Talking to Children about Grief and Loss

Dealing with grief and situations of loss can be so hard for anyone to handle.  It's especially heartwrenching to see children dealing with grief and loss.  How should you react?  What is the right thing to say?  How can you support and comfort them in the best way possible?

Please join us this Sunday, May 19, as Reverend Ashley-Anne Masters leads a
workshop on talking with children about grief.  The workshop is free and open to anyone in the community.  It will run from 4:00 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. at the Presbyterian Church of Western Springs (PCWS).

The workshop will be an open conversation based on your specific questions and sharing how other parents handle similar situations.  Ashley-Anne will discuss various types of grief and offer resources and tools based on her experience as a
pediatric chaplain.  In addition to serving as Interim Associate Pastor at PCWS, Ashley-Anne serves as a chaplain at Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago, as
adjunct staff for Montreat Conference Center, and as a freelance writer.

Lurie Children’s (formerly Children’s Memorial) is the new pediatric hospital in downtown Chicago. As a chaplain, Ashley-Anne offers patients and families emotional and spiritual support during their hospital stay, while working closely with social workers to offer resources to families such as housing at Ronald McDonald House and discounted meals. Often chaplains are only called if the situation is critical or terminal, thus she spends much time in NICU, CCU, PICU, and ED where they have various critical cases including traumas and transplants.

Please join us for this helpful discussion on talking with children about grief and loss.  The Presbyterian Church of Western Springs is located at 5250 Wolf Road in Western Springs.  For more information, please contact the church office at 708-246-5220 or visit our web site at www.presbyws.org.

What Else is Happening at PCWS This Sunday, May 19:

• Worship 9:30am:  baby and toddler childcare available in our nursery.  Preschool-age children may attend Sunday School and older kids attend Activity Center.
• Youth Bake Sale:  10:30 - 2:30
• Youth Car Wash:  11am - 2:30, enjoy some delicious baked goods while you get your car washed.  All proceeds from the Bake Sale and Car Wash benefit the Youth Mission Trip to Appalachia this Summer.
• Children and Grief Workshop:  4 - 5:30pm