{"id":10252,"date":"2007-10-09T15:06:31","date_gmt":"2007-10-09T20:06:31","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blogs.covchurch.org\/newswire\/?p=10252"},"modified":"2011-08-08T15:07:19","modified_gmt":"2011-08-08T20:07:19","slug":"5868","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/blogs.covchurch.org\/newswire\/2007\/10\/09\/5868\/","title":{"rendered":"New Book Gives Step-by-Step Guide to Special Needs Ministry"},"content":{"rendered":"

SAMMAMISH, WA (October 9, 2007) \u2013 Amy Rapada hopes her new book will encourage churches to begin special needs ministries for children while allaying their fears that often accompany such an undertaking.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe Special Needs Ministry Handbook\u201d offers step-by-step instructions on how to establish a special needs ministry for children pre-school through middle school. The book includes an outline of the process, along with lesson plans, forms, guides to resources, approaches to handling various behavioral issues, tips for helping families of a special needs children, and outreach ideas.<\/p>\n

A member of Pine Lake Covenant Church<\/a> and an educator who also has a severely disabled son, Rapada has presented workshops across the U.S. to help congregations develop special needs ministries. She has drawn on material that she developed and tested over the years for the book.<\/p>\n

In her endorsement of the book, Sandy Klein, Pine Lake\u2019s pastor of children\u2019s ministries writes, \u201cThis book provides clear, thoughtful and practical strategies and tools for developing a successful special needs ministry.”<\/p>\n

\u201cThis ministry is an outreach mission,\u201d Rapada says. \u201cMany people are so discouraged with their situation. They can\u2019t understand how God could allow this.\u201d<\/p>\n

Rapada knows that kind of despair firsthand, having watched as a rare neurological disease took away her son Zach\u2019s physical and mental abilities. \u201cIt was like he was becoming another person,\u201d she recalls.<\/p>\n

National organizations estimate that 95 percent of children with special needs are unchurched, Rapada says. \u201cMany people stay away from the church because they think that the church won\u2019t be able to care for their children.\u201d<\/p>\n

When Zach first became disabled, Rapada and her husband, Cal, knew they had to cling to their church for strength. A first step came when congregation members offered to watch Zach at home so the Rapadas could attend worship services.<\/p>\n

Wanting to do more, Rapada proposed the idea of a special needs ministry. The ministry serves Zach, now 16, as well as other special needs children and their families.<\/p>\n

Many churches initially are nervous about starting special needs ministries because the task seems daunting. But it doesn\u2019t have to be, Rapada says. \u201cIt is hard work,\u201d Rapada \u201cbut it also is a joy!\u201d<\/p>\n

Klein believes that special needs are an important part of a church\u2019s response to living out Matthew 19:14, when Jesus said, \u201cLet the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThe Special Needs Ministry Handbook\u201d is available at major retail and online bookstores.<\/p>\n

Rapada encourages churches to try to start with a model she refers to as \u201ctotal inclusion,\u201d where children with disabilities participate in regular Sunday school classes, accompanied by a volunteer.<\/p>\n

If churches are unable to use this approach, she recommends \u201creverse inclusion.\u201d The approach calls for \u201cspecialized but not isolated\u201d classrooms. Each student is matched with a typically developed student and adult in addition to having a teacher in the classroom. This is the model Pine Lakes uses.<\/p>\n

Rapada says other children enjoy and benefit from having special needs students in their classrooms. \u201cIt\u2019s a huge blessing for them. I think a lot of times that get more out of it than the special needs kids,\u201d she adds.<\/p>\n

Local disability organizations generally are eager to work with congregations. Pine Lake says national organizations such as Children\u2019s Institute for Learning Differences<\/a> and The Young Life Open Door Program<\/a> are excellent resources.<\/p>\n

Rapada is a member of the Covenant\u2019s newly established Disabilities Ministry Resource Committee. \u201cI am incredibly impressed that the Covenant is doing this at a denominational level,\u201d she says, noting that many other denominations have yet to develop similar ministries.<\/p>\n

Report This Post<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

SAMMAMISH, WA (October 9, 2007) \u2013 Amy Rapada hopes her new book will encourage churches to begin special needs ministries for children while allaying their fears that often accompany such an undertaking. 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