12-24-08 Support Group Reaches Out To Those Affected By Divorce
By Cindy Cruz
During difficult times in their lives many people turn to their church for support. That is why Crossroads Community Church in Schererville decided to start a Divorce Care support group. The 13-week program offered in the fall and spring is open to anyone who has gone through or is going through a divorce, is separated and or experiencing marital struggles. Pastor Drew Brown said this is the second year they are presenting the program and they have added a second piece - Divorce Care for Kids.
Brown said they have seen over the years that kids who are part of a divorce have not had the resources or opportunity to talk out some of these issues. Divorce Care for Kids is an interactive group that runs parallel to Divorce Care group. It includes activities, video time, stories, games, and discussion.
"In one video promo one kid says, ‘At school I was one of only two kids from a divorce, but as I come to the divorce group all of these kids are struggling with the same issues that I am,’ he tells the others in the group. That is very encouraging,” Pastor Brown said.
A couple of years ago the church presented a series called Hot Topics and they talked about divorce and how that is one of those areas that the church has not handled well. Brown said it got people thinking. There was a sister church in New Lenox, IL that had offered the program. One of their facilitators came to Crossroads to discuss the program, and the first time it was offered their facilitator helped launch it.
The person who will lead Divorce Care for Kids participated in the first Divorce Care program offered by the church and it made such an impact on him personally that he wanted to offer something for the kids. He saw this material and really wanted to run with it, Brown said. Divorce Care for Kids is offered for those ages 8-12. In the future Brown hopes to do something for teens. He said the church's student ministry, Brickhouse, has discussed this.
“Of all the material I’ve looked at, this is probably the best resource in terms of dealing with the whole issue of divorce. Although it is spiritually based, it is not just for Christians. They are very careful about not being in your face,” Pastor Brown said. “The phrase they often use is “God hates divorce, but He loves divorced people.”
People get divorced for a variety of reasons. “This is a great opportunity for us to open up the doors to the church by providing a program free of charge with no strings attached. We are not using it for recruitment. We don’t want those who attend to feel that it is just another way to market the church,” he said.
Brown said they have received positive feedback. People find it very helpful and are thankful that the church is providing it. Folks gather together for coffee and light discussion, watch a video, and sometimes there is a guest speaker. Brown discusses the Biblical basis of divorce, a financial planner talks about managing finances in the midst of the struggle, and a counselor from Chicago Christian Counseling Center discusses coping. "We give them a number of resources to tap into after they complete the course," Brown said.
The 13-week program will begin on Monday, Jan. 19 from 6:30-8:30 pm with the Divorce Care for adults and Divorce Care for Kids groups running simultaneously. Crossroads Community Church is located at 1538 Janice Dr. in Schererville.
Pastor Brown said the programs are open to anyone in the community and people can join up until the fourth week. For more information about Divorce Care or Divorce Care for Kids contact John Cook at cookieman51@comcast.net or Tiffany at tnottingham@aboutccc.com or call 219-322-6400, ext. 303 to register. For more information visit www.divorcecare.org
Brown said they have seen over the years that kids who are part of a divorce have not had the resources or opportunity to talk out some of these issues. Divorce Care for Kids is an interactive group that runs parallel to Divorce Care group. It includes activities, video time, stories, games, and discussion.
"In one video promo one kid says, ‘At school I was one of only two kids from a divorce, but as I come to the divorce group all of these kids are struggling with the same issues that I am,’ he tells the others in the group. That is very encouraging,” Pastor Brown said.
A couple of years ago the church presented a series called Hot Topics and they talked about divorce and how that is one of those areas that the church has not handled well. Brown said it got people thinking. There was a sister church in New Lenox, IL that had offered the program. One of their facilitators came to Crossroads to discuss the program, and the first time it was offered their facilitator helped launch it.
The person who will lead Divorce Care for Kids participated in the first Divorce Care program offered by the church and it made such an impact on him personally that he wanted to offer something for the kids. He saw this material and really wanted to run with it, Brown said. Divorce Care for Kids is offered for those ages 8-12. In the future Brown hopes to do something for teens. He said the church's student ministry, Brickhouse, has discussed this.
“Of all the material I’ve looked at, this is probably the best resource in terms of dealing with the whole issue of divorce. Although it is spiritually based, it is not just for Christians. They are very careful about not being in your face,” Pastor Brown said. “The phrase they often use is “God hates divorce, but He loves divorced people.”
People get divorced for a variety of reasons. “This is a great opportunity for us to open up the doors to the church by providing a program free of charge with no strings attached. We are not using it for recruitment. We don’t want those who attend to feel that it is just another way to market the church,” he said.
Brown said they have received positive feedback. People find it very helpful and are thankful that the church is providing it. Folks gather together for coffee and light discussion, watch a video, and sometimes there is a guest speaker. Brown discusses the Biblical basis of divorce, a financial planner talks about managing finances in the midst of the struggle, and a counselor from Chicago Christian Counseling Center discusses coping. "We give them a number of resources to tap into after they complete the course," Brown said.
The 13-week program will begin on Monday, Jan. 19 from 6:30-8:30 pm with the Divorce Care for adults and Divorce Care for Kids groups running simultaneously. Crossroads Community Church is located at 1538 Janice Dr. in Schererville.
Pastor Brown said the programs are open to anyone in the community and people can join up until the fourth week. For more information about Divorce Care or Divorce Care for Kids contact John Cook at cookieman51@comcast.net or Tiffany at tnottingham@aboutccc.com or call 219-322-6400, ext. 303 to register. For more information visit www.divorcecare.org
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