Conference Team

Child loss 101: Hurting, Hoping, Healing — Jim Beardsley

As bereaved parents, we are walking a very painful road that we didn’t choose travel. This journey is filled with a variety of challenges; many of these catch us by surprise. This session explores the difficult truths and realities of child loss. We will discuss the many facets of grief and the surprising “secondary losses” we may have to endure. We will explore the impact of child loss on our relationship with God and how to reach out to Him in lament. Finally, we will review suggestions for maintaining our physical, mental, and spiritual health as we travel this strange journey of losing a child.

Marriage in the Wake of Child Loss – Keith and Shawnda Freer

In this breakout session, we will consider the impact on marriage after child loss. The differences between men and women in grief and the truths versus myths about divorce after child loss will be explored. We will also discuss practical ways to support our spouse and strengthen our marriage along the grief journey. We pray you will be encouraged and filled with hope as we share together!

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.

Step One: Bring Your Grief to God — Molly Huffman

The death of a child shatters our life as we know it. We look around at the wreckage and wonder, "How could I possibly go on from here? I don't want to live without my child. Why did God do this to me?"  In this session, Molly Huffman shares how death came crashing into her life, leaving her reeling with questions, doubt, and grief, and how her multi-step healing began with one initial choice. Making that one choice led Molly to discover a deeper faith, purpose, and joy she never knew was possible.

Beauty from Brokenness – A Kintsugi Experience — Deb Rhodes

Kintsugi is the Japanese art of repairing broken pottery with golden lacquer, transforming fractures into part of the object's beauty. Rather than hiding the breaks, kintsugi honors them, creating something even more meaningful and valuable than before. For bereaved parents, grief often leaves deep wounds and visible scars. Yet Scripture reminds us that God is near to the brokenhearted and faithfully works in the midst of our sorrow. In this hands-on breakout session, participants will crush and then mend a ceramic heart ornament, reflecting on the reality of brokenness and the hope of restoration found in Christ. As we piece together the shattered fragments, we will consider how the Great Potter lovingly holds our broken hearts, bringing beauty from ashes and redeeming even the deepest pain for His glory.  

The Traumatic Effects of Grief — Kelly Brockman

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 its important to recognize that traumatic experiences can leave us confused and misunderstood. Grieving a loss is traumatic. We will look at how the autonomic nervous system is impacted by a traumatic event.

Navigating Suicide Loss — Jim Beardsley, Gary & Laura House, Misty West, Keith & Shawnda Freer, Daniel & Amy Jepsen

There are many common misconceptions regarding suicide that impact the grieving process for parents who have lost children. Losing a child by suicide presents some unique circumstances and challenges. In this workshop, we’ll discuss some of the misconceptions surrounding suicide loss and provide strategies and resources that offer encouragement and hope.

He Restores Our Soul — Molly Huffman

If Jesus didn't stop the death of our child, can we trust that He will heal us? How do we grieve when the Bible says, "Always be joyful" (1 Thess. 5:16)? What can I do to make this pain go away as fast as possible? What does it look like to flourish during deep grief? In this session, Molly walks us through her favorite passage in the Bible on grief so that you may know you are known and seen by God, that He grieves with you, and that He has a plan to restore you. Additionally, we will discuss some very important practices that will help you be patient and gracious with yourself as you grieve.

Remembering Robbie: Our Story from Tragedy to Hope — Rob & Pam Stalets

Cancer struck our home in the winter of 2015, T-cell Acute lymphocytic leukemia to be exact.  It didn't come for the old, it came for the young — our sixteen-year-old son, Robbie. The time of diagnosis to the unthinkable planning of his funeral, was but a short five weeks. Tragedy came abruptly, and just like that....our lives and our family were turned upside down. In this breakout session we will share our journey of the past eleven years. Our prayer is that from our story, you will find relatability, comfort, and hope. Also, dear bereaved parents, you will discover in time that it is possible to live again and have a thriving faith in God.

The Faithfulness of God...Looking Back & Looking Forward — Deb Rhodes

After the loss of a child, a fog can come over us clouding our vision. That fog can affect our thought processes, our ability to perform regular tasks — even to see God at all. Our grief may lead us to the conclusion that He isn’t present. But sometimes, it’s in the rearview mirror that we see God’s hand in our circumstances. When our daughter, Natalie, was diagnosed with cancer at age twenty-one and we were in the trenches of treatment with her, I didn’t see the full scope of God’s intervention. Only by looking back did I see how he provided strength, comfort, and blessings along the way. The lessons I learned during that time about His faithfulness carried me, as we endured several trials in a ten-year period. Natalie entered Heaven nine years after her first diagnosis and our son, David, followed her nine and a half years later. God’s word tells us that He will never leave us or forsake us. Jesus tells us to remember. By looking back through that rearview mirror, seeing how He has moved in our lives and remembering His faithfulness, we can look forward with hope. We can be assured that He is present in our grief, working in any circumstance that arises, & that He will provide what we need. We can be assured of our ultimate hope of heaven and that we will see our children again.

Remembering: Finding Hope and Meaning — Keith and Shawnda Freer

In this breakout session, we will consider the significance of remembrance in the grief journey. Scripture often speaks of remembering the work of the Lord as a means of drawing us closer to God and finding hope in difficult times. We will consider how to remember the work of the Lord even in our grief. Additionally, remembering our child(ren) is also important in the grief process and we will share practical ways to remember our child(ren) in the various stages of mourning. You can find encouragement and hope in the practice of remembrance!

Questions In the Valley: A Time of Sharing — Panel

In this final session, we invite you to bring the questions that remain on your heart. Through honest conversation and shared wisdom, we'll seek encouragement, perspective, and hope as we trust the Lord through this valley of sorrow.

Roundtable Discussion for Dads 

This private, unrecorded session creates space for fathers to engage in honest conversation about grief. It is an opportunity to share, ask questions, learn from each other, and reflect together on the unique struggles and experiences that accompany the loss of a child.

Roundtable Discussion for Moms

This private, unrecorded session creates space for mothers to engage in honest conversation about grief. It is an opportunity to share, ask questions, learn from each other, and reflect together on the unique struggles and experiences that accompany the loss of a child.