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Category Archives: Strategies
Serving the King is the Noblest of Things…Laura Lee Wright
1 Peter 4:10, tells us, “As each has received a gift, use it to serve one another.” We teach our kids with disabilities from early on that service is a part of having a relationship with King Jesus! Some kids pray, others collect offerings, others attend service days and package food that will be eaten on the African continent! For others, their ministry is to be amongst us. For Kingdom Sake, how are you teaching others to serve? Continue reading
Kids With Aggressive Behavior at Church…How Can Parents Help?
Parents of kids at risk for aggressive behavior have responsibilities they should meet in order for everyone (their child, other children, volunteers and church staff) to have a God-honoring experience that promotes Kingdom building and spiritual growth. Here are four steps parents can take to help improve the likelihood their child will be safely and successfully included in church programming and activities… Continue reading
Kids With Aggressive Behavior…What’s it Like For Their Parents?
Bottom line…families of kids with maladaptive aggression have lots of needs. They need a welcoming church where they can grow spiritually so that they can fulfill their responsibilities as the primary faith trainers to their other children. They have relational needs. They need Christian community, but they also need time to build their relationships with one another. They also need a place where they feel accepted. Continue reading
Church…A Hostile Environment? (Part Two) Harmony Hensley
I would encourage you to take a two pronged approach to making your church a more welcoming environment for families and kids impacted by disability.
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Church…A Hostile Environment? Harmony Hensley
For families and children impacted by disability church is all too often viewed as a “hostile” environment in which they feel judged or unwelcome. Sadly, I’ve met a number of families who would summarize their church experience this way.
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Other Factors Contributing to Aggressive Behavior at Church
In Part Six of our Fall series on including kids with aggressive behavior at church, we’ll examine how sensory issues, anxiety and difficulties processing social cues can increase the risk of aggressive behavior and highlight opportunities for church staff and volunteers to take steps to moderate these risks.
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Posted in Autism, Inclusion, Strategies
Tagged aggression, anxiety, church, Inclusion, Key Ministry, sensory integration
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When Mood Dysregulation Heightens Risk for Aggression at Church
Here’s a general rule of thumb…When a child or teen is demonstrating aggressive behavior that appears to be predominantly impulsive in nature, decreasing the sensory stimulation in the environment is generally helpful. When a child or teen demonstrates aggressive behavior resulting primarily from perseveration on a perceived hurt or frustration, distracting the child as early as possible in the cycle is generally helpful. Continue reading
When are kids most at risk of aggressive behavior at church?
Most kids who display aggressive behavior serious enough in terms of frequency and/or severity to be of concern to church staff and volunteers will meet the criteria for one or more mental health or developmental disorders. Nevertheless, children’s and youth ministry staff and volunteers need to take steps to minimize antecedents to aggressive behavior without specific information about a child’s diagnosis or treatment. Continue reading
Posted in Hidden Disabilities, Inclusion, Ministry Environments, Strategies
Tagged aggressive behavior at church, children's ministry, Chuck Swindoll, executive functioning, Harmony Hensley, Hidden Disabilities, Inclusion, Inclusion Fusion, Jeff McNair, Jeremy Collins, Katie Wetherbee, Key Ministry, Marie Kuch, Shannon Dingle, youth ministry
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Why do kids become aggressive?
One contributing factor to aggressive behavior you can influence as a ministry leader is the environment in which your kids worship, learn and serve at church. You want to consider how you can create environments that help all kids to maximize their capacity to use all of their cognitive resources for the best possible experience at church.
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