I recently participated in my first podcast interview! It took place on the last day of Autism Awareness Month with Kit Kennedy. Kit lives in Australia and has a podcast called, “Unchurchable.” Her podcast discusses issues that make church attendance hard for some people. My interview with Kit was focused on how churches can be more welcoming for persons with autism and their families. Accessibility at church is a global issue that many special needs...
Autism awareness is very important for our faith based communities. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that autism affects 1 out of every 68 children. With a rate that high, many churches are sure to encounter a family affected by autism and churches must be prepared. I didn't understand how difficult church could be for persons with autism until my son was diagnosed. I watched him struggle with social interactions and with abrupt changes in...
I recently had the privilege of attending the Coastal Disability Ministry Summit in Charleston, SC on September 23rd - 24th. It was sponsored by Joni and Friends Charlotte and the Lowcountry Special Needs Network. The event was held on the beautiful campus of Charleston Southern University. I was invited to attend this summit as a guest presenter with Mrs. Gale Dollar. Our break-out session, "Inclusive Disability Ministry," explained how the special needs ministry got started at...
Are you the parent of a special needs child? Do you have a friend or family member that is new on the journey of raising a child with special needs? If so, I strongly recommend the book, Refresh: Spiritual Nourishment for Parents of Children with Special Needs by Kimberly M. Drew and Jocelyn Green. Here's how the book is set up. There are eight chapters, with each title cleverly alluding to the growth process of a tree....
Hello Everyone! I have some results that I would like to share with you from the 2016 Autism Awareness Month Faith Based Initiative. This was our first year for the initiative and I enjoyed every moment of it! Over 3000 persons from 16 churches received information about autism as a result of the initiative. A special thank you goes out to the following churches that completed the program: Antioch Freewill Baptist Church in Linden, NC Bethesda Church...
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...
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