RESOURCES IN RESPONSE TO GUN VIOLENCE

Here is a list of resources for parents and caregivers of kids of all ages. I pray you’ll find it beneficial as you guide your little (or not-so-little) one on their journey to adulthood. 

• First, here is a statement that ELCA Presiding Bishop Elizabeth Eaton issued earlier this year. It’s worth reading again. 
• The ELCA has also created a 60-day journey toward justice in a culture of gun violence. 
• And a Social Message from the ELCA on Community Violence. 

Resources for Children of All Ages

• How to talk to children about shootings: an age-by-age guide from “Today”.
• Resources and tips to help children cope with trauma and grief from the Child Mind Institute.
• Talking with kids about difficult things in the news from the Fred Rogers Center
• Helping kids grieve from Sesame Street.
• Helping kids cope with the effects of violence from Sesame Street.
• 15 Tips for Talking with Children about Violence from Colorín colorado (also en español)

 

Resources for Teenagers

• Good Grief  from Fuller Youth Institute.
• Processing the Tragedy of School Shootings from Fuller Youth Institute.
• Processing Tragedy with Teenagers from Fuller Youth Institute. 

 

For Further Reading

• Gun Violence Resources by the Society of Pediatric Nurses. 

 

A Way to Take Action

• If you’d like to take practical steps outside of just your family, you can join a Moms Demand Action local chapter. Students can take similar action by joining a Moms Demand Action Student Group. 

• What to Do When the News Scares You 
• Dawn Huebner has also released a similar book for kids 6 to 12, Something Bad Happened: A Kid’s Guide to Coping With Events in the News 
• For parents and educators, there’s an excellent guide filled with conversation scripts and tips on helping kids feel calm in an anxious world, When the World Feels Like a Scary Place 
• For a simple yet powerful picture book that reassures kids that the world is filled with helpful and friendly people — and serves as a counterpoint to scary news stories — check out Most People for ages 4 to 7
• For a few helpful books for younger kids on coping with worries, we recommend The Don’t Worry Book for ages 3 to 5, Ruby Finds A Worry for ages 4 to 7 , and The Whatifs for ages 4 to 8.
• For older kids, we recommend What To Do When You Worry Too Much for ages 6 to 12, Outsmarting Worry for ages 9 to 13, and The Anxiety Workbook for Teens for ages 13 and up
• For more books to help kids of all ages manage their worries, visit theblog post 25 Books to Help Kids Overcome Anxiety, Worry, and Fear 

SERVICE

• Sign up to use your gifts in worship at Epiphany: slides, ushers, communion assistants, acolytes, cantors, and more!
• Volunteer with Epiphany’s Pantry Ministry
• Collect children’s books for the Storybook Project
• Learn more about the Hatian Timoun Foundation and find ways to support their ministry in Haiti.
• Collect prom dresses and connect with the ministry of Operation Prom Dress
• Invite your friends to check out Epiphany online worship
• Make encouragement cards for Epiphany’s homebound members. Contact Natalie Heimann for the list.
• Have every family member create a collage highlighting the qualities, interests, talents, and skills they would like to share to make the world a better place. Pull out the art supplies and even augment your drawings with words/images from old magazines. Talk about your “hero” portraits with one another. Tell how you might share your passions to make a positive difference.
• Random acts of kindness
  • • Pick up litter in your neighborhood.
    • Weed or plant flowers for a neighbor.
    • Take turns helping make your family dinner.
• Shine God’s light by doing random acts of kindness this week. Here are a few examples:
  • • Give someone a compliment either in a letter, text, or on their social media.
    • Call your grandparents or another older relative and ask them about their childhood. (Don’t forget to share what’s happening in your life, too!)
    • Smile, wave, and say hi to everyone you meet today.
    • Wash the family car.
    • Leave a  random sticky note with a kind message or quote on the window of some cars or places around your house for family members to see.
• Make a prayer journal, ask those you know for prayer requests and pray for them.
• Create coloring book pages for isolated seniors
• Decorate cards for sick or hospitalized kids
• Being invited lets others know they belong. Let them know they belong by making them a friendship bracelet or other creative project.
  • • 4 different techniques to make friendship bracelets
    • Origami: Heart Box & Envelope
• Make and leave a thank you note in your mailbox for the mail carrier.
• Go online and write a great review for a local small business you like.
• Serve others by spreading hope and joy in your neighborhood. Chalk encouraging Bible verses, hearts, rainbows and more on your driveway or sidewalks.

INVITE

• This Year’s Goal: 1000 Hours Outside
• Gratitude: The practice of gratitude is about recognizing, trusting, and responding to God’s goodness and abiding presence with us. Here is a call and response that names and reinforces the posture and can be used to focus your family and/or get their attention:
  • • Leader: “God is good…”
    • Family: “all the time…”
    • Leader: “All the time…
    • Family: “God is good.”
• A new twist on popcorn prayers: Put a new twist on “popcorn prayers.” Give everyone 20 pieces of popcorn (or whatever number works for you). Invite everyone to think of things they’re grateful for. Take turns saying these things aloud. After every suggestion, everybody eats a piece of popcorn. See if you can finish your popcorn before you run out of things you’re thankful for!