Posted on August 27, 2025 by Rev. Nathan Grewe, tLMHC
Church Worker Wellness
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In schools today, children carry with them more than just backpacks and pencils. Many walk into classrooms with invisible burdens. These burdens could be anxiety about home life, pressure from peers, confusion about their emotions, or spiritual questions that bring doubt or confusion. As adults who care deeply about their well-being, parents, teachers, pastors, and church workers, we long to give them tools to thrive in the face of life’s challenges.
Lutheran Family Service has partnered with several Lutheran Schools in Iowa District East to provide support in many ways– to students, families, and Lutheran school teachers. That’s where RISE Together comes in: Resilient, Insightful, Strong, and Equipped. It’s the framework for our school counseling program, and it gives students practical skills to meet challenges in healthy ways.
While rooted in the realities of child development and counseling, the heart of RISE Together connects beautifully with our Christian calling to nurture the whole person in mind, body, and spirit. Let’s take a closer look at each part of RISE Together.
Resilience doesn’t mean life is easy. It means we don’t give up when it’s hard. For children, resilience can look like trying again on a difficult math problem, walking back into a classroom after a tough social moment, or finding courage to face a new situation.
In counseling, we teach resilience by helping students identify their strengths, remember times they’ve overcome challenges, and practice problem-solving. We also emphasize that setbacks are normal, and they don’t define us. When children begin to believe “I can get through this,” they develop a grit that will serve them for a lifetime.
For us as Christians, resilience echoes Paul’s encouragement in Galatians 6:9: “Let us not grow weary in doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up.” Children may not have the words for it, but they’re learning to live out perseverance in daily life.
Children often feel strong emotions but struggle to name or understand them. Insight helps them connect the dots: “I’m snapping at my friends because I’m actually feeling left out.” That awareness opens the door to healthier responses.
In RISE Together, we use age-appropriate activities to help students identify emotions, understand triggers, and practice self-awareness. A child who knows why they’re feeling upset is more likely to calm down before lashing out, or to ask for help rather than shutting down.
For the church, insight mirrors the wisdom of Proverbs 20:5: “The purposes of a person’s heart are deep waters, but a man of understanding will draw it out.” When children become more self-aware, they can begin to live with honesty and integrity, both with themselves and with others.
Strength is not about overpowering others, rather it’s about courage, fairness, and kindness. In school, that can mean saying “no” to peer pressure, asking for space when someone is being unkind, or stepping in to support a classmate who’s being left out.
Through RISE Together, we give students words and strategies for standing strong. We role-play scenarios, practice “I statements,” and remind them that their voices matter. Just as importantly, we stress that kindness and respect must go hand in hand with strength.
This reflects the biblical call to speak the truth in love, “Rather, speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ.” (Ephesians 4:15). A strong child learns to use their words to build up, not tear down. A skill that we all can aspire to, no matter our age.
Finally, RISE Together equips children with practical tools they can carry into daily life. These include conflict-resolution strategies, calming techniques for stress, and decision-making skills that promote responsibility. When students feel equipped, they are less likely to feel overwhelmed and more likely to act with confidence.
Equipping students also prepares them for challenges beyond the classroom. As they grow, they will face bigger decisions and more complex relationships. Giving them a toolkit now builds a foundation for wise choices later.
The church knows the value of equipping well. Ephesians 4:12 reminds us that leaders are called “to equip the saints for the work of ministry.” Just as we equip believers for faith and service, we also equip children with skills for life and relationships.
The world our children are growing up in is complex, and their challenges are real. But they don’t face them alone. Through our effort grounded in RISE Together, we can guide them toward resilience, insight, strength, and the skills they need to be equipped for life. And as the church, we can remind them that they are loved, valued, and never outside the care of their Creator.
In both classrooms and congregations, may we continue to walk alongside our children, helping them to RISE Together.
If you’re a classroom teacher or church worker (or know one) in need of Christ-centered mental health or marriage counseling, contact us today.
Lutheran Family Service walks with those experiencing difficult times through mental health counseling, marriage counseling, crisis pregnancy counseling, and adoption services.
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