Divorce is painful, stressful, confusing and isolating. Is there hope? Yes.
Valleyfield FMC has been involved in DivorceCare and DivorceCare4Kids ministry for the past three years. They offer this thirteen-week program twice a year. Each week participants watch a video seminar featuring experts on divorce and recovery subjects followed by a support group discussion.
The DivoreceCare4Kids curriculum mirrors that of the parents so that the conversation can continue at home, however, instead of video presentations the ideas are explored through play and crafts.
I spoke with Brad Hulme, one of the DivorceCare group leaders at Valleyview, who told me, “Both my wife and I have been divorced but our churches at the time did not offer the DivorceCare program. It wasn’t until a few years later that we discovered the program existed. It has always been on our hearts to help divorced couples because of how difficult the journey is.”
DivorceCare is biblically based and as Brad explained, “the only way you can experience the true healing that you need is to take our hearts back to the One who created them.”
Typically nine out of ten people who attend have some sort of Christian experience. Some are currently connected to a church or have been at some point. Some feel they don’t have a home church since their divorce.
As Brad told me, “We would love a time when no one came to DivorceCare but until then we want to make sure that divorced people know they still have a place in the Kingdom and that they are just as special even though they are divorced. They are no more or less special in God’s eyes just because their marriage didn’t work out and that there is forgiveness from that and reconciliation to their new reality and to God.”
As a child of divorce I think connection to a group like this would have made my load a little lighter and my journey less lonely.
Check out www.divorcecare.org or contact Jason Tripp at Valleyview FMC if you would like to explore this ministry further.
