Dr. Elias Moitinho gives a quick and helpful overview of the differences between the ways children and teens grieve. Looking for more information on grieving children and teens? About ten years ago, our team created a video to help parents and guardians know how to care for grieving children. The video accompanied the second edition of the GriefShare series. The video … [Read more...]
How children respond to loss and how to help
Most of us like to think of children as lighthearted, happy-go-lucky, without a care in the world. Yet, we know that many children will experience the death of a loved one. When a death occurs it turns a child’s world upside down. It is times like these that children’s pastors and church leaders need to be prepared with how to help the parents help the child. At other times … [Read more...]
This isn’t the way it’s supposed to be: Shepherding through tragic, untimely loss
Most churches are well equipped to help families when they experience expected, chronologically correct deaths. When Grandma Jones, age eighty-eight, “goes to be with Jesus,” certain protocols automatically spring into place. The pastor meets with the family, the prearranged funeral arrangements are utilized, and the obituary the family has been working on for a while is … [Read more...]
First, remember: How looking back can help the grieving move forward
In the end, grief is about how we remember. Memory is powerful. It shapes our lives in many ways. Memory impacts our emotions. Memory shapes the significance we give to current events. Memory influences what we expect from the future. So the effort to grieve well could be reframed as learning to remember in healthy ways. Too often our church members try to define “getting … [Read more...]
The plastic smile: “Pastor, why should I tell someone how much I’m hurting?”
Encouraging people who are hurting or struggling to share their experiences with others in the church is usually good advice. When a person shares, he is often surprised to learn that others have dealt with, or are dealing with, similar circumstances. Rich comfort and encouragement frequently come from such conversations. However, some who hear this advice will push back. … [Read more...]