Lake Region and Indiana—This summer Emmanuel Seventh-day Adventist Church's pastor, Tunde Ojewole, and the Indianapolis-area Spirit of Unity coalition successfully conducted a month-long Vacation Bible School for inner-city children. Afterward, school leaders asked Ojewole what other assistance could be offered to the school children by area churches. He moved quickly to recruit volunteers for Rainbows teams, and arranged training for them with Shirley Tate, the Rainbows registered director for the Seventh-day Adventist Church in North America.
Rainbows, a peer support program for grieving children, was voted as a major outreach opportunity by the Children’s Ministries department at the Seventh-day Adventist Headquarters in North America. Statistics show that grieving children often develop at-risk behaviors in their teens that bring them in conflict with the law. Early intervention through a program such as Rainbows can prevent teen problems.
Rainbows is also in great demand during times of disaster as well as when families experience a loss, such as divorce or the death of a parent. In the program, kids meet in groups of three to five with a caring, listening adult to share their experience, play games, and process their feelings. In training, facilitators are taught what to do and say to start each session, and learn how to keep the children focused. Facilitators and coordinators attend a one-day training session and agree to a 13-week commitment with the children.
The facilitators and coordinators Ojewole helped train meet weekly with 20 children during their lunch period at school. Facilitator Jackie Bailey enthusiastically remarked, “Just two weeks into the program, and I can see the excitement on the faces of the children who attend. The children are eager to talk to someone. They want someone who will listen. I can see the program moving from strength to strength.”
Annetta Lesure added, "The Rainbows program is a good [way] for children and teenagers to get in touch with themselves, by asking questions, communicating with each other, and feeling free to talk to adults"
Keith Jones believes "the program will make a major impact on the lives of the kids." He added, "I feel the program will give the kids an opportunity to talk about feelings of anger and sadness in a healthy and constructive way. I feel Rainbows will give them the freedom to discuss their feeling emotions. Most of all, I feel Rainbows will provide them with the tools that will help them deal with future issues and concerns."
Ojewole reports, “It gets better each time." Children look forward to Rainbows because they talk with other kids about what is going on in their families and know the others understand and promise to keep their confidence. They also like the fact that there’s no stigma attached to attending Rainbows.
Ojewole has developed an acronym for Rainbows:
Reassuring
Activity-filled
Inspiring, and
Non-threatening program that fosters healing and
Builds up children and teenagers who are
Overwhelmed by life-altering changes and losses into
Winners and
Survivors
Experience shows the most effective way for Adventist churches to conduct Rainbows is to nurture trusting relationships with area school administrations, so they can take a Rainbows team in during the school day. The alternative to this is for churches to conduct the program for their own children, providing they have enough to create a program.
The Richmond (Ind.) Seventh-day Adventist Church has successfully conducted the Rainbows program at the church. The staff and parents bring in Sabbath lunch each week and immediately follow with the Rainbows sessions. Shannon Becker, facilitator for the teen group Spectrum, stated, “My group is amazing me every week. The hurt they have felt and are releasing is incredible. They inspire me.”
As her second- and third-graders meet around Mary Polley’s rainbow-striped tablecloth each week, she is amazed at how well the children respond to this program. She says that at times the venting is so fast-paced that it keeps her "on her toes" to just keep up with her active-listening part.
With 75 percent of our nation’s children now living in non-traditional homes, there is work for us all, on behalf of these children and the future of our society. If you would like information about how your church could train members for the Rainbows healing ministry, please contact Shirley Tate, at rainbowsst@verizon.net or call 765-966-3548.
Shirley Tate, Richmond (Ind.) Church member
Note: To date, Shirley Tate has recruited more than 100 Seventh-day Adventist volunteers for the Rainbows program. For her dedication, she was selected to receive the Lifetime Achievement Award at the recent Church Ministries Convention in Tucson, Ariz. Illinois members may be interested to know that a new Rainbows program has recently been started at the Maywood (Ill.) Church.
