"But what if we don't have someone with your background at our church?" (part 1 of 2)
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Yes, I have a master's degree in special education. Yes, I taught for about four years. Yes, I used to work for an educational non-profit, creating training materials for special educators.
And, yes, all of that helps me coordinate special needs ministry at my church.
As such, one of the questions that comes up when I talk to folks is, "What if we don't have someone with that background here?" And my answer usually has two parts.
(1) You don't have to have prior experience related to special education to do this.
Sure, it can help. But Amy Fenton Lee at The Inclusive Church and Eden Hutchins at Johnson Ferry Baptist Church's Green Light Ministry are two women who I respect deeply and who excel in doing special needs ministry without the training and experience I have.
Here is my must have list for someone coordinating special needs ministry:
If you're seeking someone to coordinate ministry with adults, then the third item on the list still applies, though it would be better to say "communicate with the adult with special needs with humility and respect. " Also, you could possibly insert "group home staff" or "case manager" or "family members" instead of "parents" when that applies.)
Come back tomorrow for the second part of this, the second reason why my experience isn't vital to (and sometimes doesn't help me a whole lot in) my role as special needs ministry coordinator!
And, yes, all of that helps me coordinate special needs ministry at my church.
As such, one of the questions that comes up when I talk to folks is, "What if we don't have someone with that background here?" And my answer usually has two parts.
(1) You don't have to have prior experience related to special education to do this.
Sure, it can help. But Amy Fenton Lee at The Inclusive Church and Eden Hutchins at Johnson Ferry Baptist Church's Green Light Ministry are two women who I respect deeply and who excel in doing special needs ministry without the training and experience I have.
Here is my must have list for someone coordinating special needs ministry:
- A belief that this matters, that special needs ministry is important
- A willingness to do hard things, because it's not always easy (but it is worth it!)
- A desire to communicate with parents with humility, because while you should partner with parents in children's ministry no matter what, it becomes an absolute must when you're working with kids with special needs
- A resourceful approach to networking with others who know more: at other churches, in social agencies and non-profits, and on the Internet.
If you're seeking someone to coordinate ministry with adults, then the third item on the list still applies, though it would be better to say "communicate with the adult with special needs with humility and respect. " Also, you could possibly insert "group home staff" or "case manager" or "family members" instead of "parents" when that applies.)
Come back tomorrow for the second part of this, the second reason why my experience isn't vital to (and sometimes doesn't help me a whole lot in) my role as special needs ministry coordinator!