Trauma Informed Children S Ministry

James used to laugh and joke with the other third graders. Now he was angry, aggressive, and defiant. James was hurting, but Pastor Becky didn't know how to help. Like many children's pastors, she didn't realize that a child in her ministry was experiencing symptoms of trauma. She wasn't sure how to respond to his big feelings and challenging behaviors. Trauma-Informed Children's Ministry: A Practical Guide to Reaching Hurting Kids helps children's ministry leaders understand trauma and strengthen their ministries to serve and disciple hurting kids. Divorce, bullying, adoption, abuse. Learn how trauma touches the children you love and what most churches get wrong when it comes to teaching and disciplining children who have experienced trauma. Why does Isaac keep talking back? Why is Sara under the table crying? Make sense out of the most frustrating, confusing, and heartbreaking child behaviors. Through inspiring, real-life stories, discover practical, research-based strategies to begin transforming your ministry this Sunday. Good intentions are not enough. Our changing society craves authentic churches equipped to reach all children. This powerful, groundbreaking book will help you: Cultivate caring relationships. Eliminate challenging behaviors. Encourage your team. And amplify your church's impact in the community!

James used to laugh and joke with the other third graders. Now he was angry, aggressive, and defiant. James was hurting, but Pastor Becky didn’t know how to help. Like many children’s pastors, she didn’t realize that a child in her ministry was experiencing symptoms of trauma. She wasn’t sure how to respond to his big feelings and challenging behaviors. Trauma-Informed Children’s Ministry: A Practical Guide to Reaching Hurting Kids helps children’s ministry leaders understand trauma and strengthen their ministries to serve and disciple hurting kids. Divorce, bullying, adoption, abuse. Learn how trauma touches the children you love and what most churches get wrong when it comes to teaching and disciplining children who have experienced trauma. Why does Isaac keep talking back? Why is Sara under the table crying? Make sense out of the most frustrating, confusing, and heartbreaking child behaviors. Through inspiring, real-life stories, discover practical, research-based strategies to begin transforming your ministry this Sunday. Good intentions are not enough. Our changing society craves authentic churches equipped to reach all children. This powerful, groundbreaking book will help you: Cultivate caring relationships. Eliminate challenging behaviors. Encourage your team. And amplify your church’s impact in the community!

Thank you for serving in children's ministry Whether you teach Sunday school, gather supplies for lessons, serve snacks, or rock babies in the nursery, your actions have an impact on the lives of children. Your smile, your time, your caring words, your guidance, your high fives--they add up to the sharing of God's love. And that makes a difference. The thoughts in this keepsake book will warm your heart and remind you that what you do matters. Plus you'll be encouraged on your own journey with Jesus. Thanks for serving. You are appreciated

In today's world, trauma and traumatic loss are increasingly common. This book surveys the important constructs, concepts, and dynamics of trauma, loss, grief, and growth, offering resources and strategies that ministers and other spiritual caregivers can use as they support and facilitate people in their journey from trauma recovery to grief work to spiritual growth. The book presents a framework for understanding the interrelationship between trauma recovery work, grief work, and spiritual growth. The author argues that each of these components is essential for a full and complete healing from trauma and traumatic losses and that they work together in the ongoing process of healing. Traumas and traumatic losses are times of "crisis" in the sense that they are turning points in people's lives; people can either grow through the experience or decline under the weight of their unbearable sorrow and anxiety. How people handle traumas and significant losses may be the most important variable in their psychological, relational, and spiritual health. The author gives special attention to describing ways in which God might draw close to the traumatized and bereaved in their process of recovery and healing.

Meaningful, lasting learning comes from childlike curiosity and play. The approach of this book is to make relgious instruction fun, spontaneous and deeply spiritual. Godly Play is a practical yet innovative approach to religious education--becoming childlike in order to teach children.

God put YOU in a position of leadership in children's ministry for a purpose.This practical guide helps you discover your personal leadership style so you can maximize your strengths. As you and your ministry team take the reproducible self-assessment test in this book, you'll discover how to make your team more productive...more effective...and more fun! Feel more comfortable and confident in your leadership role, and make a lasting difference with your colleagues, volunteers, and parents. Perfect Leaders Need Not Apply. If you occasionally wonder what God was thinking when he put you in a children's ministry leadership role, welcome home.You're among friends.This book is for you--and your team. Get ready for some fun as you explore... - How God wired you to lead (hint: it may not be how you think), and - Why "Perfect Leaders" don't really exist (or get invited to parties). You'll find simple steps that let you build a successful, effective team that lasts: Photocopy the reproducible Leadership Style Assessment Survey included in the book. Take the quick self-assessment test inside and you'll discover how God made you to lead. Read the book. Then ask your ministry teammates to take the test. (Gift them with each with their own copy of this book!) Share your results and together you'll gain insights that will turbo-charge your ability to work--and lead--together!

Reflecting on the confusion, shame and grief brought on by her mother's schizophrenia, Amy Simpson provides a bracing look at the social and physical realities of mental illness. Reminding us that people with mental illness are our neighbors and our brothers and sisters in Christ, she explores new possibilities for the church to minister to this stigmatized group.

Research shows that by the time many children are thirteen years old they feel they know everything there is to know about the Bible and God, and feel no further need of attending church. Could this be because we have underestimated their spiritual potential, and been content to feed them a repetitive spiritual diet of basic Bible stories over and over again? Just how many ways can we repackage Noah's Ark anyway? It's time the collective body of Christ re-evaluate children's ministries and redefine what valid, disciple-making, equipping children's ministry really is.