Four reasons I am thankful for our special needs ministry team
/In disability ministry, we are regularly faced with the reality that God is sovereign in ways that we can't always see, understand, or explain. As such, it is foolhardy to create a ministry that requires your presence.
This is more acutely on my mind right now as I rest my knee and await my appointment with the orthopedic surgeon. My MRI showed an uncommon friction syndrome in my right knee that is difficult to treat and heal, complicated by bone erosions and cartilage damage due to rheumatoid arthritis. I'm not sure what the next steps will be but the current treatment involves rest, ice, and pain meds. And we have our first respite care event this Saturday afternoon.
If I didn't have an amazing team and a trustworthy God, I might be freaking out right now. But I know God is in control, and I know that I can trust any member of our leadership team to run the event if I couldn't be there. Why?
- Because they are each passionate that this matters. I don't think I can claim responsibility for that passion, but I do begin most planning meetings with a verse and a story or statistic to stress the importance of what we're doing. It helps us all remember that we're not just putting on an event; we're loving these families because Christ first loved us.
- Because they know what's going on. We've made decisions together. I've filled them in on ones I've had to make without them. The youngest member of our team - who is still in high school - has been valued as much as those of us with more qualifications on paper. Each of us has a slightly different job this Saturday, but we each know the roles of the other team members. With the exception of our medical team leader, we could rotate jobs without much difficulty.
- Because I trust them and they know that I trust them. We're not an incredibly experienced team when it comes to church event planning. The average age of the six of us is 25. We're all young enough that we're not the typical go-to folks for steering committees. But each of our team members lives up to these words from 1 Timothy 4:12: "Let no one despise you for your youth, but set the believers an example in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith, in purity."
- Because nothing we do is designed around any person other than Jesus Christ. I have seen many ministries flourish under their founders' leadership and then disintegrate when he or she steps away because no plans were made for anyone else to lead. Disability ministry is too important for me to let that happen. Additionally, the limitations of two chronic illnesses keep me mindful that I need to plan for days when I can't be 100%. If I need to direct our respite event on Saturday from a chair, it will go just fine because it doesn't depend on me. It's not about me. "The heart of man plans his way, but the Lord establishes his steps." (Proverbs 16:9)
None of the families in our ministry expected to have a family member with a disability, but God ordained disability to be part of their lives anyway. Likewise, you have expectations for your ministry and your life...and God might, in His wisdom, change those without your permission.
Access Ministry at Providence Baptist Church in Raleigh, NC, does not depend on me. I'm not in charge; God is. I just get the privilege of having a front-row seat to watch what God is doing to impact families in this ministry, and I'm humbled by the opportunities He provides that allow me to be involved in His work.
For by the grace given to me I say to everyone among you
not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think,
but to think with sober judgment, each according to the measure of faith that God has assigned.
For as in one body we have many members, and the members do not all have the same function,
so we, though many, are one body in Christ, and individually members one of another.
Romans 12:3-5