Hope Gathering

We are thrilled to announce a second group is launching within the Southwest Portland Hope Gathering Community this summer, and we would love for you to be part of this special event! 🎉

If you are a widow — or know someone who is — in the Wilsonville area, join us on Saturday, July 25, at 10am to celebrate the growth of this community and to learn what you can expect by being part of this new group. 🌿

Come and enjoy a delicious brunch that will be provided, hear from our leadership about the heart, story, and mission of Hope Gathering, and find encouragement and support from other widows who truly understand the loss and grief you are experiencing.

📧 Please RSVP by Saturday, July 18, and contact our team at [email protected] for the address and with any questions.

🌿 Healing happens in community — and you belong here.

📣 Share this post and tag a friend who would also be encouraged by this new community in Oregon!

Save the date — Weekend of Hope 2026 is scheduled for October 30 - November 1! 🌿 This year's theme is "God is in Your Story," and we invite you to join us as we remember, together, the faithfulness of our God and the purpose He still has for each of our stories.

This annual retreat has been a tender space for hundreds of widows across the United States and Canada to find comfort, connection, and hope. If you are a widow seeking friendship, healing, and restoration, come and be a part of this peaceful weekend away at the beautiful Camp Allen in Navasota, Texas.

This will be more than just a weekend away. It’s a sacred time to rest and find renewed purpose alongside other women who truly understand the grief you carry — women who can say, “me too,” and mean it. 💛

This year's keynote speaker will be our friend, Lisa Appelo — an author, speaker, mother, and widow who has experienced the joy of the Lord in her own story of grief and sorrow.

🌿 Registration will open in July! ➡ Mark your calendars and view full details at https://www.hopegathering.org/weekend-of-hope/.

"...all the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be." - Psalm 139:16 (NIV)

We can't wait to launch our very first Hope Gathering Community in Mississippi in just one month on July 17! 🎉

If you are a widow — or know someone who is — in Pearl, Mississippi, or the surrounding area, we invite you to join us that Friday at 5:30pm at Pearl Public Library. Come celebrate with us the start of this new community and learn what you can expect by being a part of this group.

Enjoy a complimentary dinner, hear the heart and mission behind Hope Gathering from our leadership, and connect with other widows in your area who will truly understand your journey and can offer support and encouragement.

🌿 Healing happens in community — and you belong here.

📧 Please RSVP by Friday, July 10, and reach out to our team at [email protected] with any questions.

📣 Help us spread the word and share this post with someone who would also be encouraged to join you for this new group in Central Mississippi!

“I just received mine yesterday. Thank you so much. After two years I am still raw in my emotions, but I have also found joy in moving forward. Good days...bad days...interminable with the joy and hope of Christ. Thanks again for brightening my day.”

- 🌿 Colleen, Hope Box recipient

Hope Boxes continue to share the light and hope of Jesus Christ with widows in all stages of their grief journey — truly being a bright moment in their day during one of the darkest seasons of their lives.

These simple boxes are filled with items that have been intentionally and prayerfully chosen with the practical, emotional, and spiritual needs of a widow in mind. 🎁 Below is a look inside each box:

- Large print Bible — to help read through tears
- Beyond the Darkness by Clarissa Moll
- Devotional book specific to widows
- Heaven booklet by Randy Alcorn
- Bracelet with the word HOPE engraved on it
- Journal and pen
- Scripture cards
- Waterproof mascara — a reminder that someone “gets it”
- Helpful grief-related resources
- Personal note written by another widow
- And other items to encourage and pamper

Each Hope Box is lovingly assembled by widows in our Hope Gathering Community — by women who truly understand and care.

If you or someone you know is a widow in need of the comforting reminder that there is still hope, we welcome you to request a Hope Box. Each box is delivered at no cost to the widow due to the generosity of our wonderful community of donors.

🌿 Request or give toward a Hope Box at https://www.hopegathering.org/hope-boxes/.

“Understanding that God is good doesn’t mean I got what I wanted. God’s promise was never to remove my suffering but rather to show up relentlessly to get me through it.” - Lindsey Wheeler, Bottle of Tears

“Be strong and take heart, all you who hope in the Lord.” - Psalm 31:24 (NIV)

Looking for encouragement for your journey this summer? ☀

📱 Below is our recommended podcast playlist you can listen to as you go about your summer days — filled with wisdom from our trusted friends who have also walked the road of widowhood.

➡ View the links to learn more and hear helpful and insightful podcast episodes from our friends, Tara Dickson, Lori Apon (Perspective Ministries), Lisa Appelo, and Clarissa Moll.

🌿 Seek and Savor podcast by Tara Dickson: https://seekandsavor.libsyn.com/
🌿 Raising Fatherless Kids podcast with Lori Apon: https://perspectiveministries.org/podcast/
🌿 Podcast episodes with Lisa Appelo: https://lisaappelo.com/podcasts/
🌿 Podcast episodes with Clarissa Moll: https://www.clarissamoll.com/podcasting

The summer break is officially here.☀ As everyone goes about their summertime plans and activities, our hope is that the fatherless child is surrounded by love, care, and support. Our friends at Perspective Ministries created a list of practical and simple ways families can come around the fatherless and point them to the love of our Heavenly Father. 💛

➡ View the images and visit https://perspectiveministries.org/widowlife-wisdom-caring-for-the-fatherless-this-summer/ for 8 ways your family can intentionally care for the fatherless this summer.

"The way in which God 'fathers' is often through others." - 🌿 Perspective Ministries

Hey, Mississippi! We are so excited to launch our very first Hope Gathering Community in Mississippi this summer on July 17! 🎉 ☀

If you or someone you know is a widow in the Rankin County area, we hope you will join us for this special event to mark the beginning of this new group filled with encouragement and support for your journey. Come and enjoy a complimentary dinner, learn more about the story and mission of Hope Gathering from our leadership, and connect with other widows who truly understand your loss and grief.

You were not created to walk through life alone. Find hope, healing, and genuine friendships in this new Hope Gathering Community.

➡ Save the date — full details will be shared next week!

💛 Invite a friend and 📧 reach out with any questions at: [email protected]

🌿 Learn more about Hope Gathering Communities at https://www.hopegathering.org/hope-groups/.

Family members, friends, and the church play a vital role in a widow’s life. The positive impact these circles of support can have on the life of a widow cannot be overstated. A widow is often lost in the moment and unable to acknowledge all that is happening around them. Her world has been turned upside down by the loss of her husband.

Each person grieves differently — your patience and unconditional love will mean the world to her as you continue to show up and walk alongside her in her grief. Continue to reach out and seek to love her right where she is.

🌿 For more resources on how to love a widow in your life, visit: https://www.hopegathering.org/how-to-help/

"But now, Lord, what do I look for? My hope is in you."
🌿 Psalm 39:7 (NIV)

Oh Lord, may we have hearts filled with gratitude for the joy you have given us in the past. Help us to take that joy with us into the future. Help us to bravely take the next step forward. Help us to open our eyes to see the joy that you have for us in our present. Our hope is not in what was or what will be — our hope is in you alone. May we look to you as the source of all joy.