Special needs ministry proclaims that the Gospel is for everyone who has faith in Jesus, regardless of your abilities, social standing, or culture. Listen in on how to make your church become irresistible with a vision like this.
Resources for Disability Ministry in church - see link below:
Church Training Resources | Joni and Friends
Hi, I’m Joni Eareckson Tada with an example of an irresistible church.
And when I say irresistible, I mean a church that captures the attention of the community, and the hearts of God's people. I’ve seen many churches like this, and all of them share one thing in common – they have an active outreach to people affected by disabilities and their families. I remember attending Lifeway Church in northern Indiana; they have a Wednesday night service where mainly, people with mental and physical challenges are invited to come and worship God. Believe me, it is a joy-filled worship service! People in wheelchairs waving banners, others with tambourines; kids with Down syndrome raising their hands and jumping up and down to the music; kids with autism joining hands with their typical peers and swirling and swinging in circles, everybody singing praises to God at the top of their lungs. It is such a no-holds-barred time of worship; so wonderful, so winsome and free, that a lot of typical church members are now attending the Wednesday night service to worship right along, and it has become, by default, the most popular weekly service or event at Lifeway Church.
And I have just described for you why that church is so irresistible. Regardless of cognitive processing, verbal communication, behavioral struggles, or physical ability, an irresistible church like Lifeway values each member as a person flawlessly created in the image of God. What’s more, the church family receives each member’s God-given gifts with joy. Such a church is irresistible, not just to the special needs family looking to be loved for who they are, but for anyone out in the world, out in the community; anyone who is skeptical that the church holds a place for them.
Launching a fruitful disability ministry like the one at Lifeway Church can bring unexpected blessings to your church body. Your congregation will become irresistible to those outside, and those struggling inside when they see how you welcome, how you include, and disciple people with disabilities and their families. You will also find that evangelizing and discipling those affected by disability helps produce stronger disciples of your typical church members. Members who have not found a passionate place of service often excel at serving in disability ministry and seem to find there their ministry “home.”That’s what you see at Lifeway Church – they do not want for volunteers, because everybody wants to serve on Wednesday night. And one more thing, because disability ministry can take place across all programs, it really brings the church together and helps prevent programs from becoming more important than the people.
And if you want that church to catch that vision, Effective disability ministry shouts to a world that values perfection, and superficial beauty, and power, that God and his people value those who seem to be weak, who depend on others, and who appear insignificant. Special needs ministry proclaims that the Gospel is for all people who have faith in Jesus, regardless of their abilities, social standing, or culture. Friend, a church that has caught this vision is, indeed, irresistible. And if you want your church to catch that vision, the Ministry Relations Department at Joni & Friends would love to help you. Just go to joniradio.org where you’ll find a link to all our resources – including videos, articles, books, and online courses. Make your church irresistible! Find out how at joniradio.org. Oh, and one more thing I want to send you a copy of our Joni & Friends newsletter, so just go to joniradio.org.
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