Leading a Special Needs Ministry

Several years ago, my friend Amy Fenton Lee developed a passion for special needs ministry and embarked upon a mission to learn as much as she could about the subject.  In doing so, she has become one of the most knowledgeable people in the country on the topic.  Her blog, The Inclusive Church, contains a vast amount of helpful insight for anyone involved in ministering to those with special needs, which includes Down Syndrome and various disorders on the autism spectrum.

She then became the special needs consultant for our friends at Orange, sharing helpful information to attendees of that conference around the country.  Now with the help of the folks at ReThink she has put a wealth of information in a book entitled “Leading a Special Needs Ministry,” enabling church leaders and workers everywhere to learn from her experience.

If you’ve been on the conference circuit, you know its not unusual for the resource tables to be filled with skinny books filled with fluff and filler, purporting to address a specific topic or need in the Christian community.  This book does not fit that mode.  It’s packed with real world best practices drawn from the experience of ministry workers and churches who are already doing this type of ministry, and doing it well.  It contains so much information it might well be used as a textbook, though written in a much more winsome and practical manner than the typical book in the academic genre. You’ll learn how to better love and serve families with members who have special needs, and be equipped to establish a ministry mission, develop an accommodation plan, ensure a safe environment, and recruit leaders and volunteers

If you are involved in ministry, especially to kids, young people and families, you should pick up this book.  Whether your church is big or small, you’ll better understand how to serve and worship with those who have special needs.

Learn more at The Inclusive Church.