Litany for Grief and Loss for Children, Youth and Families
by Meta Herrick Carlson and Liv Enstad. Creating the Space In Person: The invitation should include clear expectations about physical distance, masks, and COVID-19 safety. Offer students a candle or a stone as they enter the space. The candle is a sign of the light of Christ that shines in them, and the stone is a symbol of heavy things they carry with them these … Continue reading Litany for Grief and Loss for Children, Youth and Families
Ministry in the Time of a Pandemic
by Anna Madsen. The joke about, and in, my family is that we are the Vortex of Chaos. Clearly, and utterly unrelatedly, it would make an awesome name for a band. But that notwithstanding (even though so very true), we really are the Original Vortex of Chaos. Just in the last few weeks, for example, I’ve had to: wrestle the Minnesota DMV to the ground … Continue reading Ministry in the Time of a Pandemic
Mental Health Support for Youth
by Catherine Anderson “We’re supposed to teach youth about Jesus. In reality, we’re just trying to get kids through the day.” A couple years ago I started hearing comments like this more and more frequently from youth ministry leaders in my synod. You’ve probably felt it too. Anxiety, depression, suicide and other complex mental health conditions are deeply impacting ministry with young people and their … Continue reading Mental Health Support for Youth
Trauma 101
by Kate Swanson, MSW, LICSW Imagine you are camping with your family in the woods. It’s dark. You are sitting around the campfire, calm and relaxed. You hear a snap—is something coming towards you? You hear a low growl—your body tenses, you grip the chair. Two glowing eyes, a large figure appears—a grizzly bear enters your campsite. What happens next? Your brain’s alarm system turns … Continue reading Trauma 101
Trauma-Informed Youth Ministry
by Elle Dowd God will cover you with his feathers, and under God’s wings you will find refuge; God’s faithfulness is a shield and buckler. – Psalm 91: 4 Many of us who have experienced trauma lean on our faith for support. When I was in the midst of abuse in my childhood and adolescence, my belief in God helped me to hold … Continue reading Trauma-Informed Youth Ministry
Bible Study: “She Had to Keep Him Hidden” – Experiences of Trauma in the Lineage of Moses
by Dr. Beverly Wallace In this study, we are going to explore trauma in the story of baby Moses—the trauma of a mother protecting her son, the trauma of a child sister entrusted with watching over her baby brother, the trauma of being an orphaned son, the generational trauma of the descendants of Moses. But before we explore this scripture, let’s consider the effects of … Continue reading Bible Study: “She Had to Keep Him Hidden” – Experiences of Trauma in the Lineage of Moses
What Does the Lord Require of Us?
by Irene Cho “It’s all too much. I don’t think I can handle it anymore. I can’t keep pretending that I’ve got everything under control and am this perfect all-star person, when really I’m falling apart.” I remember Rebecca sobbing in my office. School had only just begun, but the responsibilities of everything were already too overwhelming—the pressure to maintain her GPA for a college … Continue reading What Does the Lord Require of Us?
The Six Least Welcoming Things I’ve Ever Said in my Ministry
by David Scherer While I try very hard to model Christ’s welcome for all people, there are times when I completely blow it. As a straight, white, able-bodied, educated, middle-upper class, Christian male, I have to work hard to be aware of my own biases so that I do not impede God’s liberating mission in the world. I want our church to be welcoming and … Continue reading The Six Least Welcoming Things I’ve Ever Said in my Ministry
Letters from the Male Box
by Joe Davis As a newlywed, one of my most joyful experiences is learning new ways to be a great husband and friend to my spouse. This has made me increasingly aware of behavioral patterns I’ve picked up throughout my life as a male-bodied person that are not only annoying to my partner, but contribute to larger cultural patterns that are hurting us all. I … Continue reading Letters from the Male Box
Finding True Self-Care in Pastoral Ministry
by Bishop Kristen Kuempel When I was a senior at Luther Seminary, I experienced a gift that I didn’t even realize was a gift until later. My pastoral care professor was the late Dr. Richard Wallace. I went into his class with some skepticism—new professors are always an unknown quantity, and a black professor in the early 00s was even more of an anomaly than … Continue reading Finding True Self-Care in Pastoral Ministry
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