You’re not alone. Most leaders are searching for the right songs, motions, and videos to get kids engaged. That’s a great place to start—but what about the kids who just… don’t?
What about the ones who sit down, tune out, or get overwhelmed? The ones who mourn? The ones who question God?
What if worship didn’t have to look just one way?
One of the most common complaints from children’s worship leaders is that the kids won’t stand, sing, and do the motions. However, worship is not “one size fits all.” We all carry our own temperament, our own experiences, and our own feelings into worship, especially if we carry the baggage of trauma. We need not force children to worship in the ways we are accustomed to. It doesn’t have to look the way we expect.
Instead, draw kids into worship by offering a variety of worship experiences that resonate with children’s unique hearts, souls, and circumstances.
Your kids don’t need to fit a mold to worship God.
This free Worship Guide will help you create space for every child—from the ones who love to sing to the ones who’d rather sit quietly or journal. Inside, you’ll find creative, trauma-informed ideas for helping kids express emotion, engage spiritually, and connect with God in ways that feel safe and real.
Design engaging kid-friendly prayer stations
Foster kids’ spiritual growth through liturgy and contemplative practices
Create space for kids to express a range of authentic emotions to God
Teach kids who to pray for each other, practice reverence, and worship God with their bodies (more than just hand motions!)
And much more!
Your kids don’t need to fit a mold to worship God.
This free Worship Guide will help you create space for every child—from the ones who love to sing to the ones who’d rather sit quietly or journal. Inside, you’ll find creative, trauma-informed ideas for helping kids express emotion, engage spiritually, and connect with God in ways that feel safe and real.
Design engaging kid-friendly prayer stations
Foster kids’ spiritual growth through liturgy and contemplative practices
Create space for kids to express a range of authentic emotions to God
Teach kids who to pray for each other, practice reverence, and worship God with their bodies (more than just hand motions!)
And much more!
The Reach Hurting Kids Workshop is a research-based, biblically grounded training curriculum that helps your volunteers:
Respond effectively to challenging behaviors
Create supportive & engaging ministry environments
Develop an authentic discipleship community
You’ll get everything you need to lead your own training—PowerPoint with embedded animated videos, instructor’s manual, participant workbooks, interactive activities—and most churches see results after only 75 minutes.
And yes: it’s trauma-informed, equipping your team to serve kids who struggle with mental illness, traumatic situations, and hidden disabilities—as well as every child in your ministry who longs to feel safe, seen, and loved.
Get more info about the Reach Hurting Kids Workshop and other trauma-informed children’s ministry resources from Reach Hurting Kids Institute.
Reach Hurting Kids Institute represents a collective effort by Christian researchers, pastors, mental health practitioners, professors, authors, conference speakers, professional networks, and parachurch organizations to reach the hurting kids in our congregations and communities.