“Need a hand-up? We all need a hand-up now and then.”
That’s the message from Spanish River Church. For the past seven years, the church has been reaching out to the community by providing support groups, known as Small Group Specials, with a Christian point of view.
“But that definitely doesn’t mean that non-Christians can’t attend,” support group coordinator Pamela Toski said.
The Small Group Specials are designed to support participants through a time of special needs.
“The majority of the group participants are not members of our church,” said Ramona Caputo, who co-facilitates the grief and loss support group with Toski. “Some aren’t even churchgoers. Others have no church background. They’ve just reached a point where they’re asking, “What do I do now?'”
Participants in the Grief and Loss support group include people who have lost a loved one through death, as well as people who are trying to cope with the loss of a job. The group deals with such topics as: “The Meaning of Grief,” “Blaming God” and “Healthy Ways to Hold Onto What You’ve Lost.”
Other support groups, that last from eight to 12 weeks, include: Care for the Caregiver, Finding Peace in a Troubled World, Weigh Down Workshop and Divorce Recovery.
Delores Lines and Jim Eggenberger, professional mental health counselors and members of the church, lead the Divorce Recovery workshop. The two have been co-facilitating the group for the past two years.
Eggenberger describes the focus as non-denominational but biblically based. “We reflect on the principles of the Bible in how to face loneliness, for example, how to deal with anger and how to forgive,” he said. At the first class, Eggenberger refers to Psalm 147:3: “He heals the broken-hearted and binds their wounds.”
The Weigh Down Workshop focuses on God and the Bible, rather than diets and calories, to help participants overcome eating addictions. It is facilitated by Beverly McDougall, administrative assistant at Spanish River Church.
The facilitators started out as members of the group. “It works out well,” said Caputo, who suffered a stillbirth in 1993. “How can you be a facilitator without having been there yourself?”
Even if group participants don’t become facilitators, they often are invited to attend the first class of the session. Sometimes they decide to stay for the entire session because they find that they can still benefit, Toski said.
“We provide a comfortable setting and a place for people to be supported by the church and by each other,” she said. “We tell people, ‘Come and surround yourself with people who will be a blessing to you, as you become a blessing to them.'”
Support group meetings are free, except for curriculum costs, and are held at Spanish River Church, 2400 Yamato Road, Boca Raton. Call Pamela Toski at 561-994-5000, ext. 290, to receive a brochure or find out about upcoming groups.
