Special Needs, Special Ministry - Softcover

Learn from the successes and failures of churches with special needs programs. Build awareness about special needs ministry in your church. Launch or further develop a special needs ministry. Partner with local agencies. Gain insight from Pat Verbal, Louise Tucker Jones and more! Think through the staffing, space, budget, and leadership implications of hosting a special needs ministry. And here's a bonus: You get three complete sermon outlines from Dr. Jim Pierson, plus 10 reproducible bulletin inserts to hand out in your church services!

Dear Friend, When a diving accident in 1967 robbed me of the use of my hands and legs, I found myself in a hospital ward wondering if I would ever smile and be hopeful again. I had become just statistical data-a member of the population affected by disabilities. And I was dangerously close to becoming a number on the list of the depressed.

The darkness lifted when friends from my church rallied around my family, offering help, hope, and positive meaning for my life. It was the church that kept us connected to reality, opening doors of possibility and paving the way for me to re-enter the mainstream of life. The church made all the difference.

Unfortunately, my story is not unique. This is why, more than thirty-five years later, I'm pleased to labor alongside a worldwide staff of skilled and gifted individuals at Joni and Friends who are committed to accelerating Christian outreach into the disability community around the globe. We're energized by Jesus' statement in Luke 14:13-14a, 23b: "But when you give a banquet, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, the blind, and you will be blessed. Make them come in, so that my house will be full."

Yes, we're convinced that people with disabilities will be blessed, but the key is that you will be blessed. When local churches such as yours reach beyond the comfort zones and embrace families with special needs children, the entire fellowship is blessed in dramatic ways. Your church will realize that we're richer when we recognize our poverty, we're stronger when we see our weaknesses, and we become recipients of God's grace when we understand our desperate need of him.

The book you hold in your hands, Special Needs-Special Ministry, is a wonderful key to unlocking the door to those blessings. As you turn each page, you'll discover practical steps on how to invite people with disabilities and their families into the fold of Christ's fellowship. You'll also read stories that will inspire and encourage you as you embark into the exciting world of disability ministry outreach.

So thank you for stepping out in this new pathway to blessing. May your heart beat in rhythm with the Savior's as you enjoy reading Special Needs-Special Ministry, and may God grant success as you put into practice all that you glean. After all, a ministry to special needs children and their families involves not only a change for the family, it means a change in your church and your community. Most of all, it's about a change in you-for as you shine God's light and shake his salt, as you open up new doors of access in your church, as you reach out, one thing is sure: You will be blessed.

Joni Eareckson Tada is founder and president of Joni and Friends, an organization accelerating Christian ministry in the disability community. Joni is a best-selling author, artist, and speaker. Her role as a disability advocate led to a presidential appointment to the National Council on Disability for three and one-half years, during which time the Americans with Disabilities Act became law.