Catone affirmed and challenged teachers, educators, and health professionals to be part of the solution in their respective classrooms and on their campuses. He also called out faith leaders who are serving in a variety of capacities: “You are part of the solution.”
Immediately following the gathering, staff members and church volunteers were available for prayer and counseling.
Dealing With Tragedy—How To Talk to Kids and Youth About Shootings
For parents who are wondering how to talk to their children about mass shooting, children’s pastor Sam Luce offers some helpful truths about talking with kids about tragedy. Kids of all ages are still developing critical thinking skills. Many, especially younger children, are still concrete thinkers and need help creating bridges between concrete and abstract thoughts.
“Don’t speak for God; point them to God,” Luce says. “God is always good, but what he does will not always make sense to you and me. There are mysteries that we will never fully understand. Don’t tell your kids what God should have done. Point them to the Word and teach them to trust God more than their eyes can see.”
And teens are directly affected by the increased number of school and mass shootings. Greg Stier, founder of Dare 2 Share Ministries, ministered to students and their families following the Columbine High School shooting in 1999. Since then, he has continued to serve alongside youth and penned ways to encourage them to respond to the reality of mass shootings.
“We can help our teenagers become change agents by equipping them to reach out to their peers with the good news of Jesus,” says Stier. “They can actively look for those at their schools who seem to be hurting, hated or hate-filled and begin to pray, care and share, out loud with words, the good news of the Gospel.”
