An Introduction by Ashley Wiehe
Director of Advancement

Grief can come in many forms. It can come as a whisper in a quiet moment, and other times, it comes as a boom that shakes us to our cores.

Many times, grief is experienced individually within a family or a close group of friends. But sometimes, the grief is so large that it affects a community or even a whole nation.

It’s 9/11, Columbine, Pearl Harbor, Sandy Hook, and Hurricane Katrina. It’s the shooting in a church. It’s the tornado that rips through a community. It’s the bus crash that claims the lives of a team.

It’s the grief that surrounds us. It’s replayed in news reports and immortalized through memorials. It’s remembered on anniversaries of the tragedy. It’s talked about by neighbors and friends on Sunday mornings.

It’s loud grief.

In the May 2026 Broadcaster magazine, we are sharing stories of tragedies that have affected communities, neighbors, and a nation, and how you can cope in your own loud grief.

If you or someone you know is experiencing grief, please connect with us through our Grief Ministry. We offer resources for aging adults, as well as their caregivers, who have experienced a loss. Visit WorshipAnew.org/grief to learn more.

Above photo:The lights represent a memorial to the Twin Towers in New York City and the lives that were lost during a terrorist attack on Sept. 11, 2001.