Lyndonville church offers group to help people coping from a divorce

Photos by Ginny Kropf: This home-like setting is the ambiance Lyndonville United Methodist Church was looking to create for its sessions of a divorce therapy program called DivorceCare. The 13-week sessions begin Sept. 17.

By Ginny Kropf, correspondent Posted 28 August 2018 at 6:59 am

Sharon Allen holds one of the personal notebooks which is provided to those who take part in the 13-week divorce therapy group sponsored by the Lyndonville United Methodist Church.

LYNDONVILLE – If anyone knows the pain of divorce, it’s Sharon Allen.

She had just turned 60 in 2005 and was attending the Free Methodist Church in Brockport when she was faced with a divorce.

“The church had just started to offer a healing group for people going through divorce,” she said. “I supported it, but I never expected to need it.”

Allen said she took the first week of the 13-week DivorceCare session, but got nothing out of because she was so angry.

“By the second week, God had spoken to me enough that I was ready to be receptive to help from the group,” Allen said.

After moving to Lyndonville and attending the Lyndonville United Methodist Church, Allen suggested they offer the program there. It has been so successful, the church has run 20 of the 13-week sessions, two a year, with the latest one scheduled to begin Sept. 17.

The program features videos and group discussions. Each week explores a different part of the healing process, Allen said.

DivorceCare is Bible-based, but being affiliated with a church is not a requirement, she said.

Topics addressed include “What’s happening to me,” “Facing my anger,” “Facing my loneliness,” “The road to healing,” “New relationships,” “Financial survival” and “Moving On, Growing Closer to God,” among others.

There are usually five or more in a class, and people may begin attending at any point during the 13 weeks. Some take it more than once, like Allen did.

“Journaling is something I found very helpful,” Allen said.

DivorceCare is an internationally accredited course developed by Steve Grissom, president of Church Initiative.

Anyone who is going through or has been through a divorce or who is just separated is welcome to attend.

“We like advance registration, but people can just come,” Allen said.

The groups run from 7 to 9 p.m. weekly. To register in advance, call (585) 765-9313.

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