General Sessions / Breakout Sessions

“Jesus’ Tears” — Jim Beardsley

For those of us who have experienced the pain of child loss, we need to draw near to God now more than ever.  However, in the midst of our trauma, God can sometimes feel far away.  Questions and confusion naturally arise.  If we trusted Him and this horrible event happened, how can we continue to trust Him?  Who is this God that allowed this to happen?  Does He really care about me?  Does it even make a difference? What makes a person cry says a lot about them.  We certainly have shed our share of tears while grieving the death of our children.  In this session, we will explore the things that brought tears to the eyes of Jesus.  By examining these events, we hope to better understand the heart and character of Jesus in a way that will help us embrace His love and trustworthiness and experience His personal presence amidst our sorrow.

Enlargement by Grief — Mark Roser

Enlargement by Grief (aka Good Grief) is a deep dive into God’s redemptive purposes in allowing grief and sorrow. Because God loves, He knows full well what it feels like to have a heart full of pain. But God can use our greatest sorrow to transform us in ways nothing else can. The Bible has much to say about how God works the worst things in life for our good and the good of others.

Seeing Him Through Suffering — Susan Albers

Where Do We Go From Here? — Panel

After two days of experiencing the amazing comfort found in the community of bereaved parents, learning from each other, and finding help and hope for the grief journey, where do we go from here? This session will explore the truths that we know to be absolutes to guide and direct our paths, as we all continue to walk this difficult road. We hope you will leave this place encouraged, equipped, and with a deeper understanding of the Lord.

The Grieving Husband & The Grieving Wife — Brad & Jill Sullivan; Keith and Shawnda Freer 

You may have heard it said that “husbands and wives often grieve differently.” And it’s true. This session will explore those differences and provide helpful insights into allowing our spouses to grieve in the way that they need to grieve. Be encouraged and strengthened in your relationship with your spouse as you better understand the unique challenges that the differences in grief brings for men and women. 

The Wonders of God’s Love in the Midst of Loss — Pat Roser

Hesed, a most wonderful word in the Old Testament, reveals the various qualities of God’s love.  He is compassionate, good, loyal, steadfast, and kind. David celebrated the wonders of God’s love, even when he was in shock and hurting deeply.  The writer of Lamentations did likewise. He encouraged those suffering the realities of severe loss to look to God, whose mercy and faithfulness are new every morning.  He provides seven instructional tips to process your loss so you can actively participate in God’s unfailing promises, and thus arrive at a place of steadfast peace that surpasses understanding. 

Trusting Without Understanding — Russ & Nancy Sullivan

The paths we are called to travel in this life don’t always appear with clarity. The way is ambiguous as you hear your child crying out from the depths of depression and pleading with God to make the pain bearable. When the pain increases and the depression deepens, can we still trust Him?  When God answers “no” and your child can’t endure it any longer and in her mind death was her only option; can we trust when we don’t understand?  Join Russ & Nancy as they share what God has taught their hearts walking alongside their daughter who suffered gravely in her short life. And presently, as they travel along the path of sorrow mingled with joy and great anticipation.

Going Deeper with Biblical Lament — Jim Beardsley

Losing a child is life-shattering!  What can we do with the pain, confusion, and sorrow that accompanies the death of a child?  God calls us to face our feelings honestly and cry out to Him in lament. As evidenced in Scripture, lament gives honest expression to our grief and confusion and allows God to draw us into a deeper intimacy with Himself.  In this workshop we will review some basic biblical teaching on lament and then discuss ways to deepen our experience with this practice as we continue on our faith journey after child loss.

Child Loss During Pregnancy Amid a Culture That Doesn’t Understand — Dan & Kristin Naylor

Abby Naylor was stillborn at 39 weeks gestation, 3 days prior to her scheduled c-section. In this breakout session, Dan and Kristin will share the story of Abby’s life and death. They will unpack how grief has reshaped their life and helped grow deeper roots in Jesus, their one true Hope. They will discuss some of the stereotypes largely held by our culture that can impact those grieving any pregnancy loss. (For example, pregnancy loss hurts less than losing a living child, another baby will erase the pain of pregnancy loss, etc ). 

The Traumatic Effects of Grief — Kelly Brockman & Erin Ketchen

Trauma can be described as the physical and mental effects left on an individual from either one single event or a series of negative events . Trauma affects our entire being; emotional, relational, biological, spiritual and can alter our perspective on God, ourselves, and the world around us. God created us with emotions and feelings and it's important to recognize that traumatic experiences can leave us confused and misunderstood. Grieving a loss is traumatic. We will look into how the Autonomic Nervous System is impacted by a traumatic event.

Anchored: Finding Peace and Hope in the Storm — Keith and Shawnda Freer 

Bereaved parents often experience chaos in the wake of child loss. Fears, doubts, questions, confusion, anger, and grief can shake even the deepest faith. In this session, Keith and Shawnda will share how they dropped anchor through biblical insights about the pain of death and suffering, the attributes of God, and the hope of eternity as well as practical ways to weather the storm during the days, weeks, and months following the loss of a child. 

Lessons from Psalm 23 — Gary & Laura House

After their son, Nathan, went to Heaven, Psalm 23 took on a new meaning for Gary and Laura, when reading the text through the lens of suffering. This breakout session will walk through this amazing Psalm that can provide comfort for our pain, instructions for daily living, and hope for the future.

The Faithfulness of God in Suffering — Brad & Jill Sullivan

While walking the painful road of terminal cancer with their daughter, Hannah, the Sullivans were thrust into a world of suffering that they had not experienced before. When Hannah went to Heaven in 2009, Brad and Jill were faced with the deepest grief a parent can know. Yet through the difficult journey, they found that the Lord was with them every step of the way. In December of 2023, Brad was in a devastating ATV accident which should have ended his life. And again, they saw the Lord's comfort, care, and love through the journey of suffering. Whether you are mourning the loss of a child, or experiencing other suffering, you will find new discoveries and insights about God's faithfulness and His love for you.

God’s Assurance Policy — Mark & Pat Roser

There are many precious promises in the Bible, but what do we do when one of them seems to fail? You get out God’s Assurance Policy. Romans 8:28 says, “all things work together for good….” That is not a trite saying you or I glibly utter when tragedy strikes. No, it is the deep, settled bedrock of our faith in a Sovereign God! In our world, broken by sin and full of malevolent forces, God gives us great assurance.  So, let’s weigh every word of it, discuss its practicalities, and our participation in its fulfillment. Together, we’ll gently touch the intricate fabric woven into our lives and clearly articulate the profound story we share with Christ and one another. 

Navigating Suicide Loss — Panel (Jim Beardsley, Keith & Shawnda Freer, Gary & Laura House, Russ & Nancy Sullivan)

When a parent loses a child by suicide, some unique challenges are added to the grieving process. In this workshop, the panel of parents who have experienced suicide loss will discuss topics of importance to parents who have also experienced suicide loss, and address questions submitted by participants

Crushing and Mending — Dan and Kristin Naylor

The Japanese art of repairing broken pottery by mending the broken bits with golden lacquer is termed Kintsugi. The object is then regarded as more exquisite than it was before the break, more beautiful and more valuable. Child loss, like kintsugi, seems to highlight the broken pieces and scars. In this breakout session you will crush then mend a ceramic heart ornament, and together, we’ll discuss the symbolism in the crushing and the skillful mending at the hands of the Great Potter. (The ornaments will be provided for those attending in person.)

Roundtable Discussion for Dads (Panel)

This interactive session will address topics and questions unique to a father’s grief. In addition to the questions submitted by attendees at registration, and the questions posed during the workshop, the panel will share their own experiences regarding difficult issues they have faced in the grieving process. 

Roundtable Discussion for Moms (Panel)

This interactive session will address topics and questions unique to a mother’s grief. In addition to the questions submitted by attendees at registration, and the questions posed during the workshop, the panel will share their own experiences regarding difficult issues they have faced in the grieving process.