Ministering WITH, not just ministering TO
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Most conversations I have with other churches begin with the question, "How can we minister to people with special needs?" While that's a good question, it's only a start.
The aim should be ministry with or alongside those with special needs. Our goal is not to simply minister to them. Throughout the Bible, it is made clear that God has uniquely gifted each of us according to his purpose (1 Corinthians 12, Romans 12:3-8, Ephesians 4:1-16). 1 Peter 4:10 states, “Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others, as faithful stewards of God’s grace in its various forms,” and this verse does not exclude those with disabilities, nor do the ones listed in the previous sentence.
Consider John 9:3. Note that the blind man was healed and then shared about Christ to others in response to the Pharisees' questioning. Jesus ministered to him, and he ministered to others by testifying about what Christ did in his life.
We do not aim to simply minister to children, youth, and adults with special needs; we want to encourage them in their areas of giftedness and provide opportunities for them to serve as well, because they are vital members of the body of Christ. Their stories and testimonies matter as much as anyone else's.
On a practical note, here are few examples of what we do: If a class is involved in a missions or service project, the kids and students with special needs in that class are involved too. On most Sunday mornings, at least one of the greeters welcoming people and handing out bulletins is a member of our Joy Class (our class of adults with special needs). One member of the Joy Class recently read the Bible story to one of our first grade Sunday school classes, and I then accompanied her back to her class.
I know this is an area in which we have room to grow, though, so I would love to know what your church is doing or is planning to do to engage in ministry with people with special needs. Or, if your church isn't encouraging individuals with disabilities to share their gifts with the rest of the church, what do you wish they were doing?
The aim should be ministry with or alongside those with special needs. Our goal is not to simply minister to them. Throughout the Bible, it is made clear that God has uniquely gifted each of us according to his purpose (1 Corinthians 12, Romans 12:3-8, Ephesians 4:1-16). 1 Peter 4:10 states, “Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others, as faithful stewards of God’s grace in its various forms,” and this verse does not exclude those with disabilities, nor do the ones listed in the previous sentence.
Consider John 9:3. Note that the blind man was healed and then shared about Christ to others in response to the Pharisees' questioning. Jesus ministered to him, and he ministered to others by testifying about what Christ did in his life.
We do not aim to simply minister to children, youth, and adults with special needs; we want to encourage them in their areas of giftedness and provide opportunities for them to serve as well, because they are vital members of the body of Christ. Their stories and testimonies matter as much as anyone else's.
On a practical note, here are few examples of what we do: If a class is involved in a missions or service project, the kids and students with special needs in that class are involved too. On most Sunday mornings, at least one of the greeters welcoming people and handing out bulletins is a member of our Joy Class (our class of adults with special needs). One member of the Joy Class recently read the Bible story to one of our first grade Sunday school classes, and I then accompanied her back to her class.
I know this is an area in which we have room to grow, though, so I would love to know what your church is doing or is planning to do to engage in ministry with people with special needs. Or, if your church isn't encouraging individuals with disabilities to share their gifts with the rest of the church, what do you wish they were doing?