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…
We lost my big sister Syble on July 24th from undiagnosed gall bladder cancer. She had been sick, but we assumed the doctors would figure out what was going on and she would be back to normal soon. I’d like to share her obituary and the words I shared at her service here so…
At our church, our special needs ministry’s goal is to communicate the gospel to every child in a way they understand and in an environment where they feel comfortable. Because every child is unique, we have developed ISPs for each one—individualized spiritual plans! Similar to what the students have at school under their IEPs, our ISPs…
