It’s no surprise that I eventually became a teacher, working in inclusive classrooms where children with diverse abilities learned side by side. Later, I became a mom, got deeply connected to my church, and—as often happens when you volunteer a lot—joined the staff. I served as a preschool leader, children’s pastor, and multi-campus ministry leader. I’ve had so many wonderful days leading kids, parents, and volunteers. But one of the hardest days came not as a leader but as a church attendee.
Elaina sits down with Kari Baker, author of Finding KiND: Discovering Hope and Purpose While Loving Kids with Invisible Neurological Differences, and talks about special needs parenting, autism spectrum, and supporting other families on the same journey.
Our first day on the ninth floor, the doctors never said, "Your child has cancer." You know those childhood cancer commercials that tug at your heart? Never happened. My husband received a phone call that confirmed a biopsy, but once we were on the oncology floor, the word cancer was never uttered. Medical textbook words were used, and the rush was definitely on. We knew exactly what was happening without ever being explicitly told in those basic words.
It’s February, and we’ve all somewhat settled into 2025 and are ready to look ahead to what the year will bring. To help you prepare for your church’s steps of accessibility and inclusive events, we’ve created a Ministry Planning Calendar! In this episode, Sandra Peoples will walk you through ideas for planning ahead and praying for what God will do in 2025.
Elaina Marchenko sits down with Rachael VerMeulen from A Little Extra Love Ministries to talk about the reality for families affected by special needs, the need for disability support in Colorado, and what Rachael will be sharing at Disability & the Church Conference.
What questions should your teachers know to ask when a new child with disabilities is dropped off at church? In an ideal scenario, teachers would have time to sit down with the family and come up with a strategy that best suits the individual. But Sunday mornings are not always full of ideal scenarios! Evana shares what teachers should ask in a brief drop-off exchange.
When our church, The Roads Church, located in Southern Illinois, decided to start a special needs ministry a few years ago, we were embarking into unfamiliar territory. Here’s the process we followed that may work for your church, too.
Some individuals with limited speech may use AAC (augmentative and alternative communication) speech-generating devices. For roughly 7 years, my own daughter with special needs used a speech-generating device to communicate when she was nonverbal. Here are five ways I used my daughter’s device to aid her spiritual development and increase her participation in our faith.
Scripture is a fundamental part of Christianity. When our church launched a special needs ministry a few years ago, I wondered how we could incorporate scripture into our lessons while making it understandable for those with Intellectual Disabilities and limited speech. Here are five ways to embed scriptures in your special-needs ministry.
