Each year more churches are realizing the need to reach and support families impacted by special-needs. If that's your church, you may wonder what steps to take next.
Here are five goals you can set for your special-needs ministry in the new year.
Be there for a family when they hear a diagnosis.
All special-needs parents, no matter when they get their child’s diagnosis or what that diagnosis is, need support from friends, their family, and their church. If you want to show them how much you care, here are a few tips for the days after the diagnosis and even for the years that follow.
Special-needs ministry doesn’t only take place in a classroom on Sunday morning. It happens in the parking lot, in the hallway, during the service, and even during the week.
Put on an outreach that targets special-needs families.
We see special-needs families as an unreached people group we plan to target. And like missionaries, we are taking the “go and engage” approach instead of just “come and see.”
Support adoptive families who may be struggling.
Rejoice in adoption and rejoice with adoptive families, but also be sensitive to those who are struggling and love them well.
We have expertise and resources to help you reach new families and serve the ones you have. Email today if we can help you in any way!
Sandra Peoples is a special-needs mom and sibling. She and her family live outside of Houston, TX where she serves her church as the director of special-needs ministry at the Southern Baptist of Texas Convention as their special-needs ministry specialist. She’s the author of Unexpected Blessings: The Joys and Possibilities of Life in a Special-Needs Family and the host of the podcast, Self Care and Soul Care for the Caregiver. You can connect with her at sandrapeoples.com.
