M I N I S T RY | K I D S
When the Home Breaks Ministering to children of divorce By BRIAN DOLLAR
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ivorce. That word strikes fear into the hearts of both adults and children. Divorce alters the course of a family forever. No matter the circumstances, divorce hurts. I’ve worked with kids for nearly 30 years, and I have seen how the news of divorce shatters a child’s world. Virtually everything that was stable and dependable vanishes in an instant.
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Fall 2021
There may have been major issues in the parents’ relationship for years, or one of them may have been suddenly shocked to discover a history of infidelity. Whether the process of making this decision was long or short, it devastates everyone involved. About half of first marriages in the U.S. end in divorce, according to the National Center for Health Statistics. Pew Research Center reports that the U.S. has the world’s highest rate of single parenthood, with nearly a quarter of children under the age of 18 living in single-parent households. Divorce is not God’s plan. His desire is for marriages to thrive and last (Matthew 19:6). For that matter, I don’t think divorce is anyone’s plan. Nobody gets married thinking, I can’t wait to divorce this person one day. But sadly, divorce happens. When it does, kids need the support of a loving faith community. Unfortunately, many churches are not prepared to deal with the emotional and spiritual toll divorce
