Through the ages, the local church has helped communities heal from grief, loss and trauma, and it is still performing that important function today. That is why “Our Churches as Centers for Help, Hope & Healing: The Geneva College Grief & Trauma Training for Church Ministry” is being offered at no cost to lay and ministerial church leaders on Friday, September 11, 2015 from 9 a.m. – 1 p.m. The program will be at Allegheny Center Alliance Church, Union Place Chapel, 801 Union Place, Pittsburgh PA 15212 on Pittsburgh’s North Side.
Dr. Cathy Sigmund, Professor of Phycology, Counseling and Human Services at Geneva College and Chaplain at the Christian and Missionary Alliance says, “God has mandated the church to extend Christ’s heart into the community, but the church can be often overburdened and ill-equipped to deal with the aftermath of suicide, homicide and loss. At the same time, God has perfectly positioned Geneva College to equip His church in these matters – and so we’re reaching out and training leaders in the church to help heal a hurting community.”
The moderator for the day will be Rev. Glenn Hanna, Missions Pastor at Allegheny Center Alliance Church. In addition to Dr. Sigmund, Dr. Bernadette Jeffrey, Associate Professor of Social Work at California University of Pennsylvania and national leader with the Church of God in Christ will also provide training.
The training will be based on scripture and help to train church leaders to better identify clinical symptoms associated with grief, trauma, suicide and violence, along with increasing understanding of the importance of referring people to mental health and other professionals when necessary. Also, the training encourages pastors and lay ministry to develop and provide church-based social support and community outreach programs that address grief, loss and trauma.
The Western PA District of the Christian and Missionary Alliance will offer four continuing education units (CEU) to church leaders. The training is a non-credit, non-degree seminar; however, attendees who complete the training program will receive a certificate of attendance from the Institute for Intercultural Care & Community (I2Care) initiative of Geneva College.
The cost is free and lunch is included, but registration is necessary and may be completed online at www.geneva.edu/grief-training, by emailing csigmund@geneva.edu, or by calling or texting 412-612-5156.
Geneva College invites students to step forward with an academically excellent, Christ-centered and affordable education. Offering nearly 40 undergraduate majors, Adult Degree Programs with fully online and campus-based options, and high-demand advanced graduate degrees, Geneva's programs are recognized for their high quality. U.S. News & World Report ranks Geneva as a Top 10 Best Value with one of the Top 100 engineering programs in the nation. Adhering to the inerrancy of Scripture, a Geneva education is grounded in God’s word as well as in a core curriculum designed to prepare students vocationally to think, write and communicate well in today’s world.
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