Cohort Details
DATES & TIMES

6 Weekly Sessions
Wednesdays, April 15 – May 20, 2026
1 P.M. to 2:30  P.M. ET
12 P.M. to 1:30 P.M. CT
10 A.M. to 11:30 A.M. PT

FEE

$299

Cohort Description

Grief is not tame. But it is common. Life is filled with all kinds of sorrows. A tragic death, abuse, miscarriage, relationship conflicts, parenting struggles, job loss, or being treated unfairly are part of the broken world in which we live. The story of the Bible is the restoration of all things marred by the presence of sin through the death, resurrection, and return of Jesus. 

But we’re not there yet. And we’ve got some work to do in learning how to help people process their pain and loss. 

This cohort seeks to empower ministry leaders, counselors, and friends in how to effectively walk along-side grieving people with tenderness and hope. Over six sessions we’ll explore a biblical theology of sorrow while learning how to use lament as a helpful prayer language and counseling tool for processing grief. We’ll not only learn what lament is, but also how it can be practically used to lead people through their sorrow. What’s more, we’ll also consider the implications of unique scenarios and contexts of grief.

It’s been said that the time to learn about suffering is before a person suffers. Join this cohort and learn how to counsel grief people before the crisis comes.

Those who sign up for this cohort will receive free copies of:

  • Dark Clouds, Deep Mercy Devotional Journal by Mark Vroegop
  • Seasons of Sorrow by Tim Challies

Are you on a church staff or considering this cohort as a group at a church? If so, check out this brief PDF with three ideas of how to use this cohort as a group. It also has instructions for deep discounts, provided through the support of generous donors. We hope these online learning cohorts will bless the church.

As a result, we never want finances to hinder someone from participating. If you want to participate in this cohort and have a need, please send us an email ([email protected]) and tell us more about your circumstances.

 

* We are unable to offer refunds for any cohorts

* Registration WITH books closes on April 8 and LATE Registration WITHOUT books closes on April 14.

* All sessions will be recorded and available for streaming or download at your leisure in perpetuity and so if you can’t make it live or even for months the material is still readily available for you

* NOTE: we are unable to ship to those outside the USA but please use the coupon code “BOOKS15” for 15% off as our courtesy to international participants. You may also use coupon code “BOOKS15” if you DO NOT WANT the books for the cohort.

* If you have any questions pertaining to signing up for your cohort, group rates, elder/preaching team rates, or church rates email [email protected]. 

Content Summary
Session 1
Why Lament Matters: Surveying the Biblical and Personal Landscape (Mark Vroegop)

Lament is the biblical language of loss, but it’s nearly a lost prayer form in the contemporary church. Recovering this prayer language provides a pathway for healing, hope, and worship.

Session 2
Lament Over Time: Enduring When Sorrow Lingers (Jeremy Pierre)

Some grief doesn’t end quickly. How do we help hurting people when sorrow is lingering?

Session 3
How Long, O Lord: Developing a Theology of Sorrow (Christine Chapell)

Grief, sorrow, and lament are part of the human experience and a major theme throughout the entire Bible. We must understand a biblical framework for sorrow in order to help others heal.

Session 4
Learning to Lament: Embracing the Minor Key (Mark Vroegop)

Lament provides the structure through which grief can be biblically processed. By learning how to lead others in lament, we gain a powerful tool for healing.

Session 5
Creative Lament: Expressing Grief in Personal Ways (Bethany Barnard)

Sorrow is deeply personal and not every one grieves the same way. We help people heal as we encourage them through their own journey.

Session 6
Community Lament: Clinging to One Another in Sadness (Tim Challies)

The ripple effects of grief are profound, and the community of Christ plays a critical role. From families to small groups to Sunday School classes, the local church is vital to the healing process.

REGISTER TODAY

Bethany Barnard is a Christian singer-songwriter who began her CCM career in 2004, at age 15, with her debut album Bethany Dillon. After marrying Shane Barnard (Shane & Shane), she released her first independent album, A Better Word, as Bethany Barnard in 2017. As a stay-at-home mom of four daughters, Bethany began writing again in 2020 when her father died after a long battle with cancer, and she was subsequently diagnosed with OCD and depression. Her new album, All My Questions, is the result.

Tim Challies is a pastor, noted speaker, author of numerous articles, and a pioneer in the Christian blogosphere. Tens of thousands of people visit Challies.com each day, making it one of the most widely read and recognized Christian blogs in the world. Tim is the author of several books, including Visual Theology, The Next Story, and, most recently, Epic: An Around-the-World Journey through Christian History. He and his family reside near Toronto, Ontario.

Christine Chappell is an author, certified biblical counselor, and host of the Hope + Help Podcast for the Institute for Biblical Counseling & Discipleship. Her books include Midnight Mercies: Walking with God Through Depression in Motherhood, Help! I’ve Been Diagnosed with a Mental Disorder and Help! My Teen is Depressed, and her writing has been featured on platforms such as Desiring God, The Gospel Coalition, Risen Motherhood, and the Biblical Counseling Coalition. She lives in South Carolina with her husband and three children. Visit her website at christinemchappell.com.

Jeremy Pierre is dean of the Billy Graham School of Missions, Evangelism, and Ministry and professor of biblical counseling at The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, and he serves at Clifton Baptist Church. He’s the author of When Home Hurts: Responding Wisely to Domestic Abuse in Your Church, The Dynamic Heart in Daily Life: Connecting Christ to Human Experience, and the children’s storybook God with Us: A Journey Home. He’s also coauthor of The Pastor and Counseling. He and his wife, Sarah, have five children and live in Louisville, Kentucky. You can follow him on X.

Mark Vroegop (BA, Cedarville University; MDiv, Cornerstone Seminary) is the president of The Gospel Coalition. He served in pastoral ministry leadership for nearly 30 years, most recently as the lead pastor of College Park Church in Indianapolis. An award-winning author, Mark has written several books, including Dark Clouds, Deep Mercy: Discovering the Grace of Lament and Waiting Isn’t a Waste: The Surprising Comfort of Trusting God in the Uncertainties of Life. Mark is married to Sarah, and they have three married sons, a college-aged daughter, and four grandchildren. You can find Mark on Facebook, Instagram, and X.

Cohort Description

Grief is not tame. But it is common. Life is filled with all kinds of sorrows. A tragic death, abuse, miscarriage, relationship conflicts, parenting struggles, job loss, or being treated unfairly are part of the broken world in which we live. The story of the Bible is the restoration of all things marred by the presence of sin through the death, resurrection, and return of Jesus. 

But we’re not there yet. And we’ve got some work to do in learning how to help people process their pain and loss. 

This cohort seeks to empower ministry leaders, counselors, and friends in how to effectively walk along-side grieving people with tenderness and hope. Over six sessions we’ll explore a biblical theology of sorrow while learning how to use lament as a helpful prayer language and counseling tool for processing grief. We’ll not only learn what lament is, but also how it can be practically used to lead people through their sorrow. What’s more, we’ll also consider the implications of unique scenarios and contexts of grief.

It’s been said that the time to learn about suffering is before a person suffers. Join this cohort and learn how to counsel grief people before the crisis comes.

Those who sign up for this cohort will receive free copies of:

  • Dark Clouds, Deep Mercy Devotional Journal by Mark Vroegop
  • Seasons of Sorrow by Tim Challies

Are you on a church staff or considering this cohort as a group at a church? If so, check out this brief PDF with three ideas of how to use this cohort as a group. It also has instructions for deep discounts, provided through the support of generous donors. We hope these online learning cohorts will bless the church.

As a result, we never want finances to hinder someone from participating. If you want to participate in this cohort and have a need, please send us an email ([email protected]) and tell us more about your circumstances.

 

* We are unable to offer refunds for any cohorts

* Registration WITH books closes on April 8 and LATE Registration WITHOUT books closes on April 14.

* All sessions will be recorded and available for streaming or download at your leisure in perpetuity and so if you can’t make it live or even for months the material is still readily available for you

* NOTE: we are unable to ship to those outside the USA but please use the coupon code “BOOKS15” for 15% off as our courtesy to international participants. You may also use coupon code “BOOKS15” if you DO NOT WANT the books for the cohort.

* If you have any questions pertaining to signing up for your cohort, group rates, elder/preaching team rates, or church rates email [email protected]. 

Content Summary
Session 1
Why Lament Matters: Surveying the Biblical and Personal Landscape (Mark Vroegop)

Lament is the biblical language of loss, but it’s nearly a lost prayer form in the contemporary church. Recovering this prayer language provides a pathway for healing, hope, and worship.

Session 2
Lament Over Time: Enduring When Sorrow Lingers (Jeremy Pierre)

Some grief doesn’t end quickly. How do we help hurting people when sorrow is lingering?

Session 3
How Long, O Lord: Developing a Theology of Sorrow (Christine Chapell)

Grief, sorrow, and lament are part of the human experience and a major theme throughout the entire Bible. We must understand a biblical framework for sorrow in order to help others heal.

Session 4
Learning to Lament: Embracing the Minor Key (Mark Vroegop)

Lament provides the structure through which grief can be biblically processed. By learning how to lead others in lament, we gain a powerful tool for healing.

Session 5
Creative Lament: Expressing Grief in Personal Ways (Bethany Barnard)

Sorrow is deeply personal and not every one grieves the same way. We help people heal as we encourage them through their own journey.

Session 6
Community Lament: Clinging to One Another in Sadness (Tim Challies)

The ripple effects of grief are profound, and the community of Christ plays a critical role. From families to small groups to Sunday School classes, the local church is vital to the healing process.

REGISTER TODAY
Cohort Details
DATES & TIMES

6 Weekly Sessions
Wednesdays, April 15 – May 20, 2026
1 P.M. to 2:30  P.M. ET
12 P.M. to 1:30 P.M. CT
10 A.M. to 11:30 A.M. PT

FEE

$299

Bethany Barnard is a Christian singer-songwriter who began her CCM career in 2004, at age 15, with her debut album Bethany Dillon. After marrying Shane Barnard (Shane & Shane), she released her first independent album, A Better Word, as Bethany Barnard in 2017. As a stay-at-home mom of four daughters, Bethany began writing again in 2020 when her father died after a long battle with cancer, and she was subsequently diagnosed with OCD and depression. Her new album, All My Questions, is the result.

Tim Challies is a pastor, noted speaker, author of numerous articles, and a pioneer in the Christian blogosphere. Tens of thousands of people visit Challies.com each day, making it one of the most widely read and recognized Christian blogs in the world. Tim is the author of several books, including Visual Theology, The Next Story, and, most recently, Epic: An Around-the-World Journey through Christian History. He and his family reside near Toronto, Ontario.

Christine Chappell is an author, certified biblical counselor, and host of the Hope + Help Podcast for the Institute for Biblical Counseling & Discipleship. Her books include Midnight Mercies: Walking with God Through Depression in Motherhood, Help! I’ve Been Diagnosed with a Mental Disorder and Help! My Teen is Depressed, and her writing has been featured on platforms such as Desiring God, The Gospel Coalition, Risen Motherhood, and the Biblical Counseling Coalition. She lives in South Carolina with her husband and three children. Visit her website at christinemchappell.com.

Jeremy Pierre is dean of the Billy Graham School of Missions, Evangelism, and Ministry and professor of biblical counseling at The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, and he serves at Clifton Baptist Church. He’s the author of When Home Hurts: Responding Wisely to Domestic Abuse in Your Church, The Dynamic Heart in Daily Life: Connecting Christ to Human Experience, and the children’s storybook God with Us: A Journey Home. He’s also coauthor of The Pastor and Counseling. He and his wife, Sarah, have five children and live in Louisville, Kentucky. You can follow him on X.

Mark Vroegop (BA, Cedarville University; MDiv, Cornerstone Seminary) is the president of The Gospel Coalition. He served in pastoral ministry leadership for nearly 30 years, most recently as the lead pastor of College Park Church in Indianapolis. An award-winning author, Mark has written several books, including Dark Clouds, Deep Mercy: Discovering the Grace of Lament and Waiting Isn’t a Waste: The Surprising Comfort of Trusting God in the Uncertainties of Life. Mark is married to Sarah, and they have three married sons, a college-aged daughter, and four grandchildren. You can find Mark on Facebook, Instagram, and X.