As a church, we wanted to be able to provide a next step for those who have lost a loved one. By creating Restore, we are able to help people process life after losing a loved one, giving them hope for the future. Our mentors have all faced similar losses and are able to share the ways they were able to heal and grow. This curriculum has been a helpful next step for families during the planning of our memorial services. 

Content

North Point Ministries currently uses an in-house curriculum to guide conversation between the mentor and the participant. Topics covered include managing emotions, understanding the grief journey, addressing disappointment with God, setting realistic expectations, and preparing for your future.

While the in-house curriculum is not available for circulation, there are several off-the-shelf ministries like GriefShare that have been used in the past with great success. GriefShare offers a great deal of useful information on their website, including a daily encouragement email that participants can sign up to receive. GriefShare is widely used and offers great resources for a start-up ministry. While the curriculum is intended to be used in a group setting, it can also be used in a one-on-one mentoring environment. Another option for mentoring is to use the Experiencing Grief book as a guide for conversation starters.

As you are building your program, keep in mind that participants are not likely to do much if any reading/homework outside of group. The “ask” you make of participants in this regard should be minimal.

Leaders

Restore matches participants with trained volunteer mentors . They offer guidance, support, and encouragement as participants start to navigate their grief journeys.

Qualifications:

  • You have had a personal, growing relationship with Jesus Christ for at least five years.

  • You have experienced the loss of a loved one.

  • You recognize the Bible as the authority for your life.

  • You have the time, emotional capacity, and moral discernment to lead.

If the potential leader meets the above requirements, he or she will complete a Restore leader application and an interview with a staff member.