[Faith-talk] special needs ministry

Tue Oct 11 04:09:25 UTC 2011

This is the reason we don't leave.  We have found some wonderful people to 
work with the twins, it's just that we and them are our own little world. 
One has no verbal skills at all and the other barely talks.
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
-----Original Message----- 
From: Debbie Brown
Sent: Monday, October 10, 2011 12:18 PM
To: Faith-talk,for the discussion of faith and religion
Subject: Re: [Faith-talk] special needs ministry

One of the women in my chirch has a son with cognitive disabilities.
Sometimes he was in his own age group, sometimes in different age groups,
depending on the teacher.  I can't imagine there aren't some activities you
kids couldn't do with the group, such as singing or possibly a little
Scripture memorization.

We had a child who had some severe disabilities in our braille club.  There
were activities he couldn't do because of his academic limitations, but we
had a song, and he enjoyed singing it.  We had to take him out of class
sometimes because he was a little disruptive, and we did need his mother's
help because he couldn't communicate well, and she understood him.

I do know a church that pays people to be aides in the regular Sunday School
class for those with severe disabilities.  That gives their parents a break
and helps the child participate as much as possible.

Some of the blindness issues should be easy to address.  For example, try to
get the teachers to introduce themselves and use students' names.  Also, get
them to provide you with electronic copies of songs or lessons they will be
using so that you can practice with your children at home.  If they won't do
at least that much, I would think that is pretty discouraging.

I think that if you decide to leave a church, you should let as many people
know as possible why you are leaving.  If you find someone who can teach
your special needs children better, that is something you should say.  I
would hope that would put a little shame in someone.

Debbie Brown

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Joshua Lester" <jlester8462 at students.pccua.edu>
To: "Faith-talk,for the discussion of faith and religion"
<faith-talk at nfbnet.org>
Sent: Monday, October 10, 2011 4:39 AM
Subject: Re: [Faith-talk] special needs ministry

Sister Barbara:
I don't know about blind parents, with special needs children, but I
know a Southern Gospel singer, that has a special needs ministry.
He and his wife have adopted 3 special needs children.
They're all young adults now.
His name is Jerry Garcia, (don't confuse him with the late rock star,)
(LOL.)
I'll find a link to his Website, and put it on here.
Blessings, Joshua

On 10/9/11, Barbara Hammel <poetlori8 at msn.com> wrote:
> Essentially, we're trying to reinvent the wheel, having to make up a
> curiculum tailored for the repetition part of autism.  What makes it so 
> hard
> for people in general, I think, is the dual disability.  Folks would have 
> an
> easier time interacting if the blindness wasn't there.  Most people 
> actually
> seem scared of the twins.  It's so sad that so many folks are scared of
> contracting blindness.  Funny thing is, when I was a child, my family 
> always
> used to joke that blindness is contagious.  When I tell people that, the
> silence is almost palpable and you can feel the fear mounting and their
> rational brain trying to tell them it's not true.
> 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
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Debbie Brown
> Sent: Sunday, October 09, 2011 7:58 PM
> To: Faith-talk,for the discussion of faith and religion
> Subject: Re: [Faith-talk] special needs ministry
>
> What you're describing doesn't sound as if a special class is needed. When
> kids are four, teachers have to help them with crafts a lot anyhow.  I 
> think
> I had a sort of personal assistant in Sunday School till I was about 
> eight.
> His job was to draw things for me and write things down when that was
> necessary, and probably talk to me when I got bored.  Putting braille on
> anything never occurred to any of us.  It sounds as if you should be 
> pushing
> to be in the regular class with your children encouraging them and talking
> to the teacher.  Later on, someone else should be doing that for a few
> years.  If your children's disabilities are only blindness, they shouldn't
> need anyone as they get older, as long as you have a ccess to a Bible.  By
> the time they are in about fourth grade, they should be spending a lot of
> time in the actual Bible.  If that's not the case, you should be demanding 
> a
> better curriculum--and not just for blind kids.
>
> Debbie Brown
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "Barbara Hammel" <poetlori8 at msn.com>
> To: "Faith-talk,for the discussion of faith and religion"
> <faith-talk at nfbnet.org>
> Sent: Monday, October 03, 2011 6:52 PM
> Subject: Re: [Faith-talk] special needs ministry
>
>
>> Until our kids were four, they were in with the regular kids but it was
>> apparent long before that that when the regular kids started having to do
>> seat work and sit during teaching and craft, our children wouldn't be 
>> able
>>
>> to do that.  You're right about it being very isolating but our only 
>> other
>>
>> choice is to stay at home.
>> 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
>> -----Original Message-----
>> From: Linda Mentink
>> Sent: Monday, October 03, 2011 8:44 PM
>> To: Faith-talk,for the discussion of faith and religion
>> Subject: Re: [Faith-talk] special needs ministry
>>
>> Hi Barbara,
>>
>> A special needs ministry often isolates you from
>> the rest of the congregation. I'm guessing that's
>> not what you really want. it would depend on what
>> those special needs are, but most can just be put
>> in with everyone else. Often a special needs
>> ministry isn't what's needed, but someone to just
>> come alongside and help where needed, without
>> making a big deal of it. You don't want to be singled out.
>>
>> I guess I don't have any wisdom here.
>>
>> Blessings,
>>
>> Linda
>>
>> At 09:27 PM 10/2/2011, you wrote:
>>>As a blind person, Iâ€™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
>>>weâ€™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 theyâ€™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.  Iâ€™ve thought about
>>>switching churches to one with a more established program for special
>>>needs kids but Iâ€™m afraid weâ€™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
>>>_______________________________________________ Faith-talk mailing list
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>>
>>
>>
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