Each of us develops our own unique style of coping with grief and loss. Understanding our attitudes, values, reactions, and any remaining grief issues or unfinished business is important in our personal human development and in our ability to minister to others experiencing grief and loss. The goal of this assignment is for you to reflect on your own personal experiences of loss in your life, how these have contributed to developing you into who you are today, and how these will shape relationships and opportunities to minister in the future. Do not worry about length or format. This is only a reflection—like a journal entry. Type it or hand write it—whatever you choose. Do not worry about editing; your unfiltered or unhindered reflection is most important.
There are two deliverables for this assignment:
Loss-History Graph
Written Reflection
Part I: Loss-History Graph
Construct a loss-history graph that represents the major loss events in your life. It can be as simple as the following example or as creative as you would like.
Consider setting up a free account at https://www.tiki-toki.com
Links to an external site.
for creating your timeline.
NOTE: If you write or draw your timeline by hand, you must scan or photograph it prior to submission.
Part II: Written Reflection
Describe your personal experience dealing with loss in a paper that is at least 500 words.
Consider the following questions as a guide (NOTE: You do not have to answer these specifically—this is a personal reflection, so write about what is most important to you.):
How have you coped with these events?
How has loss shaped who you are today or not?
How have the following influenced your coping style?
How do you think that personal loss experiences (or the absence of them) have influenced your comfort level in working with others who are dealing with issues of grief and loss?
How might your experiences have an effect on your ministry and/or relationships with people?
Please follow the instructions carefully, this paper is worth 400 points
