CareLeader

Strategic, Real-World Pastoral Care

  • Home
  • About
    • What is CareLeader.org?
    • Meet the Team
    • Statement of Faith
  • Products
  • FAQ
  • Contact
  • Privacy Policy
  • Search
You are here: Home / All Posts / Don’t take grief (or any other significant experience) on as an identity

Don’t take grief (or any other significant experience) on as an identity

April 4, 2017 by Sam Hodges

About five years ago, our team began working on the third edition of the GriefShare program. To put that program together I interviewed a number of people who’d lost loved ones. Some of the people I spoke with had processed their grief and were moving forward with their lives. Others seemed stuck—unable to move forward.

If you know someone who is grieving, consider sharing this video with them.

This short video features Dr. Paul Tripp, one of the experts featured in the GriefShare series. You’ll appreciate his insights as he explains why grief is a significant experience, but not something one should take on as an identity. And it will help those you minister to understand how to acknowledge the reality of their pain while taking comfort in their identity in Christ.

For more insights on helping grieving people, see the following CareLeader.org articles: The Big Question of Grief: Who Am I Now? by Brad Hambrick, How to Equip Your Leaders to Care for Grieving People by Sam Hodges and Kathy Leonard, and Helping with an Out-of-Order Death by Dave Branon.

To learn more about the GriefShare program and how your church can offer it, visit www.griefshare.org/start.

Sam Hodges
Sam Hodges
Managing Editor

Sam leads the CareLeader team. As a seminary-trained, ordained pastor, Sam knows firsthand a pastor’s desire to provide effective care to hurting people in the church and community. He directs and oversees CareLeader’s content, making sure the articles and videos equip pastors with information and ideas that are strategic, do-able, and consistent with Christ-centered, biblical care principles.

Sam also leads Church Initiative’s editorial team and has written and produced a number of Church Initiative’s video-based small group curriculums. They include GriefShare second and third editions (2006, 2014), DivorceCare third edition (2012), and Single & Parenting (2011). Sam is also coauthor of Grieving with Hope: Finding Comfort as You Journey Through Loss.

Sam graduated from Howard University with a bachelor of arts in communications. After that he received a master of divinity degree from Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary with an emphasis in Christian education. Sam has also served on staff as a discipleship pastor at Infinity Church in Laurel, MD.

Filed Under: All Posts Tagged With: Dr. Paul Tripp, Grief, Grieving with hope, Video

Latest Articles

How to restore broken marriages after an affair, part 1

By Dr. Les Carter

3 ways pastors can help women and families experiencing postpartum depression

By Robin Barnes

Pastoral care and refuge for rape victims

By Tory Flynn & Dr. Diane Langberg

How your pastoral limitations can bless your churches

By Dr. Zack Eswine

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Twitter
  • YouTube

GriefShare equips lay people to care for grieving people

GriefShare is a powerful, Christ-centered grief recovery program. Created by the team that produces CareLeader.org, GriefShare features many of the experts who contribute to the CareLeader website. It also features the stories of over 75 everyday people who’ve applied biblical principles to heal from grief. Visit GriefShare.org/start and see more reasons why thousands of churches use GriefShare. And discover how GriefShare can equip your church to launch and sustain a proven care and outreach ministry.

Categories

  • About (1)
  • Addiction (2)
  • All Posts (255)
  • Boomers and senior adults (8)
  • Care Issues (23)
  • Emotional & mental health (25)
    • Discouragement & regret (5)
    • Suicide & self-harm (2)
    • Worry & anxiety (4)
  • Equipping leaders (19)
    • Care & counsel (14)
    • Ministry startup (1)
  • In This Together (3)
  • Marriage & other relationships (19)
    • Communication (3)
    • Conflict (2)
    • Infidelity, unfaithful spouse (4)
    • Premarital counseling (2)
  • Misc (7)
    • Job & finances (2)
  • Parenting (23)
    • Single parents (5)
  • Pastor's issues (83)
    • Care ministry administration (8)
    • Counseling & teaching (42)
    • Emotions (11)
    • Encouraging others (5)
    • Work/life balance (5)
  • Sexual issues (7)
    • Abuse (4)
    • Same-sex attraction (1)
  • Suffering & Grief (20)
    • Racism (3)
  • Theology of pastoral care (4)
  • Top posts (4)

How would you help them?

A woman wrestling with depression. A grieving teen. An anxious wife. A man battling chronic anger. Would you know how to minister to them?

Discover how CareLeader.org can help you provide biblical and compassionate pastoral care for struggling and hurting people in your church.

Welcome to CareLeader.org

We equip and inspire pastors and senior church leaders to provide strategic, real-world pastoral care, by delivering practical, biblically based encouragement and insights that have application for preaching, counseling, visitation, lay leader training, and outreach planning.

Sitemap

  • Home
  • About
    • What is CareLeader.org?
    • Meet the Team
    • Statement of Faith
  • Products
  • FAQ
  • Contact
  • Privacy Policy
  • Search

Categories

  • About
  • Addiction
  • All Posts
  • Boomers and senior adults
  • Care Issues
  • Emotional & mental health
    • Discouragement & regret
    • Suicide & self-harm
    • Worry & anxiety
  • Equipping leaders
    • Care & counsel
    • Ministry startup
  • In This Together
  • Marriage & other relationships
    • Communication
    • Conflict
    • Infidelity, unfaithful spouse
    • Premarital counseling
  • Misc
    • Job & finances
  • Parenting
    • Single parents
  • Pastor's issues
    • Care ministry administration
    • Counseling & teaching
    • Emotions
    • Encouraging others
    • Work/life balance
  • Sexual issues
    • Abuse
    • Same-sex attraction
  • Suffering & Grief
    • Racism
  • Theology of pastoral care
  • Top posts

© 2025 CareLeader · Rainmaker Platform