Reverend Dr. Jerry Jones is a retired congregational minister, author, grief counselor, and bereavement aftercare specialist. In 2013, he was awarded the Fred and Lina Myers Spirit of Caring Award. His most recent book is After the Casseroles: Rediscovering Hope in Grief's Journey. In this episode, Kurt and Jerry discuss dealing with grief and bereavement after the passing of a loved one, and how we as pastors and spiritual leaders can help those in our congregation also deal with their grief. Tune in to hear more!

Key Takeaways:

[1:20] Kurt introduces this episode's guest — Reverend Dr. Jerry Jones.

[1:50] Jerry tells us a little about his calling. He used to be a dairy farmer in Michigan before he became a pastor. What was his life like, and what made him decide to make the switch?

[3:05] In seminary, we are taught some things about dealing with grief and helping others through that process. What are some things that may make it harder for a pastor or a spiritual leader to deal with their own grief?

[4:56] Sometimes, it is important for a pastor or spiritual leader to be taken out of their position of leadership or authority to focus on healing. How can pastors deal with needing to distance themselves from their congregation, in order to navigate what they're going through personally?

[7:22] The thing is, you can't really prepare ahead of time for a situation like this, so stress levels can get extremely high when a loved one passes.

[8:30] Times like these can really cause people to call their core beliefs into question. Do pastors sometimes also question their core beliefs?

[9:30] What can be done to help congregations understand the changes they are going to experience as a congregation whose leader is experiencing loss? What can they do as a church to help their pastor?

[10:54] Jerry runs bereavement programs to help people understand how to go through the process. He provides us with more information — how do these programs work, and how do they change the lives of people attending, or those around them?

[14:27] Kurt has observed people in the younger generation relating more to their technology than to the people around them. Would this affect the amount of help people would need in grieving?

[15:50] Sometimes, just being physically present with someone is worth more than all the words you can express digitally.

[18:19] Rarely is it the case that just one person grieves when a person dies. From a pastoral perspective, what are some of the things that we should be thinking about when caring for the entire family, and not just our one congregant?

[22:05] What are some of the things that Jerry has seen that are especially needed by young people as they grieve? What are some tools that can be used to help them through that process?

[24:00] Kurt raises the point that it's perfectly okay for us to say, "I don't know," when someone who is grieving questions why things have happened.

[24:46] Do get yourself and your congregation a copy of Rev. Dr. Jerry Jones's book, After The Casseroles: Rediscovering Hope in Grief's Journey!

Mentioned in This Episode:

God’s Business

God’s Business on Facebook

God's Business: Making Church Leaders Less Stressed and More Effective by Leveraging the Experience of Others, by Kurt M. Glacy

After the Casseroles: Rediscovering Hope in Grief's Journey, by Rev. Dr. Jerry Jones