LAKELAND — For 12 weeks last spring, a group of eight women from Suntree United Methodist Church in Melbourne met for a half hour each week and discussed what was on their hearts and minds.

One woman found help dealing with her father’s death. Another found the support she needed while putting her marriage back on track.

The women were part of a pilot group for the new "Heart to Heart: A Spiritual Journey for Women" program written by the Rev. Patricia Brown, the Florida Conference Council on Ministries’ director of Spiritual Formation.

"She [the woman struggling with her marriage] needed outside support and acknowledgment of who she was," said Sara Martz, school administrator for the Suntree church and a participant in the program. "It gave her the opportunity to rethink herself and her relationship."

"Heart to Heart" is a small-group program designed to give women a time to comfortably discuss on their own issues that are important to them, according to Margaret Carter, Brown’s administrative assistant.

"Trish wrote the book in response to people telling her three things," Carter said. "I want to grow deeper spiritually, I don’t want to be the leader, I don’t have time to prepare a lesson."

Lucy Wray, a participant in a Heart to Heart group at Palm Harbor United Methodist Church, said she enjoyed it because no one person dominated the group and there was no homework. "It’s good for women who are busy and on-the-go," she said.

The program is casual and comfortable, according to Carter. Groups can meet in homes, restaurants, coffee shops or wherever is most convenient. Each session is planned to last one hour, but can be modified to last 30 minutes.

The 12-session program is based on the story of a woman named Questa who discovers she has lost her heart to things like family, career and busyness, according to Martz. While trying to reclaim it, Questa meets a woman named Sage who becomes her mentor and guide.

"The Questa story is almost in a soap opera format," Martz said. "At the end of each part of the story, you’re left where you’re wanting to come back to it. Women between the ages of 25 and 55 will be able to relate to the story."

Wray said the program filled a need at her church for a women’s ministry program that would address the needs of all ages.

She also said it was interesting how women of different ages found ways to minister to each other through the group. One 65-year-old woman whose husband had recently died was depressed, even contemplating suicide, according to Wray. A younger woman in the group whose husband had died several years before was able to minister to and help the older woman.

Each of the sessions includes a reading from the Questa story and the Bible. Many recount Jesus’ encounters with women, Martz said. The program also includes a prayer journal, done both with the group and individually, and recommendations for group activities.

"It is very seeker-friendly," she said. "For people at all levels of their Christian walk, it’s appropriate. It’s very simple, but there’s a lot of truth."

Wray said during the program, women also examined their spiritual gifts, learned how to use them and received affirmation of their gifts from group members. "Heart to Heart is a nice, non-threatening model for discipleship," she said.

The participants in Martz’s group were mostly young mothers trying to balance kids, work and going back to school. She said most of them appreciated that the program did not pull them into one more commitment, but fed them emotionally and spiritually.

"It helped clarify who we are in life, celebrate what’s behind us and clarify what lies ahead," she said. "It helped us clarify that what we do is enough, and that it’s okay with God."