How did we start?
/
Our start in special needs ministry is similar to many churches: one family. That's all it took. One family with a child with special needs.
Were we proactive? No.
Did the rest of the church step up? To be honest, not really.
That one family did what was necessary to integrate their daughter, shadowing her in classes and meeting with ministry leaders to pave the way for her. Somewhere along the way, other families came to our church and did the same.
When those kids grew up, that one family took the lead in creating some amazing events for adults with disabilities, including a weekly Sunday school class called "the Joy class."
When other families who had a child with special needs came to our church, they were pretty quickly connected to this one family. They were the welcoming committee for new folks and the ongoing support group. They made it happen, not only for their own family but others as well.
Is this optimal? Not really. Did it work for a while? Yes. Are my husband and I thankful that we've been able to step into our roles to connect church and home for these families? Oh, yes.
But is this how a lot of churches start? Yes. Please don't be discouraged if this is where you are. And hopefully resources I share here can help your ministry become more than just one family.
Were we proactive? No.
Did the rest of the church step up? To be honest, not really.
That one family did what was necessary to integrate their daughter, shadowing her in classes and meeting with ministry leaders to pave the way for her. Somewhere along the way, other families came to our church and did the same.
When those kids grew up, that one family took the lead in creating some amazing events for adults with disabilities, including a weekly Sunday school class called "the Joy class."
When other families who had a child with special needs came to our church, they were pretty quickly connected to this one family. They were the welcoming committee for new folks and the ongoing support group. They made it happen, not only for their own family but others as well.
Is this optimal? Not really. Did it work for a while? Yes. Are my husband and I thankful that we've been able to step into our roles to connect church and home for these families? Oh, yes.
But is this how a lot of churches start? Yes. Please don't be discouraged if this is where you are. And hopefully resources I share here can help your ministry become more than just one family.