I.	Purpose
II.	Theses
III.	Outcomes
IV.	Schedules
V.	Fees
VI.	Testimonials

I.  Purpose

This training is designed to prepare Christian men and women to assist their pastor in the ministry of bereavement care giving.  It is based upon the teachings of the Old and New Testaments.  It presents Jesus Christ and the Christian congregation as resources for healing and hope for those experiencing loss from any cause but especially a loss caused by death.  It uses much of the language, symbols, concepts and forms of those who work in the field of thanatology; e.g., death educators, grief counselors and therapists, mortuary personnel and those in the medical community.

Ronald A. Ritter - Trainer Member, Pacific Southwest District (LCMS) Commissioned by the District for this ministry on 29 September 1996 Ordained, 30 August 1970 Pastor, Holy Cross Lutheran Church, Belding, Michigan 1970-1974 Served in U.S. Navy Chaplain Corps 1974-1994 Certified Thanatologist of the Association for Death Education and Counseling - www.adec.org

II.  Theses

A.     Bereavement ministry addresses two givens of the human condition.

1. The need to establish and maintain bonds of affection; i.e., love.
2. The inevitable grief that is a consequence of the loss of love.

C.  An abundance of resources is available both from within and outside of the congregation to address these issues.

D. Bereavement ministry connects the needs of the bereaved to the available resources by providing training as follows:

1. It focuses on training the laity within the congregation.

2. It is designed to accommodate the practical needs of the trainees as much as possible; e . g ., time of day, day of the week, length of sessions, etc .

3. It teaches the language of love; i.e. , the language of grief intervention and reconciliation.

A. The trainee will understand the universality of grief as it touches human life.

B. The trainee will have a heightened sensitivity toward those who are grieving.

C. The trainee will learn to use the language of love; i.e., the language of grief intervention and reconciliation.

D. The trainee will assist in developing a practical means for using bereavement ministry within the congregation.

E. The trainee will seek opportunities to use the language of love as an evangelical outreach of the congregation.

IV. Scheduled Training Dates & Locations

No training events scheduled at this time.

V. Fees

Please contact Chaplain Ritter at (760) 723-7738 or send an e-mail to ANR@TFB.COM

VI. Testimonials

"What a blessing Pastor Ron Ritter's Grief training has been to me and Mt. Calvary Lutheran church...I and many of the members of my congregation attended the class and were greatly blessed by the information we received on the grieving process. Since then I have used the grief class information many times each month in ministering to those in grief...Over the past years we have been able to help out many people in our church and community to find a way to live with their grief. Several have even started to attend our church. It has been a great ministry to both those in the church and outside of it."

Rev. Randy Buecheler, Pastor
Mt. Calvary Lutheran Church
Lake Arrowhead, California

"One of the greatest assets of your training is the impact it has had here at Trinity. As Director of Care Ministries, I assign one of the 'graduates' of your class to members of our congregattion at the time of a loss of a spouse, parent or sibling. These members of our Bereavement Committee are able to support and comfort fellow members in the Body of Christ as they mourn. Because of their training, I am confident of their ability when I assign them to a person or family."

Mrs. Jan Reynolds
Director of Care Ministries
Trinity Lutheran Church
Litchfield Park, Arizona

"I applaud your proposal to start the 'Cross My Heart' program...It is important to have such a program with the service and training you provide. The area of serving and ministering to each other who grieve is not stressed enough in our churches. Our Bereavement Committee members have grown in faith as they learn to listen better,...they have realized that grief ministry is a Blessing and it is another way to share His word."

Ms. Mitzi M. Eskridge-Johnson
Chairperson Bereavement Committee
St. Paul Lutheran Church
Los Angeles, California
Member, Pacific Southwest District Board of Directors