Navigating Grief Care: How Structured Workflows Support Families

Losing a loved one is an incredibly challenging experience, and having a structured workflow in place can help us provide much-needed support and stability for grieving families. By following a well-defined process, we ensure that families receive consistent, compassionate care tailored to their specific needs.

While there may seem to be many steps involved in these workflows, having a system ensures that no detail is overlooked during such an emotionally draining time. This approach allows one person to care for multiple individuals simultaneously, as notes can be kept ensuring everything stays organized. It also enables pastors, deacons, and dedicated volunteers to step in and provide care as needed, thanks to shared information.

To maintain confidentiality, be sure to avoid clicking the box to “save note to profile.” This ensures that sensitive information is only shared with collaborators on the workflow.

Here's a glimpse into how our structured workflows in Grief Care help us support families during this difficult time.

Grief Care and Grief Booklets Workflows

We use two primary workflows: Grief Care and Grief Booklets. The Grief Care workflow is the main process for caring for individuals, while the Grief Booklets workflow ensures that supportive booklets are sent out on time.

The first step of the Grief Booklets workflow includes a link to the Stephen Ministries workbooks we use, providing essential resources for grieving families.

To help you implement these workflows, I’ve included the step titles, descriptions, and snooze/expected response times. Feel free to copy, paste, and edit them to fit the communication style of your church.

Grief Care

Phone Call to family

These steps may be slightly different for a casual attender or brief acquaintance versus a regular attender, volunteer, or staff member. This is to be determined by your campus and leadership team.

Pastor/Deacon/High level volunteer contact family.

*Gather information regarding the situation. Be actively listening for current/future needs and seek to discern the mental/emotional/spiritual health of the individual/family.

*Determine immediate needs (do they need an in-home visit, meals, or help with funeral expenses, etc.)

*Pray with individual/family

Expected response: < 3 days

Notify Campus Staff/Volunteers

Lead Pastor/Deacon/High level volunteer should share the news with the appropriate campus staff.

Share news with Campus Deacons & Deaconesses (via group text)

Expected response: < 3 days

Add to Grief Booklet Workflow

Campus Associate Pastor or Campus Operations Coordinator should add the individual/family to the Grief Care Workflow.

Deacon or Deaconess contact within 48 hours

Deacon or Deaconess (depending on if contact is male or female) should call within 48 hours.

*Offer a meal train and IF accepted, gather info for meals coordinator.
-Allergies
-Likes/dislikes (restaurants for pickup, types of food)
-Preferred dates and times
*Gather any new information regarding funeral arrangements. If arrangements have not been made yet, offer to go with them, as support.
*Is there a need for groceries or gas?
*Pray with individual/family

Be actively listening for current/future needs and seek to discern the mental/emotional/spiritual health of the individual/family.

Make a note on this card as to the care the person/family has agreed to.

Expected response: < 2 days

Deacon or Deaconess Contact Appropriate Leaders

Contact the appropriate team leader/volunteer to follow through on the information from Step 4.

Contact Meal Coordinator with information gathered from phone call IF meals are wanted.
-Allergies
-Likes/dislikes (restaurants for pickup, types of food)
-Preferred dates and times

If meals are preferred, once the Meal Team Coordinator receives this information, they should set up a minimum of 4 meals.

If other needs were made aware, (gas card, etc.) contact the appropriate lead.

Expected response: < 3 days

Condolence Gift for family

Deacon/Deaconess and Campus Coordinator can discuss appropriate gift for family.
-Flowers
-Wind Chimes
-Gift Card
-Card
-etc.

Campus Operations Coordinator should purchase and send gift to family.
Instead of mailing the gift, it may be helpful to offer a gift the person/family first Sunday back.

Expected response: < 3 days

Services

At least one campus staff member and/or Deacon should be present for the viewing and for the funeral service.

*While at the services, be actively listening for current/future needs and seek to discern the mental/emotional/spiritual health of the individual/family.

Make a note on this card as to who will be attending services so we know who to follow-up with regarding additional needs.

Expected response: < 3 days

Spiritual Care

**This step involves a spiritual care workflow. That is for another blog post**

The Deacon/Deaconess will relay any necessary information to the Lead Pastor.

The Lead Pastor will have the individual/family added to the Spiritual Care Workflow with all pertinent information provided in the notes section, if needed.

Expected response: < 3 days

One month follow-up

Deacon or staff member checks in with family.

This is not meant to be a quick check-in. A longer phone call, meeting up for coffee or even grabbing a meal together.

Explore potential next steps (recommending a book, a podcast, a group, or even a referral for Christian counseling) and determine if there are any other needs with which your campus can help.

Be actively listening for current/future needs and seek to discern the mental/emotional/spiritual health of the individual/family.

Auto-Snooze: 1 month

Expected response: < 3 days

2 month follow up

Deacon/Staff member checks-in

A quick touch primarily to ensure that healthy grief and recovery are taking place and to once again assess if there are any needs the campus can help with.

Be actively listening for current/future needs and seek to discern the mental/emotional/spiritual health of the individual/family.

Auto-Snooze: 1 month

Expected response: < 3 days

Grief Booklets Workflow

Send sympathy card

Card is being sent to next of kin or whomever has experienced the death of a loved one. Make notes on the card (without clicking the share to the person's profile box) the details of the person they are mourning.

Here is the link to order more Grief Booklets.

https://www.stephenministries.org/griefresources/default.cfm/774

Mark complete when you mail the card.

Expected response: < 3 days

Send 1st booklet

Mark step complete when you send the booklet.

Auto-Snooze: 3 weeks

Expected response: < 3 days

Send 2nd booklet

Mark step complete when you send the booklet.

Auto-Snooze: 3 months

Expected response: < 3 days

Send 3rd booklet

Mark step complete when you send the booklet.

Auto-Snooze: 3 months

Expected response: < 3 days

Send final booklet

This final booklet should be sent 11 months from the date of death. Adjust snooze time accordingly, if necessary.

Mark step complete when you send the booklet.

Auto-Snooze: 2 months

Expected response: < 3 days

Send encouragement card

This card should be sent to be received 1 year from the date of death.

Mark complete when you mail the card.

Auto-Snooze: 1 month

Expected response: < 3 days