It is my experience that in modern times the care of children, particularly those in crisis, has been abandoned by the pastor.

My concern for ministry to children has been growing for a long time. My first experience in clinical pastoral education was at a children’s hospital. I will never forget how helpless I felt in caring for those children who were in pain, frightened, lonely, and suspicious of strangers who might represent more medical attention.

At a later time I served as a chaplain and supervisor of divinity students in hospital pediatric wards where I was reminded constantly of how difficult it could be to minister to children in crisis and how many pastors dodged the opportunity.

Like other pastoral counselors, I am impressed by the number of persons who have been through significant crises in childhood without any ministry from the church or from Christian ministers. It is clear to anyone who works in depth with people that crises in childhood can cause problems for people in their teen and adult years: unresolved grief, unnecessary fears, lack of trust, loss of self-esteem, and distorted ideas about both the character of God and how God works in the world.

It is also apparent that intervention by a committed, caring minister can enable children to pass through crises with a strengthened sense of self, renewed trust in their coping skills, and a firmer faith in God-who-is-love.

from When Children Suffer