placerville, California
About the Author
M. Donna MacLeod is a Catholic leader and founder of the Seasons of Hope ministry to the bereaved. She is the author of the program’s bestselling Leader’s Guide and four companion journals. This work was inspired by the loss of her youngest daughter, Erynne, in 1988 and the compassionate response of her parish.
Publisher : Ave Maria Press (December 1, 2023)
Language : English
Paperback : 192 pages
ISBN-10 : 1646802322
ISBN-13 : 978-1646802326
Item Weight : 1.03 pounds
Dimensions : 8.57 x 0.2 x 11.02 inches
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