Grief group continues to offer hope
Wanda English Burnett - Editor

The Circle of Love, a grief recovery group, meets the second Tuesday of each month at 7:00 p.m. at the Versailles Baptist Church located at 218 S. Washington Street. A morning meeting will begin September 20, and will meet on the third Tuesday of each month at the same place at 10:00 a.m.

While the location and times have changes, the focus of the group has never wavered since its inception - that is to listen to those who are grieving for one reason or another.

Lisa Ebinger, who began the ministry with her husband David, said they were devastated after losing their son Jeremy in a tragic 4-wheeler accident in February of 2002. The couple felt they should start a grief recovery group after they experienced such great loss.

Ebinger noted that people grieve for a variety of reasons - it doesn't have to be the loss of life. "Many times people are grieving over relationships that are lost, financial situations and much more," she stated. "The Circle of Love meetings are for everyone, it's not limited," she stressed.

Anyone grieving from any situation is invited to these information meetings where you can share your story or just sit quietly and listen. "No one is singled out," Ebinger noted.

Libraries have been established at both the Versailles Baptist Church and Hopewell Baptist Church with a variety of books and brochures on grief available. Workbooks are available for age three through teenagers to help children deal with grief as well. Some of the materials include Taking the Time You Need to Grieve Your Loss by Kathlyn S. Baldwin, Thoughts for the Holidays Finding Permission to Grieve by Doug Manning and the national best-seller by Bill Graham, Death and the Life After.

A new program that was launched last year within the group is that of sending cards to those who have lost loved ones. They will get a card of encouragement and hope around the anniversary date of their loved ones death. Ebinger encourages people to let them know of anyone who might be in need of receiving this type of encouragement.

Many people have attended the meetings since the group's inception and Ebinger feels the project is very worthwhile. "A number of people have just walked up to me and said how much they appreciate being able to come to the meetings," she noted.

Ebinger said she didn't do it alone and had a number of people who came on board to make the group possible. She said she is thankful for the Board of Deacons at the Versailles Baptist Church, Hopewell and Versailles Baptist churches, the Ripley County Community Foundation for grant money, Tri Kappa, the Osgood Lions, Ripley Publishing Co., and Stratton-Karsteter Funeral Home, for all of their help with the ministry.

For more information you can contact Ebinger at 689-4663, Gail Brown at 689-6376, Marlene Hughes at 689-7359.