Enlivening resurrection hope for caregivers of the dying.

The purpose of this research project was to inspire, equip, and encourage church members who are caring for loved ones with terminal illness or persons close to the time of death. The Christian Hope when Life is Hard curriculum was offered to participants who struggled with understanding the biblical promises about resurrection and how to best offer biblical truth to people in their care. Research participants volunteered for an eight-week study of scriptural witness for the bodily resurrection. Theological motifs rooted in samplings of historical theology from the days of the first-century church to the present day were also studied. Participants kept a record of weekly responses, also sharing them freely in the group. Qualitative and quantitative questions comprised the pre-intervention surveys that measured a baseline for caregivers of the dying, and participants were interviewed to examine their reasons for joining an in-process grief course. Post-intervention surveys measured professed changes in attitude toward biblical understanding of the resurrection and bedside competency with a dying loved one. By first exploring the expectations of the group, then providing information on resurrection hope, the goal of measuring effective change could be reached, and church members could redefine their bedside care.