Hope for the Holidays
7 Ways to Cope with the Holiday Blues
Support
For those who suffer from depression, grief, and loss, the holidays can be the most difficult time of the year. Death and divorce bring about pain that can be almost unbearable. Your loved ones may no longer be a part of your holidays. Sometimes loss brings reduced finances as well. Suddenly you find that life as you once knew it is now shattered, like a fragile glass ornament, and the thought of trying to piece it back together seems terribly overwhelming.
There may be pressure from family and well-meaning friends to go out and meet somebody new if you are suddenly single again. Sometimes people who are broken seek comfort in another person because of the great pain they are experiencing. It seems that to be held in the arms of another would make it all better. But the statistics show that taking the time to heal, and grieve, increases the chances of attracting a lasting relationship, and not doing so lessens the odds.
Know that you are not alone. Many people are hurting during the holidays. At Pendleton Center United Methodist Church, we have a variety of support ministries that can offer support and encouragement during the holidays, even if it is just a safe place to be alone with God while you mourn.
We want to invite you to join us in the grace-filled Christian community to help you through the loneliness of feeling blue during the holidays. We welcome you just as you are.
Psalm 147:3 says, “God heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds.”
GriefShare
Thursdays, 7:00 PM through December 19
Griefshare is especially for people who are grieving a loved one’s death. The grief support team invites those who are struggling with the recent or past loss of a loved one to become a part of this group. This is a safe place where practical, emotional, and spiritual issues can be explored in a faith-based environment to find strength through adversity.
You’ll learn:
How to deal with the many emotions you’ll face during the holidays
What to do about traditions and other coming changes
Helpful tips for surviving social events
How to discover hope for your future
Allow yourself to mourn
The Blue Christmas Service or Longest Night Worship With Those Who Mourn on December 21, at 7 PM on the winter solstice. This service is solemn and reflective, offering healing and hope for all who grieve any loss. The service is led by Pastor Bill Edmister, and GriefShare leader, Leslie Wagner.
A Blue Christmas Remembrance Tree dedicated to the memory of loved ones who have gone on to the next life will be available in the back of the sanctuary during Advent. Select a blue ornament, attach a note with the name of your loved one and place them on the tree. This tree is sponsored annually by your GriefShare support group. You and your loved ones will be lifted up in prayer.
Help Others
One of the best remedies for the blues is to help someone else. During the holidays, it seems every corner offers an opportunity to give. If funds are low this year, consider giving your time. At Pendleton Center Church, we have ministries where you can volunteer to feed holiday dinners to homeless and more. It may be just what you need to begin to feel gratitude again.
The Angel Tree can be found in our church foyer and is another way to reach out and help others. Sign out a tag hanging on the tree with a wish list of a child in need and return purchased items to the church. Wrap your gifts and, if possible, place them in one bag. Securely attach the angel tree tag to the bag and return it to the Pendleton Center Church by Sunday, December 8. While the shoebox ministry reaches abroad, the Angel Tree is for children in our local area and even within our own church.
Read Our Inspirational Stories
Reading about the faith and courage of others and how they survived difficult circumstances can help get your focus off your troubles. Cozy up with your favorite hot drink and read true testimonies of real people at Pendleton Center Church. If others can survive, so can you! Find out how volunteering in a pumpkin patch helped a woman overcome the debilitating effects of divorce and other great stories like it. Visit https://pendletonchurch.org/blog/
Pastoral Counseling
The holiday blues can include family problems and difficult relationships, as well as grief and loss. These storms of life can sometimes threaten to consume us. Pastoral counseling is faith-based counseling that can help reduce stress so that you see God’s bigger plan for your life as you pass through the storm.
For more information specifically about how counseling can help, or to set up an appointment at Pendleton Center United Methodist Church, contact Pastoral Counselor, Lori Jagow. Email [email protected] or call 716-625-8306. A nominal fee is based on a sliding scale according to income to make counseling affordable to all.
Christmas Services
People of all faiths find it helpful to go to their place of worship, finding healing when they are grieving. If you don’t have a home church, we invite you to one of our Christmas services.
Christmas Eve, Tuesday, December 24, 5:00*, 7:30*, & 11:00 PM
*Childcare provided
Christmas Day, December 25 at 10:00 AM
If you are struggling with the holiday blues, we pray you will come to know that there is no situation too difficult for God. We invite you to join us this holiday season as we support one another with the love of Jesus Christ, our Savior.
