We live in an ever-changing world. While this may be an over-used cliché – and I just used it – it is nonetheless true. The times in which we live are really no better or worse than in the past. They do, however, take a different shape in the context of our inter-connected world. We now know far more and know it far more quickly than ever before. As youth leaders we are therefore in a different realm when tragedies and disasters happen locally and globally. Our youth are quickly connected and affected by events directly or indirectly impacting them. We will see the effects of these experiences in the social, emotional, mental and even physical well-being of the teenagers and families we love.

What then should be our response? Over the next three months I am offering a three-part blog series addressing the following topics:

1)    “What I Feel”

2)    “What I Know”

3)    “What I Do (or should I do)”

WHAT I FEEL: Thoughts and reflections of a youth pastor in a post-traumatic world

When you reflect on your life to this point, what events would also be remembered by your location at the time the event occurred? In this situation you might hear yourself say, “I remember exactly where I was when such and such happened.”

I was only four years old when President John F. Kennedy was assassinated but I remember who told me and where I was. In 2001 I was 42 years old and I remember where I was and who told me of the tragedy on September 11th.

What is behind the combination of an event and the clear memory of our context? Some of these memories may be tied to very happy occasions i.e. marriage proposal or weddings. Sadly, most are paired with a highly impactful tragedy we have experienced second-hand or even first-hand. Along with the bigger events we carry recollections associated with multiple other circumstances.

As a youth pastor for over three and a half decades I have walked with teenagers and families through countless events of separation, injury, tragedy and death. In each moment I faced – and still face - the following choices all related to my feelings about what has just happened:

1)    Acknowledge the person’s or persons’ circumstances and then move on

2)    Ignore the circumstances and hope somebody else will take care of those affected

3)    Acknowledge the circumstances and try to “fix” it

4)    Acknowledge the circumstances, “sit” with those who have been impacted, listen to them and provide resources/support to help them work through the post-traumatic issues.

Depending on the situation I may be dealing with my own personal response to what I have just experienced. This complicates my response as a healer also feeling pain.

In times of tragedy we will “feel” for ourselves and those around us. We cannot settle for choices #1, 2 and 3 listed above but where do we find the resources to implement choice #4? We’ll address this in the next blog

Questions for consideration

·      What has worked or not worked for you in dealing with your personal feelings following a traumatic event?

·      What has worked or not worked for you in responding to others’ feelings following a traumatic event?

Doug Ranck is associate pastor of youth and worship at Free Methodist Church of Santa Barbara, CA.  With three decades of youth ministry experience, he serves as a consultant, trainer and speaker with Ministry Architects, the Southern California Conference, and, nationally, with the Free Methodist Church.  He has written numerous articles for youth ministry magazines and websites, and published the Creative Bible Lessons Series: Job (Zondervan, 2008).  Doug is happily married to Nancy, proud father of Kelly, Landon and Elise, and never gets tired of looking at the Pacific ocean every day. 

Philip Browning Helsel, "Phil," is assistant professor of pastoral care and counseling at Boston College.  He earned his doctorate from Princeton Theological Seminary and also holds his M.Div. from Princeton. Before arriving at the STM, he was an instructor and teaching fellow at Candler School of Theology in Atlanta, GA (2010-2011). A Minister of Word and Sacrament in the Presbyterian Church (USA), he has been a chaplain, congregational pastor, and a pastoral counselor in training.

. . . In these circumstances, a pastoral care response to trauma involves finding a way to bless and find a place for the appropriate nature of trauma symbols. In her theological discussion of child abuse, Jennifer Erin Beste (2007) argues that persons who have faced severe interpersonal harm must have a community of supportive others who are able to express God’s love to them, repairing basic aspects of their emotional lives such as the capacity to separate the past from the present. This article proposes a community of support that would be able to operate within PNS functionality, able to teach self-calming behaviors through regulated breathing, yoga, guided imagery, music, and art and other forms of processing that could allow for a firm and still awareness.* These could be combined with a nutritious and well-prepared meal accompanied by a cup of lukewarm water, given the fact that tepid temperatures do not disturb the body’s chemical balance.

Since trauma survivors are sometimes not able to recover complete regulation of their nervous systems on their own, they require a community of “witnesses” who will surround them with the sources of regulation (Rambo 2010). Among the chief resources of Christian caregivers and spiritual caregivers in hospitals and other settings is that of embodied rituals that can restore a person to an entire sense of self while blessing the survival skills associated with the activation of each nervous system.

In what follows, I describe a ritual designed to bless the experience of self-states associated with nervous system activation and to help persons find an appropriate place for these responses. In this ritual, the role of the body as resistant to trauma is emphasized, as is the knowledge gained from traumatic experience. This ritual draws together the emphasis from somatic experiencing therapy on the body as the site of knowledge embedded in resistance against trauma with a spirituality related to each nervous system.

Ritual Format

These series of prayers could follow after a day of teaching at a workshop for Christian and Jewish trauma survivors. Participants could be encouraged to engage as they felt comfortable but also to leave the ritual space if necessary. The ritual provided here offers something particular that recent rituals for trauma survivors do not, namely, a blessing for the originally self-preservative intentions of the body’s response to trauma (Procter-Smith 1990; Rogers 2002).

Retreatants begin with five minutes of three-six breathing (breathing in for three seconds with hands held at the diaphragm and breathing out for six seconds with hands held at the diaphragm). Then they are invited to calculate their pulse, jotting it down on a piece of paper— this activity reinforces their capacity to regulate their own bodily systems, and they may experience further relaxation when they return to the pulse later in the workshop and mark it. If participants feel uncomfortable sitting they may stand with a low center of gravity and sway gently from side to side, even pushing lightly against a partner’s hand if they wish.

Order of Service:


Leader: O God, Out of the desert of despair and dry valleys of desperation you bring us. Participants: Hear the voice of our prayer and no longer let us be speechless.


L: May your entire self listen to the voices we raise, God, and may you be moved by our witness.


P: While we felt afraid and alone, we now join voices together with a spirit of courage, knowing that this very same courage brought us far along the journey.


First reading: Psalm 130.


Prayer of Blessing for the Power to Freeze: The prophet Isaiah claimed that “in quietness and trust shall be your strength” (30:15). We praise you O God for the ability to hide, for stillness and for the ways that numbness protected us from the injury of overwhelming fear. We thank you for the ability to “go inside” when all the world was unsafe and for the sense that in an inaccessible inner darkness we guarded things that were precious to us but that would be damaged by a cruel world, secret thoughts, the powers of our minds. We thank you for the great knowledge that comes hard-earned from the experiences of pain and for the ways that we have learned to let our core self guide us, being supported from deep within. We bless you for the power to freeze.

Release the Gifts: Having known abject terror, we thank you for those who have allowed us to take our time and gradually return to the land of the present-time. Now that we are in a safe circle, we place this ability to freeze in its place, close at hand, among the gifts of deep contemplation and the wisdom of winter. And we thank you for the range of feelings that come from being awake and engaged in the world. We place the immobility of freezing back in its rightful place and allow warmth to return to our core, heating us with the breath of our abdomen, deep inside.

We give thanks for the animals that “play dead” and escape, and for the knowledge that is expressed in their bodies as they shake and wake up, knowing in our limbs that same kind of wisdom. May we return to the soul of things, to our guts, where we can grow and be safe and free. Warmly radiating from the center of us, may our hearts be aligned with gut-wisdom.

Participants are encouraged to rise, walk around the room, shake their limbs, and return when ready.

Second reading: Psalm 139.

Prayer of Blessing for the Power to Fight and Flee: God, you heard the cries of the Hebrew people in bondage and you guided them safely into a new place and you used the energy of their witness to help them flee and fight oppression. We give you thanks for the tremendous energy of the heart that springs forth in terror when fear arises; we give you thanks for the strength that is released when we defend our inherent dignity against violation based on your image within us. We thank you for the knowledge of self-defense and release, the freedom that comes from knowing our power and using that power to resist the evil of both oppression and control. Bless the limbs that have been toughened and scarred from fighting. Bless the feet that have fled and have felt the travail of exhaustion.

Release the Gifts: The prophet Isaiah promises that those who are tired will be borne up on wings like eagles, experiencing God’s sustaining power. May that same power help us to calm our hearts, to keep our power close by even while we rest for a time from diligent self-preservation. May we feel a profound love that soothes our hearts, returning warmth to our hands and erasing the furrows from our brow so that we can rest both our fighting hands and our running shoes, all the time keeping them close at hand.

We thank you for the gazelle that escapes the lion and for the buffalo that charges its hunters, and we find place for this incredible strength of heart and limb, breathing deeply through our hearts and calming its rhythm, even as we warm our hands, palms, fingers, feet, soles, and toes. Tensing and shaking out the hamstrings as we sit, we feel the strength of legs that have learned to run and can kick and arms that can both rest and fight. 

Again, participants are invited to rise and walk in slow circles in the retreat space, shaking tension from their hands and feet, and visiting with each other briefly. 

Third Reading: Psalm 17

Prayer of Blessing for the Power to Rest: God, you created us for safe and life-giving relationships. We thank you for the connections we make that are filled with both love and justice, mutuality in both power and place, and knowledge that comes from the deep sharing of linked lives. We thank you for the embodied rhythms of sleep, rest, and sexual desire, for the share pleasures of foods close to the earth and good water, for the knowledge that comes from using our minds to build connections to others and to nourish them in ways that lead to a flourishing of justice.

Releasing the Gifts: We hold this rest lightly, knowing that it may be stressed again, but having peace that it is a place to which we can return, given the wisdom of the mind and the kindness of friends. We give thanks for the crow that learns and remembers, returns to perform the same tasks, and with its decade-long recall for the human face makes connections to others. We thank you for those fearless ones who have remembered trauma and refused to allow societies to forget. For the gifts of the fully awake present, engaged in the capacity to remember, rejoice, lament and bless, we give you thanks and praise. 

Participants are invited to write a note of blessing for a fellow retreatant. 

Closing benediction:
May God bless your life-saving stillness, your freedom to fight or flee, the contentment of rest, creativity, and reflection, and your ability to mend the world. We give thanks for the knowledge gained in your bodies and we restore it to its proper place, ready to be used again when needed. May God strengthen your capacity for Holy Desire, beginning with the desire for your own love and self-protection.

Participants are encouraged to leave the workshop in an attitude of reverence. 

Given the analysis of somatic therapy, it is important that the offering of the ritual prayers be done with careful attention to the physical and somatic experiences of those attending, with careful intention not to use male images for God or metaphors of rule and lordship (Procter- Smith 1996) but also to attend to the physical experience of participants. If possible, the ritual should take place somewhere other than the church and should be officiated by a woman clergy rather than a man. In terms of ritual experience, it is also important that facilitators understand and explain the dynamics of prayer, including the notion that prayer is not the same as magical thinking or creating a miracle that means instant recovery . . . 

Philip Browning Helsel, "Phil," is assistant professor of pastoral care and counseling at Boston College. He earned his doctorate from Princeton Theological Seminary and also holds his M.Div. from Princeton. Before arriving at the STM, he was an instructor and teaching fellow at Candler School of Theology in Atlanta, GA (2010-2011). A Minister of Word and Sacrament in the Presbyterian Church (USA), he has been a chaplain, congregational pastor, and a pastoral counselor in training.

Thousands of people around the globe filled city streets with banners and signs chanting
"I can't breathe" in response to a grand jury's decision to not indict New York City police officer
Daniel Pantaleo for the killing of Staten Island resident Eric Garner. It was a decision that was
highly anticipated given the backlash for a lack of indictment of another policer officer in
Ferguson, Missouri for the killing of a young unarmed black male named Michael Brown. New
York City especially felt the effects of this decision with protesters walking the streets for several successive evenings in an effort to disrupt traffic and city logistics with an understanding that if the citizens could not get justice, then the city would not get peace. Police presence was heavy, but they were given instructions to allow peaceful protests to go unobstructed. The mayor's empathetic tone for protestors put police officers on edge. During this turmoil another police officer shoots an unarmed black male named Akai Gurley as he was walking down the stairs of his building. Tensions rose throughout the city and just when things were reaching its peak two NYPD officers were shot while sitting in their patrol car by a man who claimed to be exacting revenge for the recent victims of police killings. All of this happens within a span of 17 days and the question is how does the church engage in the healing process when so much community trauma has taken place. My congregation, and several others have chosen to engage in protest, prayer, and partnership as a way of promoting healing and peace within our congregations and community.

After the decision of the grand jury to not indict officer Pantaleo several Brooklyn pastors
joined together in an effort to create a space for the church to practice peaceful protest for those who could not and would not join in the late night protest. This was a particularly sensitive issue because several members of the congregation are police officers, but in dialogue with them and other officers I felt confident in promoting this protest without the fear of it seeming anti-police. We ended service early and marched with several other congregations within the community to express our discontent and to stand in line with the rich history of the African American church of speaking up to issues of injustice. As we marched onlookers within the community joined our walk, sang beside us, and prayed with us. 

Since prayer is a tool for transformative power the march ended with a prayer rally.
Congregations had been praying on their own, but it was important to pray together as a part of the larger community. It was a great moment for the community and a call to action for the
churches within the community to continue experiences like this. We were called to do it again
after the shootings of Officers Rafael Ramos and Wenjian Liu, the two officers shot in their
patrol car. The shape of it changed in that it was a prayer vigil for peace and justice. We were
careful to be sensitive to the police officers during their time of grief while also keeping in mind
that justice was still at the forefront of the discussion. Eric Garner's sister, Ellisha Flagg, also
joined us in our call for peace and spoke to all those gathered. This rally was planned in
partnership with our local councilman and police precinct. Some officers from the community
affairs bureau of our local precinct marched with us as we continued to try to bring healing to
our community after so many devastating events began to take its toll. We prayed together for
the victims of senseless violence, the safety of police officers, the relationship between the
mayor and the NYPD along with the relationship between the community and NYPD. It was a
sobering reminder that in the grand scheme of things all lives truly do matter and have value in the sight of God. A powerful moment occurred when one of the pastor's read the names of those who were killed in our community to violence in the past year. As each name was read and single white ballon was released into the sky. 

Certainly the need for continued healing is important. The local congregations have
decided to continue partnering together to create experiences that foster healing and prayer. We have also decided to partner with the local police precinct and elected officials to create
dialogue and ensure that the community still has a say in policy and how it is policed. Needless
to say these partnerships already existed but trauma has a way of reshaping and remodeling
our current practices. Through continued dialogue we are better able to deal with traumatic
issues when they arise instead of being reactionary. 

Reverend Shaun J. Lee, a Brooklyn, New York native, serves as the seventh pastor of the Mount Lebanon Baptist Church.  His ministry focuses on getting individuals to establish a true relationship with Christ, establishing a meaningful membership in God’s church and a concrete connection with the surrounding and global community. Reverend Lee firmly believes that the Word, Worship, and Work are central to advancing the Kingdom of God. An active member of Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Inc., Reverend Lee aims to connect with the un-churched through various pillars he’s set in place. Staying in tune with his own personal passions of social justice, he crafted institutions to reflect his ministry including a monthly soup kitchen, back-to-school BBQ that provides 500 children with supplies, a strong social media presence led by volunteers from the congregation and the Judges 19 Ministry which focuses on helping both men and women victimized by domestic abuse. Reverend Lee is married to Valerie, and delights in the nurture of their daughters Sian and Sanai.

It's been a remarkable year, and here are ten posts readers found most useful for learning about and responding to local and national crises among their congregations. 


Learning to Build Resilience – Dr. Storm Swain, Lutheran Seminary, discussing ministers learning and practicing congregational resiliency

Seven Key Traits of a Trauma-Informed Congregation – providing a definition for "trauma-informed" practice and detailing characteristics of trauma-informed faith-based community

Responding to Campus Shooting – Rabbis Arthur Gross-Schaeffer and Suzy Stone discuss congregational response following the stabbing and shooting incident at UCSB

Singing Binds Us Together – discussing research and case studies related to congregational singing as a source of healing and strength

Children's Ministry Before, During and After Trauma – Volunteer Director of Curriculum, Ryan Timpte, begins a series addressing children's ministry and topics of trauma

Place in this World – Ms. Melissa Marley Bonnichsen, University of Notre Dame, discussing college ministry after crises

Tracing the Emotional Impacts of Congregational Trauma – provides visual aids for learning emotional tendencies of group and congregational response after trauma 

Supporting our Students When Shots are Heard on Campus – Ms. Melissa Marley Bonnichsen, University of Notre Dame, discussing campus ministry following mass violence

Living after Trauma – discussing relational tools for congregations supporting trauma survivors

Job, A Living Teaching from God – Rabbi Stephen Roberts discussing congregational response to local crises based on the teachings of Job