Changing for Good Part One: The Stages of Change
We all know kids who are stuck in problem behaviors. Learn how to help them begin change that can last a lifetime.
Category: Pain & Grief Back to Main Page
Bouncing Back Increasing Resilience for Hurting Kids
Our kids face obstacles every day — difficulties with friends, stress at school, issues with boyfriends or girlfriends.
But many of the students we work with also face larger obstacles-poverty, violence at school or in their neighborhood, parents getting divorced, …
Making Peace In Our Families
Bill Cosby once tried to explain to a nine-year-old boy named Peter what Jesus meant in the Sermon on the Mount by turning the other cheek. “If somebody hits you, you don’t hit him back,” Cosby said.
A visibly confused …
Ministering to Abusive Families Changing the Rules
There are few more paralyzing situations in youth ministry than facing families trapped in the cycle of abuse. If you’ve ever wondered, “What can I do to help?”, this article offers deeper understanding and helpful starting points.
Beyond Skin Deep Responding to Kids Who Cut
For many of the youth we know, cutting and other forms of self-harm have become commonplace coping mechanisms for their pain. Learn more about the reasons behind — and helpful responses to — self-injury among adolescents.
I Think I’m Gay Having Healthy Dialogue with Kids Who Struggle with Sexual Orientation
As the societal pendulum swings very swiftly toward greater openness to the LGBT (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender) community, we are faced with the reality that it’s a growing struggle among more and more of the kids in our youth groups — and implement some tools to help us respond. Irene Cho shares insights from Andrew Marin’s research and new book, Love is an Orientation.
Your Struggles From Coping to Freedom
In our pursuit of rest and balance in ministry, exploring our struggles and addictions is not an option. In Month 4 of the Sabbath Rest in a 24/7 City series, we look toward ways to recognize and find healing for our addictive patterns.
Your Pain Six Lenses to Help
“Dear Child of God, I am sorry to say that suffering is not optional. It seems to be part and parcel of the human condition, but suffering can either embitter or ennoble. Our suffering can become a spirituality of transformation …
The Way of Privilege What You Need to Know About the Issues Facing Affluent Youth
While we often call kids with abundant financial resources “privileged”, there can be a dark underside to growing up with affluence. Recent research on adolescents from wealthy homes uncovers some disturbing trends among these kids. If you work with students and families who have significant means, this article offers several ways to engage affluent culture and help families guard against its dangers.
Parents who Fight, Kids who Hurt Responding to Kids Whose Parents are in Chronic Conflict
No matter where you do youth ministry, you know kids whose parents fight, and kids whose parents fight a lot. While youth workers can’t fix all of the problems in kids’ lives, we do have a responsibility to become more aware of ways that issues like high-conflict marriages impact the daily lives of our students. This article shares insights from research and starting points for ways we can respond.