The beginning of a new ministry year gives us an opportunity to reimagine ways we can welcome back students in our children, youth, and college ministries. We usually use this time to plan events for the year, decide on the preaching themes, and choose Bible study topics. Thinking through our ministry culture and environment is just as important as planning our ministry content. As the church, we want to be a community where people can grow and where healing and transformation can take place.

As you may be aware, schools are trying to become more trauma-informed because research shows that doing so provides the best learning environment for students. Becoming trauma-informed is one way a church can care for others well, too. Understanding how trauma affects our communities is important because we will have students who experience difficult dynamics at home or in school. Also, as ministries aiming to be a place of learning and growth, knowing how our brains work and weaving that understanding into our ministry can better support every student we serve. This month's tool will help you cultivate an environment where students can thrive as they learn about God's word and connect with each other.