To many children and teens, the holidays are full of Hallmark perfect moments filled with joy, love and of course – perfectly timed snowflakes! For others, however, seeing everyone else appearing to have wonderful, picture perfect holidays only makes their own pain and loneliness more pronounced.
While we know no family actually has Hallmark perfect holidays, we need to be aware of students who will be struggling. We should try to find ways to minister to them so they feel loved and supported by you, your ministry and your congregation. I know what you may be thinking. You have more than enough on your plate during the holidays without adding something else. I get it. The truth is that a lot of those things are creating Hallmark moments for families that already have plenty of them. Meanwhile your struggling children and teens are in emotional and spiritual trouble.
Before we can minister to them, we need to see them and notice the pain and loneliness with which they are struggling. What are some of the types of young people who may be struggling during the holidays?
- Young people whose parents are divorced or separated
- Young people who have a parent deployed in the military.
- Foster children.
- Teens who have had a recent breakup or romantic rejection.
- Young people who have lost a close family member or friend in the last year.
- Young people who have just moved to your community.
- Adopted children.
- Young people whose parents are having financial difficulties.
- Young people who don’t seem to have any friends.
- Young people who have a parent struggling with addiction or in rehab or prison, etc.
- Young people who have had significant sadness lasting more than two weeks or who struggle with depression.
- Teens who have been rejected by their top college choices (many schools send out acceptance letters during the holidays now).
- Young people who struggle with anxiety (including performance anxiety, if they are expected to perform in something).
- Children whose parents work and are left at home all day by themselves during school holidays.
- Young people in blended families.
- Young people being raised by a single parent who have never had the other parent in their lives.
- Young people being raised by grandparents or other extended family.
- Young people who have experienced a traumatic event in the last year.
- Young people in the hospital or home bound (even though they may get out periodically) with chronic or critical illness.
Think carefully about the young people to whom you minister. Do any of them fit into these categories? They need extra support from you and your ministry over the next couple of months. Next week we will share some ways you can be supportive without dropping from sheer exhaustion in the process.