Crisis Chaplaincy Services

It’s almost Christmas and I’m asking for your help. I’m a co-leader of a Grief Support Group here in Ada, OK and we have an elderly widow in our group that really needs some support with a couple things. First of all, she needs a ramp built up to the front door of her house. Currently she has four steps up to her front porch and these are becoming difficult for her to navigate. Myself and a friend are willing to do the building of the ramp but we need to raise funds to pay for the necessary materials.

Secondly, she needs her car painted. The paint from the factory has literally peeled off and now she has large spots of rust developing on the body of the car. This is her only source of transportation and we just want to keep it decent so that it will last for the remainder of her life. I’ve already spoken to an auto body shop in town and they are willing to help us meet this need. We are estimating that we need to raise between $4000-$4500 to do both projects.

Would you please consider making a donation so we can help this wonderful lady? There are a couple ways you can make a tax deductible contribution to Crisis Chaplaincy Services in order to make this happen. The easiest way is through Venmo. If you look up Crisis Chaplaincy Services -Pynch, the funds will go directly into the CCS bank account. Please designate your donation with “Widow” so that we can funnel the monies directly towards this project. You can also write a check and mail it to Crisis Chaplaincy Services @ 11131 County Road 1531 in Ada, OK 74820. Lastly, you can go to the CCS website and make a donation that way. All donations dated on or before 12/31/25 will be credited in the 2025 tax year. Your help would be greatly appreciated as we try to support a widow in need during this Christmas Season.

P.S. If you have any questions, please feel free to message me directly or you can call/text me @ 503-932-1314. Merry Christmas to you all!

This last Friday, October 18th, I had the honor of leading the Celebration of Life service for Jason Myers, former Sheriff of Marion County, Oregon. It was truly a beautiful service and each person that shared talked about the great qualities that made Jason someone that everyone respected. In the last couple days, I’ve had a few people tell me they wish they would have known about the service. Perhaps that is you as well. Through the efforts of Peoples Church, where the service was held, it was live-streamed and the following is a link if you are interested.

https://youtube.com/live/1a_VIfYw0tY?feature=share (https://youtube.com/live/1a_VIfYw0tY?feature=share)

Sheriff Jason Myers Memorial

For my Oklahoma Friends:
Myself and another chaplain are starting a grief support group that will be meeting at Crosspointe Church of Ada (631 W. 33rd St) beginning this Tuesday, April 9th, at 7:00 pm. If you are struggling with the pain of grief caused by the death of a loved one, friend, or coworker, please feel free to join us or if you know someone else dealing with these issues, they would be welcome as well. Our desire is to serve others using our varied experiences as chaplains so please come be a part if that’s you.

Three Important “Reaches” of Grief
1. Reach Out – when you’re experiencing grief, it’s easy to isolate yourself. It’s easy to feel as if no one in the world around you understands the pain you’re feeling. The truth of the matter is that there probably ISN'T anyone that fully understands, but that does not mean they don’t care. Even if it is to only one or two people, don’t isolate yourself completely. Reach out to at least one person today.

2. Reach Up – Maybe you feel like God couldn’t possibly care about the grief you are experiencing but you would be wrong! He cares very deeply, and He wants to be right beside you during your darkest times. Psalm 34:18 says, “The Lord is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit.” Open your heart to Him and cry on His shoulder. He wants to shower you with His love today.

3. Reach Within – As much as it is important to reach out to others and to God, it’s also important that you reach within yourself. Be honest with yourself about the pain you are experiencing. Allow yourself to cry if that’s how you feel. Scream if you need to scream. Never ignore your own pain for the sake of others. One of the best activities you can do to bring healing to your heart is to journal about what you are experiencing. Candidly write about the pain, the loss, the hurt, the anger, and even the frustrations. Those thoughts don't have to be shared with anyone else but they will help you process the grief you're experiencing.

Grief Tip #5: It is Possible!
For the grieving person after a loss, it feels like joy and happiness will never cross your path again. My experience in working with grieving people all these years has proven to me that this is not true.

What you believe to be impossible today can be, will be, possible some day in the future. Your grief can live within you at the same time that joy can reside. Your sorrow can live with happiness. Smiles can once again appear on your face. It will not happen overnight but it is possible!

Grief Tip #4: No Surprises!
A grieving person is oftentimes struggling to interact with anyone, let alone a stranger. If you invite your grieving friend to dinner or to some other social event, please be careful to not invite another person they don’t even know. It’s not fair to them and your grieving friend should not be expected to explain the death of their loved one to someone outside their circle of friends.