When people feel a profound loss, they go through stages or phases of grief. These have been defined and described in different ways by psychologists, ranging from five to eight different aspects of the process.13 Most pastors learn about managing grief in the context of helping people cope with serious illnesses and death. Wise leaders learn this breakthrough insight: going through a major organizational change and accompanying sense of personal loss produces a very similar grief process. When people go through ministry changes, they feel a sense of loss, and express it through a grieving
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