[Faith-talk] special needs ministry

[Barbara Hammel]

As a blind person, I’ve had a time of feeling like I fit in some place at church, when I was in the choir, when I wroked in nursery and in our sunday school class.  But most other members of the church treat us like we’ve got leprosy.
Every since we adopted our children, our church has chosen to start up a special needs ministry but it mostly is just our two.  A few of the special needs kiddos can function in a normal class setting because they’re higher functioning autists or physically disabled.  What do you suppose we could try to help our family of three blind people and one sighted person feel a bit more at home.  I’ve thought about switching churches to one with a more established program for special needs kids but I’m afraid we’d meet the same obstacles—and I have a hard time making friends.  Going to church is not supposed to make you angry, but it is what it is.
Barbara

Let every nation know whether it wishes us well or ill, that we shall pay any price, bear any burden, meet any hardship, support any friend, oppose any foe, in order to assure the survival and the success of liberty.--John F. Kennedy