RELEVANT CHILDREN'S MINISTRY

One of the most important ministries in the church is special needs ministry.

When we minister to kids with special needs, we open a door of hope for so many families in our communities.

80% of families who have kids with special needs are unchurched.  When you begin a special needs ministry, you can see many of these precious families come to Christ.

Here are a few of the ministries we have started at our local church to minister to kids with special needs and their families.

SHADOW PROGRAM
Provides one-on-one or small group assistance to individuals of all ages (children through adults) with disabilities during church services and church-sponsored events.  Children and youth participate in programs while their parents attend worship services.  Adults with disabilities participate in worship or any church programs with assistance as needed.

ACCESS VIP PROGRAM 
A Bible study setting for individuals with disabilities of all ages (children and adults) who benefit from a small, flexible setting. 

ACCESS DEEPER
Access Deeper is a class offered to middle and high school students.  Students with typical and special abilities together with unique learning styles learn about deep Biblical truths in an interactive environment.

ACCESS FRIENDS MINISTRY
Access FRIENDS class is a place where adults with intellectual disabilities (18 and older) can experience the joy of God’s love and the freedom of celebrating who we are in Christ.

HORSEBACK RIDING PROGRAM
The Horseback Riding Program promotes recreational riding with therapeutic benefits for children, teens and adults with disabilities.  Our riding center is PATH/NARHA certified.  We provide fellowship and support for the entire family.  Horse shows and awards dinners are a part of the program.

ARTS AND ABILITIES
Art classes taught by teachers experienced in the area of special needs.  Children with disabilities and siblings are encouraged to create, explore and grow.

FOOD OUTREACH AND FELLOWSHIP
A place to connect, meet people, form relationships and belong. Individuals with disabilities, families, volunteers and guests come together for a time of fellowship, the breaking of bread together and learning from God’s Word.

Recently Joyce Myer Ministries partnered with us to build a new special needs ministry center at our church.  It's used each week to minister to dozens of kids in our community who have special needs and their families.  Below is the story that aired on TV that gives you an inside look at the ministry.  May it inspire and encourage you to reach out to the kids in your community who have special needs.  You can also get more information about our special needs ministries at this link.
 

The Bible tells us to become like a little child.  Simple, childlike faith is what pleases God.

There are so many lessons kids can teach us.  Things we instinctively knew when we were kids, but have forgotten over the years as we became entrenched in living life as an adult.

One of the things we forget is how to see people without preconceptions or misconceptions.  As we grow older, we begin making judgment calls about people as soon as we see them, don't we?  We rate them based on their looks, clothes, what they drive, what they can or cannot do or how they carry themselves.

There's a lesson to be learned from kids about this.  Recently parents and their children were invited to play an educational game.  Sitting side-by-side with a barricade blocking their view of one another, the adults and children were shown images of people contorting their faces into humorous positions.

The parents and their kids were told to mimic each face.  The last person shown making a funny face to be mimicked was someone with a disability.  Every child continued playing the game lightheartedly, while every parent stopped, expressing looks of concern, sadness and reservation.  The children saw the person the same as everyone else, while the parents did not.

The point was to encourage adults to follow kids' lead in how they see people with disabilities.  Instead of categorizing people because of a disability, we should see them as we would anyone else.

Check out the video below.  It's a great reminder of how we should become like a little child and see people through their eyes. 

Our Special Needs Ministry coordinator shared these tips with me a few weeks ago.

1. Maintain eye contact and speak with your normal tone of voice.
2. Talk directly to the person with a disability, not through their caregiver.
3. Ask if assistance is needed; don't assume it is.
4. Avoid words or tone of voice that imply a patronizing or pitying attitude.
5. If you do not understand what a person with a disability is saying, say so.  If necessary, ask the person to repeat or use an alternative phrase.
6. When talking with a person who has a mental disability, speak simply, not loudly.  Simple language is not childish language.
7. Don't assume a person with a disability has other disabilities.
8. When meeting a person with vision loss, identify yourself and any others who are present.
9. Don't lean on a wheelchair, it is part of the person who is using it.
10. Always speak to a person using a wheelchair facing them, not from their side or behind them.
11. Don't pet or draw attention to a person's service animal, they are the person's life-line.
12. Feel free to use common idioms like "see" or "walk" or "hear."
13. Facial and hand expressions are key to communicating with a deaf person.

What to Say and Not to Say:
Child with a disability instead of disabled child
Child with autism instead of autistic child
Child with intellectual disability instead of mentally retarted
Uses a wheelchair instead of confined to a wheelchair