Mourning Comforters is the new name  for all of the volunteers, including circle members, who will seek to administer to the needs of families in GPC at the time of the death of a beloved family member.  The Comforters will minister to the family's needs by offering a meal in the home, either before or after the service held at GPC, or by holding a reception at the church, either before or after the service.  The reception will consist of homemade cookies, cheese straws, nuts and punch.

There will be six committees with a chairperson and a co-chairperson.  Each committee will be responsible for only two months a year; for example, a committee may be responsible for September and March in which a death occurs.  These 12 women have met and been trained and will be competent leaders.  The Comforter’s goal is to work with the family upon the death of a GPC member, spouse of a member, child of a member, or parent of a member whose service is conducted by GPC.  There are specific guidelines which will be followed by the chairpersons of the committees.  Following is a list of the committee chairs:

                        Committee #1  Peggie Harrelson and Nancy Corrigall

                        Committee #2  Hannah Skinner and Laura Rentz

                        Committee #3  Kaye Thomes and Sandy Booth

                        Committee #4  Charlotte Van Hoose and Lucy Abraham

                        Committee #5  Kathy Brown and Melissa Chastain

                        Committee #6  Evie Gibson and Judy Maring

A study committee composed of seven church members active in various ways at GPC has been meeting since March on a regular basis.  This group studied other churches’ bereavement solutions and decided to adopt the above new plan, which has proven to work very well in churches both larger and smaller than GPC.  The end result of the new plan will relieve GPW Moderator, the chairpersons of the four Circles and the Bereavement Chairperson from responsibility for the meals and receptions at the time of a death.  Thus, these leaders will be free to more fully do the work they are called to do.