by Dale Hudson
Last month I shared insight about ministering to children who are fearful or anxious because of a disaster that happened somewhere else.
This month I want to talk about ministering to children and families who have been directly effected by a disaster. These are tips you can share with parents and kidmin leaders in your ministry.
As I shared yesterday, I grew up in an area of the country that has been called “Tornado Alley.” My great grandmother was once blown through the air by a tornado and thankfully survived. A tornado recently devastated the small town where my father pastors and took the lives of some of his church members. As a child, I can remember crouching in fear as a tornado roared in the air above our house.
Disaster can strike quickly and without warning. It can be frightening for adults and traumatic for children. Children may be forced out of their homes or normal lives. They can become anxious, confused and frightened.
Observe how the child is reacting. Children will react in different ways based on their personality. Some will show very noticeable reactions. The National Association of School Physiologists has identified reactions that can occur when children go through a disaster.
- Preschoolers – thumb sucking, bed-wetting, clinging to parents, sleep disturbances, loss of appetite, fear of the dark, regression in behavior and withdrawal from friends and routines.
- Elementary School Children – irritability, aggressiveness, clinginess, nightmares, school avoidance, poor concentration and withdrawal from activities and friends.
- Adolescents – sleeping and eating disturbances, agitation, increase in conflicts, physical complaints, delinquent behavior and poor concentration.
Other children may not seem to be affected by the disaster at all. Knowing the child’s personality will help you more effectively access how they are reacting.
Respond to the child’s reaction. Acknowledge their reaction. Accept their reaction. Empathize with their reaction. If they are crying, it’s okay to cry with them. If they are angry, let them know you understand how they must be feeling.
Listen. Ask questions. Listen. Ask questions. Listen. Allow kids to express their feelings, concerns and fears. Verbalizing what they are feeling will help them begin to process it. If the child does not want to verbally communicate, then encourage them to write down or draw what they are feeling.
Be prepared to answer the same questions several times. Children will ask questions several times when something is hard to understand or they need reassurance.
Share God’s promises with the child. Read appropriate verses that deal with what the child is feeling. Have the child read the verses out loud with you and share what it means to them.
Pray with the child about the tragedy. Pray with simple, childlike words of faith. Give the child the opportunity to pray as well. Tell God how you are both feeling and ask for His help to get through it.
Let the child know that Jesus is their best friend and will always be with them no matter what they go through. He will never leave them.
Help meet their needs. If the child and family have experienced personal loss, rally support and help them get back on their feet.
Help the children get back into a routine as soon as possible. Routine helps bring security and stability back into to a child’s life.
Provide opportunities for the child and family to take a break. Fun, entertaining activities can help bring some relief from the turmoil they are experiencing.
Be there. Even if you are at a loss for words, just being there for the child and family will make a difference.
Have a copy of “Comforting Children in Crisis” by Group Publishing on hand. I have given each of our staff members this book. It is full of great advice and tips on how to minister to children and families in times such as a disaster. I use it constantly when helping children and families.
Walking with a child and family through a disaster usually comes unexpectedly and it is never easy. You may have a lump in your throat and your heart may be skipping a beat. That is okay. Do your best and lean in total dependence on the Great Comforter.
Dale Hudson has been in Children’s Ministry for over twenty-two years. He is the Director of Children’s Ministry at Christ Fellowship Church in South Florida. Christ Fellowship is a multi-campus church with five campuses. Dale was recently named one of the top twenty influencers in Children’s Ministry by Children’s Ministry Magazine. He speaks at conferences across the country encouraging and equipping other Children’s Ministry leaders. He is the Leading Volunteers columnist for Children’s Ministry Magazine and has co-authored three books. Dale and his wife, Pamela, have been married for over twenty-two years and have two sons, Josh who is twenty, and Caleb who is seventeen. You can read more about Dale’s ministry journey at www.relevantchildrensministry.blogspot.comor meet up with him on facebook or twitter:@dalehudsoncm.