What would happen if you asked 10 of your closest friends how they define the word worship? Probably, they would each say something a little bit different. Worship is not definable by one thing, and that is part of its beauty! Worship is not one thing, it changes from culture to culture, church to church,…
The thrill of hope—a weary world rejoices. For special-needs families, this time of year can feel weary. We’re out of our routine, there are extra expectations on us, and we are jealous of those families who don’t seem to have the same limitations we do. That’s why Christmas’s message of hope is exactly what…
When we got our son’s autism diagnosis in 2010, there was no special-needs ministry at our church. Because my husband was the pastor, we couldn’t go to the big church in the next town that did have a great disability ministry. We had to hope and pray church members would step up and take…
I remember the day my older sister, who has Down syndrome, went down front at church and told the preacher she had accepted Jesus as her Savior. After a few more conversations, she was baptized. Faith, even childlike faith according to Matthew 18, is necessary, and she had that faith. But my son James won’t…
Thank you for attending my sessions at LifeWay’s ETCH conference! I’ve put all the links I mentioned in one place for easy access. I hope it’s helpful! Slides from “What Every Children’s Minister Should Know about Welcoming Children with Disabilities“ Slides from “Supporting Students with Invisible Disabilities“ Buddy bag Amazon list Pinterest board for…
Training buddies to serve in your children’s and youth ministries is an important part of helping your church be welcoming and inclusive! I’ve written before on Recruiting, Training and Supporting Buddies in Your Children’s and Youth Ministries, but I often get asked how to do the buddy training. I recorded these buddy training sessions to use with…
