Respite events are an important way the church can care for special-needs families and reach their communities. Our church offers respite events four times a year. We set our age limit from 5-15 and include typical siblings. We do different options for days of the week and times so more people get an opportunity to…
A family care plan is an info sheet kept by the staff to help know the family who needs care and organize how to meet their needs. You can customize it to fit what your church offers. Who can see the FCP? It’s up to the family, but generally the staff, small group/ministry leaders,…
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…
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…
As we get closer to Christmas, I wanted to invite Katie M. Reid on to talk about her new book, A Very Bavarian Christmas. It’s the fictional account of Holly Noel, a 30-something single woman who moves back home after a professional disappointment. Her dad had suffered an aneurysm when she was seven, and…
In episode 49, I’ve invited my friend Diane Dokko Kim to talk about navigating complicated family relationships. Most of us will be spending time with (or at least communicating more with) extended family members around Thanksgiving and Christmas. We know family relationships aren’t always easy, especially with the extra challenges of being a special-needs…