You might be surprised to find children of divorce in your church. It might mean one has to look differently for children of divorce and in places you might not have considered.
For example, ever thought about children in two-parent families being from a divorce?
- If you have any blended or step family situations then more than likely you have children of divorce.
- Have any families where children have different last names? Then you more than likely have children of divorce.
- Have any parents that always sit in the back and alone with his or her kids? Then you more than likely have kids of divorce.
- Have any children who are dropped off every so often and they don’t come every Sunday? Then you too probably have kids of divorce.
Many churches that have a close-knit church family don’t realize there are children of divorce in their congregations. It might be because you don’t see these kids. Ask God to open your eyes so you “see” them.
If you don’t have children of divorce in your church, then look outside your church walls and into your community. Nationally one in three kids now live in a single parent home. If you church represents your community are one in three kids sitting in your classes on Sunday from a single parent home? While not all children in single parent homes are from a divorced situation, the majority will be.
DivorceCare for Kids or DC4K can be a bridge into your community and bring the lost kids into your church. It can also serve as a bridge inside your church as it will help children of divorce heal and feel accepted into the overall church family.
Your thoughts?
DC4K blogs posts are great to use in training children’s leaders and volunteers and they are free. Subscribe to the DC4K blog here
Want to learn more about how to start a DivorceCare for Kids group for the hurting children in your community. Click here
Great edification of His word. Children seek compassionate unbiased leadership. Sadly, many congregations have not included this ministry as their future well-watered crop. “There souls shall be like a well watered garden…” Jeremiah 31:12. We must lift up and raise up these young miracles of His promise, instead of viewing them as an unresolved liabilitiy.
Twylla, thank you for the scripture in Jeremiah 31. It fits so well the children of divorce in the church. Sometimes, as you evidently know, the church family may be the family that leads a child to Christ and teaches them what a Christian marriage looks like. Linda J
Great advice! I am a single mother of two wonderful kids. My struggle that has always weighed on my heart: all programs are set up for children who atten every week. Often there is one parent who brings their children to church but the other parent does not. So the children always are behind and/are missing out on consistent spiritual teaching and encouragement – on top of connecting with kids at church. This is something the children have no control over … Is there a solution?
Thanks Eluzabeth. Something that might bring you a little comfort is that research now shows that most kids don’t attend church every Sunday even kids from two-parent homes. However, we know that in many small to medium size churches and churches in small communities do attend almost every Sunday. The solution, I think, is to educate our children’s pastors. Give them ways to reach out to the kids from single parent homes. Offer suggestions of ways to reach out to these kids during the weeks they aren’t there and send them notes from the sessions they miss. Make them aware of the plight of kids in single parent homes. And that is what this blog tries to do each week. 🙂