Sadly, more and more children and teens around the world have experienced traumatic events in their lives. While many churches and ministries provide for the physical needs of traumatized youth, few are prepared to help them process and heal from traumatic events – especially within the scope of their normal Bible classes and activities.
We have a resource – developed in part as a result of the war in Ukraine – that has also proven helpful when ministering to children who are fostered, adopted, from generational poverty, or have trauma in their background. Helping Children of War, addresses many aspects of trauma and ministering to children who have experienced trauma in wars, but in more common trauma as well.
Best of all there are chapters on Godly Play, Bible lessons for children that include activities to help them process and heal trauma, as well as teen lessons addressing important faith questions common to young people who have experienced war, but also would address questions any victim of trauma might have.
The lessons and activities are also helpful for developing resilience and healthy stress coping skills. This means that you don’t necessarily have to know which students have endured trauma in order to help them. Every young person, regardless of their background, will benefit from the lessons and activities.
The book is in English and Ukrainian on our website for free. For those of you working with Ukrainian refugees and wanting paperback copies to use in your ministry, you can order them through Eastern European Missions or Ukrainian Bible Institute. Make the best use of your Bible class time, by planning activities that will also help the children participating in them. It doesn’t take much extra preparation time and can make a huge difference in the lives of many children.
Here’s the link: http://teachonereachone.org/ministering-to-children-of-war/