Tag Archives: Special Needs Ministry

What’s the Definition of “Special Needs?”

Posted on June 7, 2012 by Dr. G

When we use the term “special needs” to refer to a population of underserved children, who exactly are we referring to?
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Summer Series: Difficult Questions

Posted on May 31, 2012 by Dr. G

This summer, I’m going to ask…and offer my best answers for some difficult questions about disability ministry, and inviting some colleagues with differing opinions the opportunity to respond. Continue reading →

Posted in Controversies, Key Ministry, Strategies | Tagged , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Square Pegs and Round Holes…The Bottom Line on Helping Kids With Asperger’s Disorder Grow Spiritually

Posted on April 29, 2012 by Dr. G

Today’s post concludes our series on helping kids with Asperger’s Disorder and other social disabilities to grow spiritually. We’ll finish by looking at some general principles to help church staff, parents and volunteers to minister more effectively to very unique kids made in the image of God who tend to defy categorization.
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Ministry Resources From Mike Woods for Kids With Autism

Posted on April 24, 2012 by Dr. G

We’ve been fortunate to enjoy the benefits of Mike Woods’ wisdom and experience during his recent guest blog series for Autism Awareness Month. Mike’s truly a thought leader in the field of disability ministry, but a humble thought leader. When we first discussed his guest blog series, I’d asked him to put together a post with links to many of the excellent web-based resources he’s developed for church staff, volunteers and parents for serving kids with special needs. Mike seemed a little reluctant to blow his own horn, so I thought I’d share links to some resources Mike has developed that church staff and volunteers might find especially valuable in ministering to kids with autism spectrum disorders and their families…
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Mike Woods: Giving Unconditional Worth to Children on the Autism Spectrum

Posted on April 19, 2012 by Dr. G

In my previous post I discussed the important of human engagement with children and adults with autism in an effort to develop relationships. Our goal is to bring a nurturing spirit into the special needs volunteer/child relationship…one that is characterized by genuine warmth, mutual respect, and unconditional worth. In order to facilitate these relational characteristics it is essential to maximize the use of giving unconditional worth.

Unconditional worth refers to any action on the part of the special needs staff/volunteer that recognizes and expresses the dignity, worth, and value of the child.
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Mike Woods: C3: Comfort, Confirm, Challenge…Part Two

Posted on April 12, 2012 by Dr. G

Christianity is about entering into relationships with people…to include children with autism and other special needs. And in order to be able to do that, it’s important to be familiar with how Jesus, the Master of developing relationships, interacted with people. That’s why we use what I call the C3 model: Comfort, Confirm, Challenge that’s based on His interactions with people with disabilities. Continue reading →

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Guest Blogger Mike Woods: C3: COMFORT, Confirm, Challenge

Posted on April 10, 2012 by Dr. G

One of the primary outcomes for each team member in our Special Friends Ministry is to develop relationships with each and every child and adult with special needs that we minister to. The process that we use to develop a relationship is called C3 (Comfort, Confirm, Challenge) and is derived from the many interactions between Jesus and people with disabilties in the Gospels. Continue reading →

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More Resources for Autism Awareness Month

Posted on April 9, 2012 by Dr. G

Our team at Key Ministry seeks to provide churches with the best possible resources for successfully including and ministering to families of kids with disabilities. We’re honored to offer you the resources of one of the church’s leading experts in ministry to children and adults with autism spectrum disorders.

Mike Woods will be sharing a series of guest blog posts in honor of Autism Awareness Month. Continue reading →

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Interview With Chuck and Colleen Swindoll…Part Two

Posted on April 3, 2012 by Dr. G

Yesterday, we shared Part One of an interview Katie Wetherbee conducted with Chuck Swindoll and his daughter Colleen for last fall’s Inclusion Fusion in which they discussed the different ways in which their family had been impacted by having a child (Jonathan) with autism. Here’s Part Two of the interview, followed by the content of the guest blog Colleen wrote last year for Autism Awareness Day…
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Autism Awareness Day 2012…Chuck and Colleen Swindoll

Posted on April 2, 2012 by Dr. G

In honor of Autism Awareness Day, we’d like to share an interview conducted by Katie Wetherbee in which Chuck and Colleen spoke at length about the impact of Jonathan’s disability on their family, how his presence in the family has been a blessing, and how Jonathan has helped Chuck become more effective in his ministry to people with disabilities. Here’s Part One of the interview…We’ll share Part Two tomorrow.
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Posted in Autism, Families, Inclusion Fusion, Key Ministry, Spiritual Development, Stories | Tagged , , , , , , | 1 Comment