What bereavement situations is The Bereavement Journey suitable for?

The material has proved to be helpful in almost all bereavement situations, whether recent or from many years before. For most bereaved people it provides the tools they need to enable them to process their loss without further one-to-one or professional assistance. Those who have suffered a miscarriage or neonatal death may find a group less helpful as a lot of its material is centred on the relationship with the bereaved. However, we have found that people with these and other kinds of bereavements (such as before the death of a terminally ill loved one, or Alzheimer’s), can still benefit, provided they are made aware that there will be aspects which will be less suitable for them.

Is The Bereavement Journey suitable for the very recently bereaved?

As an approximate guide we suggest people join the course from about three months post- bereavement, but this is not a hard and fast rule and each individual’s needs and wishes should be taken into consideration. A recently bereaved person is unlikely to have experienced all of the material and may be particularly traumatised but it is better they attend than not find the support they need.  Many who do attend early appreciate attending again further down the line. 

Do participants need to have or be interested in faith to attend?

No. All the faith content of the material (which is Christian) is contained in Session 6 and is optional. This makes the course accessible and beneficial to everyone and anyone.

Will participants be required to share personal experience?

Whilst participants are given opportunities to share, there is no pressure to do so, and it is made clear from the start that a participant may simply listen and observe or ‘pass’ at any point, if they do not wish to speak. In practice, most participants appreciate opportunities to share from their personal experience and to encourage others in the group.

Can The Bereavement Journey be run by organisations other than churches?

The Bereavement Journey was produced for use by churches. It is a Registered Trademark and the material is copyrighted for use only by church communities or Christian organisations. If you need clarification as to your eligibility, please contact us before purchasing products.

What kind of venue do I need?

Groups can be run in a public venue, such as a hall or, for a small group, in a private home. The venue needs to offer a ‘safe’ space where participants feel free to speak openly, where there are no distractions and where there is sufficient room for groups to be able to sit so that everyone in a group can see and hear each other.

Do I need to offer a meal?

Whilst not essential we recommend providing a simple meal or some sort of refreshment before each session begins, as this helps participants to relax and feel comfortable. The break half way through the session (including in an online group) is also important, as people need to stop and relax. Cake or biscuits can be a great help at this point.

How long should each session last?

Each session is designed to last about two hours comprising two filmed talks, each followed by discussion time and with a break between. If food or refreshments are offered beforehand, this would extend the session by at least half an hour. We have found that for a face to face group, a weekday evening, with participants arriving around 7pm for a 7.30pm start, and finishing no later than 9.30pm, usually works well for most people.

What does it cost to join a group?

In addition to the cost of your venue and any meal/refreshments you provide you will need to purchase the Taster Pack, which is £25. This includes access to a sample of the films, the Leaders’ Guide, as well as information on how to register your course with us at no additional cost, after which you will receive the Full Programme Pack. Everything can be reused for each course that you run. In addition, manuals will need to be purchased for each team member and participant attending your course at £3.50 each (discounts apply for larger quantities), and you may decide you would like to have some copies available of the Faith Questions booklet (£4.95, discounts apply for larger quantities) for each Session 7.

What equipment will I need to run The Bereavement Journey?

In addition to whatever you need to provide your meal/refreshments, you will need a television or other audio/visual equipment to show the films, chairs, a registration table, manuals, and a flip chart and pens for the first 2 Sessions. We also suggest a small table in the centre of each discussion group with tissues and a small vase of flowers and pens. You could also provide AtaLoss.org website cards (see www.ataloss.org for materials) and Faith Questions booklets for Session 7.

How much are participants charged to attend?

There is no set charge. You will need to decide how much you wish to charge participants to attend your bereavement group. Some churches/organisations decide to charge to cover all their costs and others pay for their participants. Alternatively, you may wish to offer a bursary to anyone who cannot afford to pay.

How many leaders/helpers will I need?

In addition to your Group Leader and any help you need for serving food/refreshments, you will need to ensure you have a group facilitator and 1-2 helpers for each of your discussion groups.

What is the recommended size of a discussion group?

Six to eight people in a group, in addition to the two/three group leaders (facilitator and 1-2 helpers), usually works well. Ideally, groups should have a maximum of 10 people (i.e. eight participants and two leaders). For online groups, the numbers can be greatly increased as long as you have a suitable number of group helpers and facilitators.

Can someone join part way through?

We would not recommend anyone joining after week two, as important material will have been missed and discussion groups will have been established. It would be better to recommend the person signs up for the next group you run.

Do leaders and helpers need any particular qualifications?

No particular qualifications are required for those helping, but some bereavement experience and/or experience of facilitating discussion groups can be useful. The key attribute is compassion for bereaved people and the desire to support them in their grief journey. Our full guide for leaders includes details of recommended pre-group reading. Some Group Leaders find it helpful to attend a group run by another church before embarking on one themselves. Churches running The Bereavement Journey can be found here. It can also be helpful for leaders/team members to attend one of Care for the Family’s Bereavement Care Awareness days, or for the church to run one for the congregation themselves before embarking on setting up a The Bereavement Journey group (see the Care for the Family website).

What happens in Session 7?

Session 7 provides the answers that one Anglican minister would give to the 7 faith questions we have found to be most commonly asked in bereavement. The first film is followed by group time and the second by a time of quiet reflection, for participants to use in any way they would find helpful. We suggest providing quiet reflective music, candles, paper, pens or anything else you think may be appropriate. The session then ends with a poem and prayer.

How could The Bereavement Journey be advertised?

Downloadable digitally amendable posters and flyers are provided in the course pack. These can be used for handing to individuals or putting on notice boards. Also obtainable free with the materials is a promotional film. When your group is up and running we will advertise it on the AtaLoss.org signposting website so that bereaved people in your community are directed to you for support. You could be surprised how many people choose to come to your group when you advertise outside of your church. We recommend therefore, limiting numbers for your first group to enable your team to become familiar with how The Bereavement Journey operates before advertising more widely.

Also share details of your courses with your GP surgery, Social Prescribers and Funeral Directors so that they can refer people to you, and include course dates and booking details on your website and social media channels.