Children, Individuals and Families in Vulnerable Situations
Jesus said, “Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them for the king of God belongs to such as these” (Mark 10:14). C³I aims to support congregations in ensuring that every child of God –every young and every grown-up child–has what is needed to flourish and grow. No generation –no child –should inherit the ashes of poverty and hopelessness.
With millions of people attending a church service at least once a week, it is integral that pastors and congregational leaders know how to best address trauma to avoid re-traumatization in their services, activities, and interactions. When leaders are knowledgeable of trauma and its effects, they are better able to serve their congregants and create a safe community for them to thrive.
Because C3I strives to believe the best of local congregations, we assert that the majority of congregations and congregational leaders want to serve their members well but simply have not been trained on the importance of being trauma-sensitive in their ministry. Based on the key principles and practices set forth by SAMHSA (2020), the services offered by C3I can address the need to offer safe, supportive, and culturally sensitive environments within congregations to decrease re-traumatization due to language and practices of congregational leaders from the pulpit and beyond.
Questions that congregations may be asking
- Is there a role for congregations to better engage the needs of foster care children and families?
- How are congregations ministering to the mental health needs of their community youth?
- What are the impacts of trauma within your congregation?
- What special needs ministries exist in congregations nation-wide and are they making an impact?
- How can we strengthen struggling public schools through congregation partnership?