“Missing Charlotte.” is a special free workshop sponsored by the Higginsville Ministerial Fellowship. The workshop will be held on Saturday, November 14, 2009 from 9:00 am to 3:00 pm at the First Baptist Church at 1907 Peach Street in Higginsville, MO. This workshop to designed to equip helping professionals, lay ministers and other interested persons in helping those who are in the grieving process. There will be a working lunch session and participants can give a free will donation for the luncheon. Participants who attend the conference will receive a certificate of attendance for six contact hours of continuing education.
Monies for the workshop were donated by former local resident, Reverend Wally Thurman in memory of his wife, Charlotte.
Workshop brochures with registration forms are available at the Ministerial Fellowship churches. You can also obtain a brochure by emaling the Central Christian Church at www. cenchch@ctcis.net. Registration is due on November 1, 2009. For further details, contact Linda G. Smith, coordinator, at 816-456-6654.
Reverend Alan Gatewood, D. Min., P.,C., is the guest speaker. He is the pastor of the Concordia United Church of Christ. His presentation is titled, “When Loss Happens.” A special panel discussion titled, “ “How Helpers Can Help When Loss Happens,” will be conducted by Chaplain Bonnie Stone of the John Knox Village Hospice. Suzanne Murray , MS, NCC, Bereavement Coordinator, of the John Knox Village Hospice, has organized the afternoon group sessions and the following topics will be “Holidays and Special Days,” “Creating Meaningful Experiences and Rituals,” and “Depressions Plus.” The afternoon sessions guest speakers are Harley Hawkins, MSW, LCSW, Suzanne Murray, and Fran Atkins, MSN, PhD, APRN, BC.
Bobbie Stone, M.Div., is a graduate of the St. Paul's School of Theology in Kansas City, MO with a Masters in Divinity. She is an ordained elder with the United Methodist Church, has pastored in United Methodist Churches for 18 years, and has worked as a chaplain with the John Knox Village Hospice for five years.
Harley Hawkins is a graduate of University of Missouri with a Masters in Social Work. He is a social work trainer, an adjunct professor at the University of Missouri, a specialist of the treatment of trauma, and has seven years of experience as a hospice social worker and bereavement counselor with John Knox Village Hospice.
Suzanne Murray has a Masters of Science in Counseling Psychology from Georgia State University and is a nationally certified counselor. She has been a bereavement volunteer and bereavement counselor for over eleven years.
Dr. Fran Atkins, founder of the Healthy Living Institute in Higginsville, MO, is board certified by the American Nurses Credentialing Center as an Advanced Practice Registered Nurse in Psychiatric/Mental Health Nursing and licensed in Missouri for independent advanced practice.
Workshop planners are Reverend Dale Felder, Reverend Cheryl Sanders, Dr. Greg Fine, Suzanne Murray and Bobbie Stone, staff with the John Knox Village Hospice, Steve Fuller of the Walker-Nadler-Fuller Funeral Home, Janice and Sevier Hoefer, of the Hoefer Funeral Home, Chris Kaiser of the Kaiser-Wiegers Funeral Home, and Betty Kramer of the Kramer Men's & Women's Clothing Store, and Linda G. Smith, M.A., LCSW, coordinator.
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