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5 Tips for Working With Divorced Families Over Christmas

If you lead a children’s ministry, check out these five tips for working with divorced families over Christmas.

If you work with family ministry, chances are you have kids in your care who come from what many would call a “modern family.” Modern families come in many shapes and sizes, but today, let’s focus on divorced families. It’s important to keep in mind children’s home life when planning for holidays such as Christmas. Holidays can be stressful for any family, but there are special considerations for working with divorced families in these seasons. Here are five tips to keep in mind.

5 Tips for Working With Divorced Families Over Christmas

1. Keep extra supplies.

Keep extra supplies for craft projects on hand so kids can make two of each item. It can be emotionally distressing for children to have to decide which parent gets their craft.

2. Don’t hesitate to mail cards or gifts.

When you offer to mail cards or gifts to the other parent, you’ll help kids rest assured that they aren’t offending the parent who brought them to church.

3. Be sensitive when talking about holiday family traditions.

If a child has lost all family traditions, encourage the child by offering ideas about how to celebrate at home with one parent.

4. Invite both parents.

Ask kids from families affected by divorce if they’d like to invite both parents to events such as children’s programs. Check with the parents who bring the kids to church when planning for programs. Find out which children will be in attendance that week. Be cautious about assigning major speaking parts or solos to kids whose parents are divorced, as this can cause embarrassment if the parent who doesn’t attend the church refuses to bring his or her child to the event.

5. Watch for kids who become sad and depressed over holidays.

Spend a few extra minutes with children who may be remembering holiday times with their once-intact family.


These great tips came from Sunday School That Works. Overflowing with expert insights from more than 20 successful ministry leaders, this book guarantees practical solutions for every area of your Sunday school ministry.

How do you handle today’s modern families? Let us know using the comment section below.

Check out all our Christmas posts.

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