Next Generation: Helping Children and Youth Process Tragic Events

May 29, 2018 | UA News

Sadly, witnessing tragic events and experiencing pain from those events can happen nearly every day.
 
Sometimes, events like mass shootings or natural disasters may be seen from a distance through social media or on the news. Other times, a death of a loved one or exposure to violence may hit closer to home.
 
However, children and youth ministry leaders have the unique opportunity to help children and youth emotionally and spiritually process tragic events when they occur.
 
At the upcoming Next Generation quarterly meeting, representative from churches and parachurch organizations in the UA network will discuss effective ways adults can facilitate conversations with children and youth to help them process and make sense of tragic events. Practical tools will be provided that adults can use to address this topic in developmentally appropriate ways and convey the hope and trust we have in God.
 
For more information about Next Generation, contact Rosaicela Rodriguez, UA’s Director of Implementation, Children & Youth Initiatives.
 
 

The staff at Urban Alliance are familiar with Pastor Frank because he is a regular attendee to many of the trainings Urban Alliance provides on subjects like domestic violence, addressing childhood trauma, and better counseling techniques. “That’s been so valuable to me to be able to bring that back, not only in my counseling but also in my teaching and preaching ministries, “ shared Termine.

Pastor Frank was also one of the original members of the Micah group, a group of pastors that meets at Urban Alliance to discuss and strategize about challenging issues that face the church today. One of those earlier discussions on justice, incarceration, and returning citizens was particularly memorable. “We all lamented the fact that these men and women were coming out of prison into our churches and just kind of being thrown there,” said Termine, “We could do better than this.” That discussion planted the seeds that eventually led to the creation of Second Chance Churches – an opportunity for churches to provide support and mentoring to returning citizens that continues today.

When we asked Pastor Frank what he would say to another church that was unaware of Urban Alliance, he said, “If you are looking to get out in the community and make a difference in the community, Urban Alliance is a super way to do it. We’re a small church … we can’t do everything. Urban Alliance is a pathway to get our people involved in ministries that are already doing it, doing it well, and just need extra volunteers.”

Pastor Frank Termine’s story embodies many things we are trying to accomplish at Urban Alliance: supporting organizations in the communities they serve with training, resources, and opportunities to make a difference. Pastors and non-profit leaders face a wide range of challenges and, therefore, need a wide range of help and resources. Your support can help turn stories of struggle into stories like you find at Calvary Church.

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