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The Gospel must be accessible to everyone. 

Ministry Resources

Hello Pastor/Ministry Leader/Awesome Ninja Warrior For Christ:

I am so excited that you are here! You don't have to walk out on the water alone. I pray that you find what you are looking for. If you are here you are probably looking for information on special needs ministry. That is so exciting!

When God said he so loved the world he wasn't playing. He meant the whole world not just the normal people. Plus, as the body of Christ we need each other. Your disabled brothers and sisters need you, and you need them. How exciting is that?

So first I want to say that if you ever wanted to chat you can shoot me an email and I will reply as soon as I can. Just click the contact me link below!  I would love to meet with you, your board, or even come and preach a message on inclusion at your church. As a bonus if you do book for me to come I would be more than happy to share my booklet on "How To Start a Special Needs Ministry in a Church of Any Size."  You can do it friends, and you can do it affordably!

Blessings in Christ, 
Pastor Joanna French

Starting a Special Needs Ministry?

Here are the items I recommend to get you started.

I do not endorse any specific brands/companies selling these products.  I have used most of these products for either my family or the ministry we lead. I cannot guarantee your experience will be as positive as mine but this is a good place to begin!

Building Blocks...

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There is nothing wrong with starting small. Many church's cannot afford to start at all if they don't start small. Please start, even if its small. Most dollar stores have fidgets and sensory toys like play dough, squishy toys, and spinners. Walmart is now selling weighted blankets and noise canceling headphones as well as the items above. It really is very simple to begin. Here's my go to advice for beginners.

Pray over it. 

Start with love. Accept all people as they are, the image bearers of God. Start with a desire to find volunteers who will see that too. Educate your church on disabilities. Ask someone who has experience to come and speak to your church. I would be happy to set up a meeting to help you do so, or even preach a sermon on inclusion one Sunday, so contact me below if your interested. 

Create sensory bags for individuals with disabilities. These should be marked with the users name to avoid anxiety in later dates. Inside include: 2-3 different kinds of fidgets, noise canceling head phones, and a set of communication cards. If the children will be attending during church hours I encourage you to include a visual schedule as well(see below).
 
Encourage peers to help each other. Neurotypical peers cannot be solely responsible for impacted children but if you can have 2-4 responsible "friends" per an age group it will go a long way to making this easier for your volunteers during service times.  Make sure to discuss with parents first. 

Address the friends disability in the same way they themselves, or their family address it. Some families prefer person first language like "Johnny who has Down Syndrome" and others, like my own children, may proudly identify using their disability. My J will tell you "I am autistic. I cannot take off my autism so I am not a person with autism." 

Feel free to contact me for more suggestions below. 

Get In Touch

Thanks for reaching out! I will get back to you as soon as possible. .

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