Are you grieving due to death or divorce? BE Levels programming may bring you hope

By RENEE WEBB, Globe editor
March 4, 2004

The Beginning Experience ministry is known by many in the Diocese of Sioux City for its weekends that help individuals cope with the loss of a spouse due to death or divorce.

This faith-based peer ministry, which is open to people of all faiths, has been offered by the Catholic Church for over 30 years and was established here in the diocese about 25 years ago.

According to Bev Hurni, director of family ministries for the Diocese of Sioux City and diocesan liaison to the Beginning Experience Board, the board recently opted to expand its ministry in Sioux City by offering weekly support through the BE Levels program.

Levels One, a 10-week program, will kick off on March 25 at Wesley United Methodist Church in Sioux City. Registration is at 7 p.m. with the program offered 7:30 to 10 p.m.

Two Sioux City women, Diane Manhart and Delores McCuddin, have spear-headed the effort to bring this program to town. They will facilitate the program with the help of individuals who present BE Levels in Orange City.

The women wanted to bring the Levels program to Sioux City because Beginning Experience has been such a strong source of support in their own lives.

Manhart mentioned that when she attended the BE Weekend she had been at a real low point in her life after a divorce. She was spiritually and mentally unplugged from everything and everyone around her. After that weekend, she said she knew her life would be changed. Along with organizing the new Levels program in Sioux City, she helps coordinate the weekends that are offered about three times in the diocese.

"I came out of the BE Weekend with hope for my future for the first time in many years. You leave with such a good feeling and then you kind of come down from it," explained Manhart.

McCuddin attended a BE Weekend in 2002 as a widowed person and also found it to be a great help.

While pleased with the weekend both Manhart and McCuddin began to attend the Levels program offered in Orange City in order to have ongoing support.

Manhart explained that they wanted to bring BE Levels to Sioux City so more people "could continue on that path of personal growth working through their grief and pain - eventually getting to a point where they are hopeful for their life."

McCuddin described organizing the new Levels program in Sioux City as a calling. She believes it is a project that God wants them to do.

"We felt there were a lot of hurting people in Sioux City and they don't have the time to travel," she said.

The main focus of the Levels One program is to help individuals build a basic support system. It will allow people to express their thoughts in a safe place - to individuals who may have had similar feelings and/or experiences. It is open to people in the early stages of grief as well as those who have gone through the loss of a loved one years earlier.

After Levels One has been presented, the women plan to offer Levels Two. This 10-week program will address their former relationships and the role they played in the relationship. Participants will read the book, "Rebuilding: When Your Relationship Ends" by Dr. Bruce Fisher.

Manhart pointed out that she is currently reading the book and it has helped her to identify some areas of her life that she needs to work on and has helped her to not be so hard on herself.

Levels Three, a 12-week program, utilizes a book titled "Happiness is an Inside Job" by John Powell. Participants will work on 10 lifestyles to work toward personal peace and satisfaction. Prerequisite for this program is Levels Two.

While BE offers a Levels Four, the women will determine if they present this session after the first three levels have been offered. They hope to offer the three levels every year.

Both women see the value in the faith-based aspect of the Beginning Experience ministry.

"My life is God-centered and that helps to give you hope," noted McCuddin. "Without that, I think you would still be out there hanging in mid-air with nothing to grasp and hang on to. With God as your hope and salvation, it gives you the courage to go on."

Cost of the Levels One program is $25, however scholarships are available if the price is an obstacle. While pre-registration is not required, it is appreciated to ensure the adequate number team members and material. For more information contact Manhart at (605) 422-1432 or dmanhart@cableone.net or McCuddin at (712) 239-5601 or doemc@cableone.net.