RELEVANT CHILDREN'S MINISTRY

For parents of kids with special needs, Target's new shopping cart is a game-changer.  It's called Caroline's cart and it's designed for children with special needs.

It gives parents and caregivers of individuals who are unable to walk on their own the ability to shop without having to push both a cart and a wheelchair simultaneously.

The cart was designed by Drew Ann Long after she realized her daughter Caroline, who has special needs, would soon outgrow the kids' section in a traditional shopping cart, at which point she'd be left to juggle a wheelchair and a cart.  Long saw the need and knew that it was one shared by many families.  She called the design Caroline's Cart, named after her daughter, and embarked on the journey of patenting, manufacturing and getting the carts into retail stores.

The vast majority of stores will have at least one Caroline’s Cart, and many will have more, depending on their guests’ needs.

We salute Target for providing this for families with special needs.  They are sitting a great example for churches to follow.  May we be committed to meeting the needs of kids with special needs.

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.
 

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

This past weekend I had the joy of baptizing a young lady.  While I was backstage waiting with the family, they told me their story.

Their older son has autism.  They had tried attending a few churches, but no one was prepared to minister to their son.  The churches wanted to, but they simply didn't have a special needs ministry in place.

One day they were in a laundry mat and they begin talking to a lady who attends our church.  The lady invited them to come with their son.  They came and for the first time, they found a place that was ready to minister to their entire family including their son.

With tears in his eyes, the father shared with me how their lives have been changed and what a difference Christ has made in their home.  Their son has also made tremendous progress as our volunteers have loved him and poured into his life.

Stories like this remind me how vital special needs ministry is in the local church.  I've heard stats that say up to 90% of families who have children with special needs do not attend church.  I believe the biggest reason is because churches are not intentional about reaching out to these precious families and are not prepared to meet their needs.

If you do not have a special needs ministry, I want to encourage you to begin one.  In the video below, our special needs director, Alicia Szuka, shares 7 tips about ministering to children with special needs.

She also started a therapeutic horseback riding ministry for children with special needs.  Each Saturday, dozens of families bring their children to participate.  You can read more about our special needs ministry at this link.

Alicia has two daughters with special needs.  You will meet her daughter, Cynthia, in the video.  Cynthia has cerebral palsy.  She is an amazing young lady who can't be stopped.  She has graduated from college, collected and donated over 10,000 wheelchairs to kids and adults with special needs, writes curriculum for children, and much more.  She's even been skydiving!

Two people who are helping lead the way in special needs ministry are:

Amy Fenton Lee - Her book Leading A Special Needs Ministry: A Practical Guide to Including Children and Loving Families serves as a practical "how-to" handbook for the ministry team working to welcome 1 or 100 children with special needs.  You can purchase the book at this link.

Craig Johnson serves on staff at Lakewood Church in Houston where he started an incredible special needs ministry called Champion's Club.  God is also using him to help churches across the country begin special needs ministries.  You can read more about Craig's ministry at this link.