On April 24th, my son Daniel and I had the pleasure of being a part of the Special Needs Awareness Service at Bethesda Church of God in Sumter, SC. Bethesda is participating in the Autism Awareness Month Faith Based Initiative and we were more than happy to oblige when Mrs. Gale called and asked us to be a part of the service! If you are unfamiliar with our special needs ministry story, click here to...
Hello Everyone! It's been a busy few weeks! The Autism Awareness Month Faith Based Initiative is going great! I'm convinced now more than ever that this is exactly what God wants me to do for this season. It's so exciting to see all of the wonderful ideas the churches have been coming up with to promote autism awareness in their places of worship! Part of the success of this initiative came from a partnership with Autism...
A few years ago, a woman changed my life by her selfless act of kindness. She saw me in distress and didn’t say, “I’ll pray for you.” She didn’t wait around for someone else to do something. She took action! Many of you probably remember the series I wrote about the importance of special needs ministry. It remains to be the most popular blog series that I’ve ever written. That entire series was based upon...
Hello Everyone! I'm already getting my plans together for our 2016 Autism Awareness Month Campaign and I need your help! I am asking places of worship to agree to do at least one activity for Autism Awareness Month in April. Here are some ideas: Encourage everyone at your church to wear blue during a designated service. Share information about autism during your announcements or during the sermon. Have a display table available in a high traffic area...
Does your church celebrate Autism Awareness Month? I'll be honest and say that I've never been a part of a church that did. But should churches celebrate Autism Awareness Month? I believe so. Here's why... Autism Spectrum Disorder is the fastest growing developmental disorder in the United States. According to the Centers for Disease Control, 1 out of every 68 children are diagnosed with Autism. Autism occurs in all racial, ethnic, and socioeconomic groups. Let's...
I’ve been writing about special needs ministry all of this week. Monday’s post was about “Going to Church with a Special Needs Child.” On Tuesday, I posted about “How Special Needs Ministry Blessed My Family.” Wednesday’s post asked the thought provoking question, “Is Your Church Special Needs Friendly?” Today’s post wraps up the series by giving you information on how to start a special needs children’s ministry. "My life goal is to see the world's...
On Tuesday, I wrote about How Special Needs Ministry Blessed My Family. While I’m very thankful for my church, I know that there are other families that would greatly benefit from a ministry like this as well. Here’s why you should seriously consider having a special needs ministry at your church. Is your church special needs friendly? Most people would say yes right off the bat without even thinking. But having a church that is...
On Monday, I started a new blog series about the importance of special needs ministry. The first post, "Going to Church with a Special Needs Child," explained how the seed of special needs ministry was planted at my church. Here’s what happened after one special lady decided to water the seed, tending to it until it began to sprout… Our church’s Special Needs Ministry began in August 2013. Big Brother was the only child in the...
I was having a rough morning. Despite my best intentions to be on time, a last minute diaper change had me running late for church. I picked up my baby boy from the changing table and moved quickly through the house, grabbing the baby bag, my purse and coat, and my oldest son. I loaded the boys and our belongings into the family vehicle and headed off to church with the sincere hope that we...
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