A grief support group at Cameron Baptist Church in Lawton is helping people who suffer from the loss of a loved one deal with unexpected tragedies.
Group founder Linda Purdue said she came across GriefShare, an international organization that has affiliates in churches throughout across the globe. Purdue and Cameron Baptist Church Pastor Mike Teel held GriefShare’s first meeting in Lawton in March 2018.
“I felt led by the Lord in the fall of 2017 because I had a lot of friends who lost loved ones,” Purdue said. “Out of that, the Lord involved me in this great ministry.”
The 13-week GriefShare program involves in-person and virtual grief support groups combined with videos and discussion.
“There’s a lot of confidentiality with this group,” Teel said. “It’s a safe place where people understand what you’re going through. You can walk into that class, express anger or whatever emotion you’re experiencing. No one will condemn you because they’ve been through that and are suffering through those same emotions.”
Teel said it’s impossible to tell someone when their grief will end because for most people the grieving process never stops.
“I have a hard time saying they get over it because each individual walks it in a different way,” the pastor said.
The Cameron Baptist GriefShare group meets to watch the video each week, but then splits into smaller groups for discussion purposes.
“That allows people to tell their story so everyone can talk,” Teel said.
The sessions start at 6 p.m. each night and lasts for about two hours. People can enter through the church’s Discipleship Center doors on the east side. Biblical verses and questions are part of the sessions, Teel said. The only charge for the 13-week program is a $15 fee for the workbook.
Cameron Baptist Church is located at 2621 SW C Avenue. For more information, visit www.griefshare.org.