Peaks of Hope launching a new Divorce Care program in Crossville to provide emotional support and practical guidance for individuals navigating the end of a marriage.
Facilitator James Williams said the initiative began after Scott Allen of the Church of the Nazarene identified a local need for the service following the conclusion of similar ministries at other area churches. James Williams said he and his wife, Melissa Williams, serve as facilitators for the program after having previously participated in Divorce Care themselves to find healing.
“When they get legal advice involved, attorneys,” Williams said, “They tend to focus on the process and the court proceedings and things like that and because of that they don’t know where to go and who to reach out to.”
Williams said many people experiencing divorce feel isolated because they view the situation as a personal failure and hesitate to share their struggles with family or friends. Melissa Williams said the program is specifically designed for those at the divorce stage who are looking for a safe place to heal and discover how to move forward with their lives.
“It is designed for anybody who has a marriage that has become broken or possibly, and let me explain that, even though it comes from a Christian-based teaching style, divorce care is for people who may not go to church, who may not even believe in God, in the aspect of it’s to help them get through a tough time,” James Williams said. “And it’s not a failure and it doesn’t define who they are, and they need a safe place that they can come communicate, because the only way that you’re going to heal from something is if you’re able to talk about it.”
James Williams said the 13-week program utilizes a structured leader guide and weekly videos that progress through different stages of the divorce experience. Melissa Williams said the curriculum addresses a wide range of topics including anger, grief, loneliness, anxiety, finances, and forgiveness.
“Because they’re all steps that everyone has to take to get to the other side of of this situation that they’ve been put in that season,” Melissa Williams said. “I think it’s designed for people who have, who are at the divorce part and they’re just looking for a place to heal and find out how to move forward.”
James Williams said the program maintains strict confidentiality, requiring participants to sign a form agreeing not to discuss the personal problems of others outside the group. James Williams said the sessions are designed to be low-pressure, allowing participants to remain silent for several weeks if they do not yet feel comfortable sharing their own stories.
“I would let I would want them to know that this is an environment that there’s no stress and I’ll give you an example, when I hand out the workbook to these people I say this is yours, it’s not graded homework, it’s not something that I’m going to look at your book, this is a reference for you, but I want you to come here knowing that there is going to be no pressure from us that’s going to make you do something that you don’t feel comfortable about doing and that includes speaking in front of the class, sharing what’s going on, even if you don’t feel like doing the homework that’s fine,” James Williams said. “The thing is, we want you to be encouraged and often times they can be encouraged by someone else’s testimony, and that’s what I would try to share with them.”
James Williams said the program also connects participants with other community resources, such as C5 Counseling, to assist those who may not have insurance. Melissa Williams said there is no long-term commitment required and suggests that interested individuals attend at least three sessions to determine if the program is a good fit for them.
“Well, I think Peaks of Hope pretty much does it, we want them to have hope, we want them to feel like that their first of all their life is not over, that they have an opportunity and I believe and I share this with them when they come in there, that God still has something great for them and it will be revealed to them, don’t give up and keep pressing on and have hope,” James Williams said.
The first session is scheduled to begin on August 19.
