Talking With Kids About Disasters

My heart has been breaking all week over the kids and families who were killed by the floods in Texas.

I grew up in an area of the country that has been called "Tornado Alley." My great grandmother was once blown through the air by a tornado and thankfully survived, but it broke her back and she never was able to walk again.

A few years ago, a tornado devastated the small town where my father pastored and took the lives of some of his church members. As a child, I can remember crouching in fear as a tornado roared in the air above our house.

Let's talk first about when children hear about a disaster that has happened somewhere else.

Fear and uncertainty obviously come when disaster strikes up close, but can also be felt from a disaster that happens somewhere else.

Know where children are coming from. They tend to personalize things. Will this happen to me? Will my house be destroyed? Will someone in my family be injured or killed? Will I lose all my belongings?

Be aware of kid's different personality types. Some children are more prone to be sensitive and fearful. Others will not pay as much attention to what is going on. Knowing the child's personality will enable you to more effectively help them.

Be sensitive to children who have previously been through a stressful situation such as divorce, death of a family member, or disaster. 
 
Reassure them that disasters are rare events and they are very safe in their home. 

Protect them from overexposure of the disaster through images on television, internet, or other media sources.  

Remember children will watch to see how you respond to the situation. If they sense you are stressed, fearful, or anxious, they will pick up on it and mirror that response. Remain as calm as possible.

Have open conversation. Ask questions and listen.

  • What did you hear?
  • Do you know what is going on?
  • Why are you worried?   

Under the age of 7, it is often best not to initiate a conversation about a disaster unless they become aware of it and bring it up. Answer questions calmly, clearly, and honestly, but don't go into details.

Remember it's okay to say, "I don't know." Find answers to their questions together. Use it as a teachable moment.

Be prepared to answer the same questions several times. Children will ask questions several times when something is hard to understand or they need reassurance.

Let them express their feelings. Ask them to write down or draw pictures of what they are experiencing.

Pray with the child.

Share God's promises with the child.

What about when the disaster affects children directly?

Disaster can strike quickly and without warning. It can be frightening for adults and traumatic for children. Children may be forced out of their homes or normal lives. They can become anxious, confused, and frightened.

Observe how the child is reacting. Children will react in different ways based on their personality. Some will show very noticeable reactions. The National Association of School Physiologists has identified reactions that can occur when children go through a disaster.

  • Preschoolers—thumb sucking, bed-wetting, clinging to parents, sleep disturbances, loss of appetite, fear of the dark, regression in behavior, and withdrawal from friends and routines. 
  • Elementary School Children—irritability, aggressiveness, clinginess, nightmares, school avoidance, poor concentration, and withdrawal from activities and friends. 
  • Adolescents—sleeping and eating disturbances, agitation, increase in conflicts, physical complaints, delinquent behavior, and poor concentration.
Respond to the child's reaction. Acknowledge their reaction. Accept their reaction. Empathize with their reaction. If they are crying, it's okay to cry with them. If they are angry, let them know you understand how they must be feeling.

Listen. Ask questions. Listen. Ask questions. Listen. Allow kids to express their feelings, concerns, and fears. Verbalizing what they are feeling will help them begin to process it. If the child doesn't want to verbally communicate, then encourage them to write down or draw what they are feeling.

Be prepared to answer the same questions several times. Children will ask questions several times when something is hard to understand or they need reassurance.

Share God's promises with the child. Read appropriate verses that deal with what the child is feeling. Have the child read the verses out loud with you and share what it means to them. 

Pray with the child about the tragedy. Pray with simple, childlike words of faith. Give the child the opportunity to pray as well. Tell God how you are both feeling and ask for His help to get through it.

Let the child know that Jesus is their best friend and will always be with them no matter what they go through.  He will never leave them.
 
Help meet their needs. If the child and family have experienced personal loss, rally support and help them get back on their feet.

Help the children get back into a routine as soon as possible. Routine helps bring security and stability back into to a child's life.

Provide opportunities for the child and family to take a break. Fun, entertaining activities can help bring some relief from the turmoil they are experiencing.

Be there. Even if you are at a loss for words, just being there for the child and family will make a difference.

Walking with a child and family through a disaster usually comes unexpectedly...and it's never easy. You may have a lump in your throat and your heart may be skipping a beat. That's okay. Do your best and lean on total dependence in the Great Comforter.

Now is the Time to Prepare for the Fall Ministry Season

Even though we are in the middle of summer, now is the time to plan and prepare for your fall ministry season. Vacations will be over before you know it and school will be back in session.

For most churches, there are two growth seasons. Spring time and fall time.

These are times when you will see more guests attending and families will be more faithful to attend as they settle back into a regular routine.

Let's talk about the fall ministry season. How can you maximize this time and see engagement and growth?

Here are some steps you should be taking now to prepare.

Plan to have a training meeting / rally.

In August, it will be time to rally your volunteer troops. Have a big training event. Inspire your team. Prepare your team. Encourage your team. Equip your team.

This is a good time to bring in an outside speaker. At least once a year, it is good for your team to hear from someone outside your ministry. This will help you reinforce what you are teaching your team.

If you are looking for an outside speaker for this, I am available to help you. I offer live, in person training at your church. I can work within your budget. You can get more information and schedule me at this link.

Another option is live, virtual, online training. I come to you live through Zoom or another online conference app. I only charge $99 for this for your entire team. You can get more information and schedule me at this link.

Engage volunteers who have been out for the summer. You've probably had some volunteers out while they were on vacation, taking a break, etc.

It is a good thing for your volunteers to take some days off during the summer. But now it's time to re-engage them as the fall approaches. You want all hands on deck when school starts back and the fall ministry season begins.

Begin preparing for your fall events - back to school Sunday, fall festival, mid-week discipleship, high attendance push, etc.

Get a jump start so you can make these events successful and effective.

Engage families who have been out for the summer.

Normally churches have an attendance dip in the summer months as families are on vacation, traveling, visiting family, etc.

Once school starts back, families begin to settle down into a routine. Make sure you connect with families and encourage them to get back into a regular pattern of attending church. Don't just assume they will re-engage. Reach out to them and help them get back in a regular attendance pattern.

Prepare now for the fall and then watch what God does through your ministry in the months ahead.


Kids' Choice Winners...Who Today's Kids Like

I often talk about how we must enter the world of kids if we are going to reach them.

When missionaries go to reach people, they enter their world. They study the culture of the people they are trying to reach.  What they eat.  They learn the language of the people. They find out what traditions and legacies the people have. They do everything they can so they can connect with the people they are called to reach. 

We are missionaries to kids. if we are going to connect with them, then we need to learn about what they like. 

Nickelodeon's Kids' Choice Awards is a great way to find out what today's kids like.  A few weeks ago, the winners of the 2025 Kids' Choice Awards were announced.  Kids cast their votes and determine the winners, so it's a great way to look into the culture of today's kids. 

Want to start a conversation with a child?  Want to connect with today's kids? This list is a great way to do this. Check it out and use it to talk with kids about their culture.

p.s. This is not an endorsement of the people below but simply a way to connect with today's kids.

Favorite Kids' TV Show - The Thundermans Undercover 

Favorite Male TV Star (Kids) - Jack Griffo (Max Thunderman, The Thundermans: Undercover) 

Favorite Female TV Star (Kids) - Kira Kosarin (Phoebe Thunderman, The Thundermans: Undercover) 

Favorite Family TV Show - XO, Kitty

Favorite Male TV Star (Family) - Xolo MaridueƱa (Miguel Diaz, Cobra Kai)

Favorite Female TV Star (Family) - Peyton List (Tory Nichols, Cobra Kai) 

Favorite Reality TV Show - America’s Got Talent

Favorite Cartoon - SpongeBob SquarePants

Favorite Movie - Wicked 

Favorite Movie Actor - Jack Black (Steve, A Minecraft Movie)

Favorite Movie Actress - Ariana Grande (Glinda, Wicked)

Favorite Animated Movie - Inside Out 2 

Favorite Male Animated Voice From a Movie - Dwayne Johnson (Maui, Moana 2) 

Favorite Female Animated Voice From a Movie - Auli’i Cravalho (Moana, Moana 2

Favorite Villain - Jim Carrey (Dr. Robotnik, Sonic the Hedgehog 3)

Favorite Butt-Kicker - Emma Myers (Natalie, A Minecraft Movie)

Favorite Female Artist - SZA 

Favorite Male Artist - Bruno Mars

Favorite Music Group - Stray Kids

Favorite Song - “Taste” – Sabrina Carpenter 

Favorite Music Collaboration - “Luther” – Kendrick Lamar and SZA 

Favorite Female Breakout Artist - Sabrina Carpenter

Favorite Male Breakout Artist - Benson Booned

Favorite Album - Short n’ Sweet – Sabrina Carpenter

Favorite Global Music Star - Africa: Tyla

Favorite Song From a Movie - “Defying Gravity” – Cynthia Erivo (ft. Ariana Grande) 

Favorite Viral Song - “Bluest Flame” – Selena Gomez, Benny Blanco

Favorite Female Sports Star - Simone Biles

Favorite Male Sports Star - LeBron James 

Favorite Male Creator - Mr. Beast  

Shooting at VBS...A Reminder of The Importance of Having a Security Team

Last week, a 31-year-old man opened fire outside a Michigan church during their VBS.  

It happened at around 11:15 am at CrossPointe Community Church in the city of Wayne. 

Brian Browning has been identified as the shooter.  He attended the church with his mother.  

Browning showed up wearing a tactical vest and carrying both an AR-15 style rifle and a handgun with over a dozen fully loaded magazines.  He didn't have any prior criminal history.

Church staff first noticed his behavior near the church's parking lot. He exited his vehicle armed and began shooting in the direction of the church, where children were performing on stage.  You can see this in a video that captured what happened inside the church. 

A church member attempted to stop the man by striking him with a vehicle. The suspect responded by shooting at the vehicle multiple times. As the confrontation escalated, two members of the church's staff returned fire and fatally shot the man.

The actions of the church staff prevented what could have been a much more deadly attack. They undoubtedly saved many lives and prevented a large-scale mass shooting.

 

This is a stark reminder of how important it is to have an armed security team at your church.  Safety must be a top priority. You never know what could happen and you must be prepared. 

Safety and security is a big deal to parents and rightly so.  Parents want to know that their children will be safe when they are in your children's ministry. 

What steps should you take to protect the kids and families in your ministry?

How can you ensure kids and parents will be safe when they are in your ministry?

I can help you with this.  I have an on demand video seminar that can help you keep your ministry prepared and safe.

Session 1 - Why Safety & Security Must Be a Top Priority in Your Church

You'll learn why it's so important not only for protecting children, but for reaching families and growing your church as well.

Session 2 - Predator Proofing Your Ministry

The enemy will try to send predators into your ministry. Discover the keys to keeping them out and keeping children safe.

Session 3 - Safeguarding & Securing Your Ministry

Be prepared for terrorism, active shooters, crisis, dealing with unstable people, taking care of medical issues and other situations.

Includes...

  • Video recording of all sessions in both streaming and downloadable formats
  • Audio recording of all sessions
  • Handouts from all sessions
  • You can show the training to as many people as you'd like at one low cost.  

You can get more information and watch the training at this link.   

Get the tools and insight you need to protect the kids and families in your ministry.