What Have You Got to Lose?

Beginning Experience Brochure - click on the link for more info and to register. Note - if you want to attend the KC BE weekend, please contact me so I can let you know the correct address to send your registration. Also, our deposit is only $25, with the total weekend being $160 (room, board, all meals). We also have financial assistance available for part or all of the cost. If you are outside of our area, please search to find another location near you.

Here's what I've been up to lately. What a blessing this has been in my life. I attended my own BE weekend in November 2010, and then helped fascilitate weekends in March and July 2011. We are now preparing for our October retreat.

“What Have You Got to Lose?”

Beginning Experience is an official ministry of the Catholic Church. Founded in 1974, the support program is for divorced, separated and widowed individuals of any denomination. It is intended to facilitate the resolution of the grief surrounding the ending of a marriage relationship and to promote healing.



The Beginning Experience Weekend is the foundation of the program. Most people who attend a BE Weekend find it to be a life changing event that sets them on the road through their grief in a safe and loving environment. The BE Weekend has proven to be a means to an efficient and permanent solution over the grief from the loss of a relationship. The process through grief is not quick, but the BE Weekend is a catalyst in true healing. The next Beginning Experience Weekend Retreat is October 21-23 at the peaceful Sanctuary of Hope Prayer Center in Kansas City KS.



The BE Weekend is facilitated by persons who have themselves experienced the loss of a spouse and know firsthand the many confusing feelings of anger, discouragement, despair, lack of trust, fear, guilt and hopelessness, associated with such a loss. Whether through a death or a divorce, the loss of a relationship and the accompanying loss of hopes and dreams are real. All facilitators are trained to be good listeners, to ask questions that encourage participants to look inside themselves, and to stay on target. However, retreat facilitators are not professional counselors, and individuals currently in counseling are asked to obtain the permission of their counselor before attending the Beginning Experience Weekend.



The Beginning Experience, now an international ministry, is offered in our area three times a year. Participants spend Friday evening until Sunday afternoon in a safe, retreat-like environment. The BE experience provides support and direction and offers participants an opportunity to reevaluate their lives and to move on to the future with renewed hope while maintaining respect for the past.


BE was originated by a Roman Catholic nun who was working as a counselor and includes Catholic traditions such as Mass at the conclusion of the weekend, but the weekend is not limited to Catholics. All single-again Christians will benefit from the principles of the Weekend and are welcomed and encouraged to attend. The cost of the retreat is $160, which includes food, board and supplies. Financial assistance is available upon request. For additional information on the history and general programs, visit the Beginning Experience website at www.beginningexperience.org, or find us on Facebook search: Beginning Experience of Greater Kansas City.



Advance registration for the October 21-23 weekend is required, as space is limited. For questions or to register, contact me directly, or call Kim at (816) 739-4733 or John at (913) 219-3465.