By Faith With Christine Hoover

There is no escaping the reality that women within our church will experience the loss of their spouse at some point in their lives. The Bible instructs us to take care of widows, but how do we practically live that out? Melissa Swain lost her pastor husband Chris unexpectedly in 2021 and joins the podcast to tell her story. Melissa shares how specific help, inclusion, and an admission of the hard has helped her and her children navigate in their new world.   SHOW NOTES Try to be specific in your offers of help (mowing the lawn, picking up groceries) rather than asking “What can I do for you?” Even though they might not always be able to attend or give input, continue providing opportunities for fellowship and ministry as you did before.  When you don’t know what to say, don’t avoid reaching out. It’s okay to simply say, “I love you and I don’t know what to say.” QUOTES “I understand the statistic that 50% of widows leave their church. Their person that they walk in with, sit with, go to classes w