Faces of Children is an ecumenical prayer ministry under the auspices of First Presbyterian Church of Midland, Texas. Our mission is to initiate ministries of prayer for children in churches, communities, and neighborhoods. In doing so, we seek to provide an opportunity for people of God to join together, learn about children and their needs throughout the world, and celebrate Christ's love (especially as it relates to children).Hello Friends,
I hope you'll be able to join us TODAY (Wednesday, October 28) for prayer at 11:30 in the gym conference room. And those who can stay afterward are invited to enjoy lunch together. See you today!
Dear Intercessors,
Last night, I spent the evening up at our church eating dinner with two families enrolled in Family Promise, a transitional housing ministry for homeless families. Once a quarter, our church hosts the families enrolled in the program, and they live at our church for a week before moving on to another host church. After eating big plates of lasagna and spaghetti, we moved out to the gym and I joined my daughter and the other children in raucous games of volleyball, soccer, and catch. As some of the younger kids scampered around the gym and up and down the bleachers, I had a chance to visit with one of the older girls, a bright-eyed and polite child in the fourth grade. Her favorite subjects were reading, science, and PE. (Not to be confused with recess. She wasn't a fan of recess, because it meant running around when it was hot outside. Instead she clarified that she preferred exercise in the air conditioned gym. I can't say I blame her.)
I asked her how many churches she had stayed in so far... she said she'd lost count. This isn't a permanent program, so I'm certain she hasn't been in it for that long and won't be in it forever, but to me what matters more than the accuracy of her answer is how she feels - and for her, she may always remember 4th grade as the year she was homeless.
According to Family Promise, in 2013 Midland ISD (our local school district) reported having 397 homeless children. Nationwide, 40 percent of the homeless population is made up of families with children, and the average age of a homeless person in our nation is 9 years old.
The National Center on Family Homelessness says that for homeless children, "the constant barrage of stressful and traumatic experience also has profound effects on their development and ability to learn." Homeless children are 4 times more likely to be sick than their non-homeless peers, have 3 times the rate of emotional and behavioral problems, and are 4 times more likely to show delayed development. Furthermore, violence permeates their lives - by age 12, 83 percent have witnessed at least one violent act, and 25 percent have witnessed domestic violence. Of course, homelessness is troubling no matter whom it affects, but childhood homelessness is more profoundly damaging than adult homelessness because it changes the way their brains develop.
In her TED talk, Dr. Nadine Burke Harris explains that adverse childhood experiences profoundly change a child's brain chemistry, forever altering their long-term health outcomes and emotional and physical well-being. She said, "We now understand better than we ever have before how exposure to early adversity affects the developing brains and bodies of children. It affects areas like the nucleus accumbens, the pleasure and reward center of the brain that is implicated in substance dependence. It inhibits the prefrontal cortex, which is necessary for impulse control and executive function,a critical area for learning. And on MRI scans, we see measurable differences in the amygdala, the brain's fear response center."
Childhood trauma and adverse experiences, including the sorts of things that children live through in periods of homelessness, can forever change a child's life, not just in the ways we've all come to expect, but also quite literally down to their DNA. So this week I'd like to invite you to pray for children who are affected by homelessness, children like my 7-year-old friend who prefers PE to recess and loves to read books.
Please pray that in their constant transitions, they will find some security and rhythms and structure and predictability. Pray for their families to be strong sources of support and love. Pray that they are protected both as a witness and as a recipient from violence, harm and anger. Pray for doctors, schools, and community service groups to deepen their understanding of trauma-informed care so that they can help recognize difficult behaviors for what they are and address the underlying causes. Most of all, pray for God to protect and preserve these precious children's lives, so that they can break the cycles of poverty that so often entrap generation after generation.
All the best,
Carrie J. McKean
Faces of Children Director
First Presbyterian Church of Midland, Texas
(432) 684-7821 x153
If you have prayer requests about children, those who care for them, those who have authority over them, or those who harm them (the really hard prayers to say sometimes), please send them to info@facesofchildren.net
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