Faith Talk

I incorporate spiritual development into this blog alongside ‘professional stuff’, because I have seen  families of and children with special needs unintentionally shunned from their local spiritual community.  Not  done in a hateful manner, but simply because it can be very scary making changes that are necessary to include them.   This may be from preconceived notions about the disability, the behavior, or fear of doing something wrong.   However, according to James 1:27 and Luke 14:12 we cannot let this continue.  By not being intentional in accepting and accommodating the child we are in a sense making orphans of the whole family.     I have encountered families disillusioned with their local house of worship.  They are “free” to go, but not able to go.  Having children with special needs, their children are often tagged as “too difficult”, “bad children”, “too disruptive”, and this list goes on.  Many of us whom attend a house of worship know how it provides a sense of community, a support system, joy for today and hope for tomorrow.  Living in a religiously free society, we can take for granted this freedom.  It is notable to me that many of the families that need this the most; do not have a support system of a local church or congregation. We need this to change.   Just because it is what Jesus would want.  I know that if I stood before God today and asked if he wanted us to include families and children with special needs; his answer would be an emphatic, “Do as much as you can as soon as you can!”  Thus, my new local mission.  Inspiring, equipping, educating churches on how they can reach out to these “orphan” families.  How they can adapt what they are currently doing to be a light into a family, a marriage, a child.  I challenge each of you to this week while attending your local house of worship to take an inventory.  Do you have any families with special needs children that regularly attend?  If not, why not?  If so, ask them how you can make coming to worship a better experience.  I am praying that this little blog will be some spark for change.  A place where others can share experiences or ideas on what has worked or is not working in their faith community.