“They say 50 percent of all marriages end in divorce. Well, 60 percent of second marriages end in divorce, and 73 percent of third marriages end in divorce. So it just gets worse, and the reason it gets worse is because nobody is taking the time to heal,” said Dave Rodenhouse.
He and his wife, Cindi, are hosting a DivorceCare group, a program used by groups all over North America to help people heal from the effects of a divorce.
The Rodenhouses are hosting their group at their church, Westend Christian Reformed Church in Grand Rapids, Mich. This is their first year.
DivorceCare is a 13-week course that guides divorcees through their healing process with a video session and discussion. Sessions include topics like finances, caring for children, and embracing a new way of life. Those who are going through a divorce, who have been through a divorce, or are considering divorce can learn and heal. Cindi said, “You don’t even have to talk, you can just come to eat the food and listen.”
The DivorceCare program also includes a course for kids whose parents have divorced. Dave and Cindi hope to add that in the coming year.
“[My children] were 14 and 18 when my husband and I divorced, and the emotional trauma they have gone through, it just doesn’t seem to go away” said Cindi.
Cindi and Dave hope that those who have gone through divorce will find help to reconnect with God, with others, and with themselves.
About the Author
Kristin Schmitt is a freelance news correspondent for The Banner. She lives in Hudsonville, Michigan.