But in fact God has placed the parts in the body, every one of them, just as he wanted them to be. If they were all one part, where would the body be? As it is, there are many parts, but one body. The eye cannot say to the hand, “I don’t need you!” And the head cannot say to the feet, “I don’t need you!” On the contrary, those parts of the body that seem to be weaker are indispensable.
In March of 2016, I stood before our church board and presented an awkward but passionate plea to make the gospel accessible in our little church. To date, Flint Hills Embrace has touched the lives of 291 people, seen 34 salvations, and held 6 baptisms. Amen!
Those numbers overwhelm me. I knew this ministry could reach a forgotten people group, showing them the love and the light of Jesus. What I didn’t know was how much of an effect it would have on those around us, and that effect is 100% why I beg your church to try an inclusion-based model.
A core tenet in our body of believers is welcoming people with disabilities to worship, learn, and pray with us. We encourage them to come alongside us in all ways, if it does not cause them undue stress. Kids with special needs play and learn alongside their typical peers in our nursery and children’s church. Teens with special needs join our youth events. Teens and adults with special needs participate in Sunday services and serve alongside their peers. We as the body of Christ have learned how much we need each other. Because of this, our disability ministry has changed us all. It’s more than childcare so mom can attend the service-it’s growing in faith, together. Disability ministry is not just something we do. It has become an integral part of the identity of Flint Hills Church. Let me list some of the biggest impacts:
- Special needs families have a safe place to learn about God and grow in their faith on their own level.
- People with special needs learn and serve alongside peers.
- Neurotypical peers have grown up around those with special needs. As a result, they are more loving and inclusive.
- Our students have learned to expect this ministry as a normal part of the body of believers and are shocked when it’s not.
- First-time visitors have opportunities to look at faith from a fresh perspective.
- People are learning that love is not earned, and you are more than what you can physically do.
- We have a culture of acceptance: we hum, dance, spin, rock, and worship loudly. We accept whatever draws people closer to Jesus.
- Our church is consistently growing.
- We have the best fidgets (not a huge milestone, but we love it)!
We are different. Our church has grown, changed, and begun to look more like the body of Christ. This would not be the same if we operated from the perspective of a more exclusion-based ministry. As a neurodivergent person, I am intrigued to watch how some churches accept those with disabilities learning and worshipping, if they do so in a separate area. It reminds me of ‘parallel play,’ a behavior seen in those with special needs, where they play in proximity to each other but do not interact with peers. Adults in the Church seem to be saying, “You worship there, and I’ll worship here.” This is mind-boggling to me; I believe everyone can be integrated somewhere in the Church, and we NEED each other.
It is not my heart to disparage any ministry – I am so grateful for all who seek to make the gospel accessible. However, when I see a ministry focus solely on seclusion and separation, it breaks my heart. I hope to lovingly challenge the culture in the Church, much like we have in ours. What if your church is one decision away from deeper, healthier faith for all its parishioners?
There is a disease called Sanfilippo Syndrome. It is a disease caused by the body’s inability to break down a sugar molecule because of a missing enzyme. I am no doctor, what I know I learned from loving and working with a girl we nicknamed ‘Sweet Tea.’ One crucial enzyme was missing, and her body slowly failed her. She lost the ability to walk, talk, see, eat, and hear, and died – all due to one missing enzyme.
Pardon my boldness; perhaps the reason the American Church is so sick is due to the lack of a crucial enzyme. If that were true, would you only offer it to part of the body? Worshipping together means growing together; that is what Heaven looks like. We are one body, and we need each other desperately. Could your church take new steps towards inclusion?
Joanna French is the special needs pastor at Flint Hills Church, Junction City, KS. Joanna and her husband Jairmie have two boys with autism. In 2017, Joanna started Flint Hills Embrace with the goal to make Flint Hills Church a place where everyone belongs. Why? Because we all have a place in God’s plan.