Category Archives: Strategies

The responsibilities of church leaders who promote adoption

I’d like to challenge church leaders to assume responsibility for supporting their families when they pursue adoption ministry. Continue reading

Posted in Adoption, Families, Foster Care, Key Ministry, Strategies | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 4 Comments

To love adoptive and foster families, (4) let our kids be kids…

But they are kids, first and foremost. Welcome them as you would any other child. Work with their parents or guardians to figure out how to include them well.
Continue reading

Posted in Adoption, Families, Foster Care, Key Ministry, Strategies | Tagged , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

To love adoptive and foster families, (3) partner with us…

So it makes sense that one way to love the adoptive and foster families in your church is to partner with us. In many ways, this looks just like family ministry does for everyone else. Continue reading

Posted in Adoption, Advocacy, Families, Resources, Strategies | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

#2…Churches should become trauma and attachment-informed

So, church leaders, what can you do to become trauma- and attachment-informed and to then use that knowledge to serve adoptive and foster families well? Continue reading

Posted in Adoption, Advocacy, Controversies, Families, Foster Care, Hidden Disabilities, Inclusion, Strategies | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 27 Comments

Five ways the church can love their adoptive and foster families

When their parents are being elevated with comments about what a great thing they did, then those children may feel like they are less deserving of their families than a biological child might be. Continue reading

Posted in Adoption, Advocacy, Families, Foster Care, Key Ministry, Strategies | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 7 Comments

The compelling case for social media in special needs ministry…Barb Dittrich

The question for us became, “If our parents can’t come to us, how can we come to them?” Continue reading

Posted in Inclusion, Inclusion Fusion, Key Ministry, Strategies | Tagged , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Finding Friendship…Christen Morrow-Ara

Because of the unique emphasis on relationship and the friendships built, our friends struggle to find a similar place for spiritual community or belonging outside of Capernaum. However, our older friends who met Jesus in high school and have been coming for many years need more. They need age appropriate community, friendships, dignity and need to be challenged to the next step in their walk with Christ as a part of the body of Christ. The challenge is finding churches that are prepared to welcome our friends and offer more than a simple program to them-relationships and a place in the life of the church. Continue reading

Posted in Inclusion, Inclusion Fusion, Intellectual Disabilities, Key Ministry, Strategies | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Doing Ministry Like a Missionary…Mike Woods

Whether you want to call it “outeach,” “missional,” or “go and tell,” I think it’s important for church-based special needs ministries (and churches without special needs ministries) to start operating again like missionaries. Continue reading

Posted in Key Ministry, Strategies | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 3 Comments

What about the families without a church to welcome their child?

I promised to follow up on the most frequent complaint we received…that churches we serve weren’t available locally to those who responded to our survey. Here’s how we plan to respond… Continue reading

Posted in Key Ministry, Resources, Strategies, Training Events | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

A look at who we serve…

Having a family member with special needs affects church attendance in the following ways: 46% have troubles attending church; 28% don’t attend or have given up attending; 11% of families attend services separately, with one parent staying home to manage the child while the other heads to church; 15% said they had no troubles with church attendance. Continue reading

Posted in Families, Key Ministry, Leadership, Strategies | Tagged , , , , , , | Leave a comment