Absolutely! In 2022, researchers at California Baptist University conducted a study evaluating the Reach Hurting Kids Workshop in sixteen church congregations. After completing Module 1 (“How Trauma Affects the Kids We Love and What to Do About It”) and Module 2 (“Discipline: Obstacle or Opportunity”), participants had a significantly better understanding of trauma and were statistically more likely to respond supportively to problem behaviors. Two months later, almost everyone shared specific stories about how the workshop improved their ministry.

Furthermore, in a 2023 pilot study, children reported significantly higher levels of received church-based social support three months after their small group leaders completed Module 4 of the Reach Hurting Kids Workshop (“How to Create a Life-Changing Small Group”).

The workshop is divided into four modules. Each module is designed to take about 75 minutes. We recommend keeping your team after church, providing lunch, and then going through one module. (The workshop is so engaging that the time just flies by.) Then do another module about three months later, which will give each module time to sink in, and it won’t feel overwhelming. This will provide you with a full year’s worth of team development materials.

Nope. We give you the videos, the worksheets, and the activity instructions. All you have to do is follow the manual. It’s just like the children’s ministry curriculum you’re used to. If you can teach a Sunday school class, you can lead the Reach Hurting Kids Workshop.

Not necessarily. In our research study, we compared workshops that were led by a trauma expert with workshops led by a children’s pastor. Both groups used our curriculum. It turned out that the pastor-led workshops were about 90% as effective as the expert-led workshops. In other words, doing it yourself is almost as good, and it is way less expensive than hiring someone to come to your church.

The standard license allows you to train staff and volunteers within your organization (e.g., church congregation) an unlimited number of times in perpetuity. In other words, you can lead the workshop over and over again as often as you’d like. There is no subscription fee or additional cost as long as you are only training individuals within your organization.

Childhood trauma is shockingly common, even among “good Christian families.” Research conducted by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control found that 2 out of 3 kids will experience at least one potentially traumatic event before their 18th birthday. Tragically, suicide attempts among children aged 10 to 12 increased 450% from 2000 to 2020. And childhood anxiety and depression doubled during COVID-19, with 1 in 4 experiencing clinical depression and 1 in 3 experiencing severe anxiety. Chances are, you have kids in your ministry right now who are struggling with trauma and associated mental illness.

However, it’s important to note that trauma-informed strategies aren’t just helpful for kids who have experienced trauma. They are best practice for all kids. The Reach Hurting Kids Workshop will help all your kids engage in the ministry, learn more, build supportive relationships, and draw closer to God!

The Reach Hurting Kids Workshop was developed by Robert Crosby, Ph.D., a research psychologist with nearly 30 years of children’s ministry experience, Lori Crosby, MFT, RPT-S, a registered play therapist who specializes in treating childhood trauma, Erin Smith, Ph.D., a cognitive developmental psychologist, instructional design expert Torria Davis, Ph.D, and children’s pastor Kayla Smith. Robert and Lori Crosby are co-authors of Trauma-Informed Children’s Ministry: A Practical Guide to Reaching Hurting Kids.

This video provides an in-depth demonstration of the Reach Hurting Kids Workshop training materials. Learn exactly what you get when you buy the workshop and how everything works.