Spirituality

*Note: This section was written by Jim Messina, Ph.D. and Connie Messina, Ph.D. in support of the development of a Special Needs Ministry at Idlewild Baptist Church in Tampa, Florida, which opened in April 1997. Today it serves over 20 families whose children attend either "inclusion" Bible Study Classes or the "Adults with Special Needs Class". Respite care is offered during all worship services at the church in the "Enabling Center" on Sunday mornings, Sunday and Wednesday evenings.

"The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.
He maketh me lie down in green pastures;
He leadeth me beside the still waters,
He restoreth my soul,
He Leadeth me in the path of righteousness for his name's sake.
Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,
I will fear no evil;
For Thou art with me;
Thy rod and thy staff, they comfort me.
Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies;
Thou annointest my head with oil; my; cup runneth over.
Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life,
And I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever."
Psalm 23

The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), Public Law 101-336, signed into law on July 26, 1990, mandates equal access for people with disabilities to employment, state and local government services, transportation, public accommodations and services provided by private entities, and telecommunications.

Under ADA, disability is defined in the following manner: a physical or mental impairment that substantially limits one or more of the major life activities of an individual such as walking, speaking and breathing; a record of such an impairment; or being regarded as having such an impairment.

As is true with the general public, 17% of the members of religious congregations have one or more disabilities. For the purposes of ADA, the definition of disability is very broad-based, and includes among others, mobility and sensory impairments, mental illness, mental retardation and learning disabilities. This definition of disability includes diabetes, cancer, HIV/AIDS, arthritis, respiratory and cardiac conditions and chronic back pain.

The World Health Organization defines disability as any restriction or lack (resulting from an impairment) of ability to perform an activity in the manner, or in the range, considered normal. This means that, apart from its underlying origins and ultimate effects, disability is a limitation in life activities, such as working and living independently, caused by impairments or other chronic conditions, such as blindness or arthritis. Disability involves many areas of functioning, such as physical ( e.g., walking), emotional (e.g., personal relationships), and mental (e.g., problem solving).⁽¹⁾

The statements regarding the numbers of the disabled in the general public and those within a church congregation indicate that 17% of the individuals involved have one or more disability. In the United States, with a population of 248,718,291⁽²⁾, 4,228,210 have one or more disability. In Hillsborough county, with a population of 906,530⁽³⁾, 154,110 have one or more disability. At a pilot study setting, Idlewild Baptist Church, with a membership of 6,000, 1,020 are estimated to have one or more disability. Statistical data indicates the possible presence of numbers of individuals with disabilities ready to benefit from full participation in a religious community. Sadly, only a small percentage of people with disabilities have access to congregations where attitude, communication and architectural barriers have been eliminated.

To get an idea of the need, consider the largest Protestant denomination in Florida, there are 2200 Southern Baptist Convention churches.⁽⁴⁾ Of these churches, there are only twelve that provide distinctive and identified services for individuals with disabilities. ⁽⁵⁾ In Hillsborough County, only one church, First Baptist of Brandon, had provided for its members who are mentally handicapped at the time of formation of the Building Bridges to Worship Program. Statistically, only .5% of the churches who are members of the Southern Baptist Convention have a ministry for the members with disabilities in their congregations. Based on the demonstrated statistical evidence or our example denomination, there is indeed a need for a ministry for people who have disabilities in religious communities.

Why a Special Needs Ministry? Religious leaders over the centuries have set the model for ministering to the needs of persons with various handicaps. They have responded to the needs of lepers; to persons with paralysis; to persons who were lame, blind, deaf or maimed; and to many other persons with profound problems. Most of these persons were considered hopeless and their pleas to faith communities over the years were desperate cries for help. Having a disability represents a hopeless situation to many. Many individuals with disabilities are on a quest for the miraculous answer. They seek physical and sensorimotor cures, educational cures, nutritional cures and behavioral cures. The faith community has a spiritual message of hope that must be presented and shared. Faith communities have set the example.

Many people of faith, from every religious persuasion, are finding the need to examine disability in light of their understanding of God as Creator and Sustainer of life. God does not send a disability. Rather, God is with us in the adversities of life, just as God is with us in the joys and triumphs of life. God loves us with an everlasting love and is aware of our needs, fears, anxieties and hopes. It is God's spirit that moves us to pray, especially in times of pain, sorrow and loneliness. God's spirit removes the attitudes that isolate people. And, God's spirit motivates a congregation to be affirming, inclusive and welcoming.

What is it that religion can offer to people who are lonely, disabled or not? Religion offers to redeem us from loneliness by teaching us to see our neighbors as ourselves, to be aware of their humanity, their fears and feelings. Religion offers community to our lonely human souls. The house of worship represents one place where the barriers fall and we all stand equal before God.

If a congregation is worth its salt, it is in the business of improving the lives of others. People attending faith communities represent a wide variety of socioeconomic levels, occupations, and social networks. The match between the needs of individuals with disabilities and the local congregations is truly "made in heaven". Why have only a small percentage of faith communities offered their messages to people with disabilities?

To develop a Special Needs Ministry there are many varied procedures involved. Locating the individuals with disabilities, assessing individual needs, training a cadre of volunteers, establishing space needs, making a commitment, praying for direction, educating the congregation and preparing the curriculum are necessary components needed in the preparation of a special needs ministry. With each ministry, each mission, the individuals involved are of primary importance. People with disabilities want neither pity-ridden paternalism nor overblown admiration. They insist simply on common respect and the opportunity to build bonds to their communities as fully accepted participants in everyday life.

God expects us to be competent and knowledgeable in our commitment. A ministry to individuals with disabilities and their families demands that a person be informed about the disabilities. Just as other professionals maintain a concerted effort to stay informed, so individuals dealing with people with disabilities should be knowledgeable about the conditions and the persons with whom they are involved. There are numerous procedures that can be employed to accomplish this: read about disabilities; watch documentary videos; talk to parents of children with disabilities; attend training conferences; speak to experts in the respective fields; visit faith communities with established programs; and seek information from individuals with disabilities.⁽⁷⁾ Listen genuinely to what they have to say. Observe their interactions, be aware of their needs and try to meet them, show respect and reverence for these individuals, be available to them and ask first "What can I do with you?" as opposed to "What can I do for you?"

One of the most difficult aspects of integrating people, who do not have disabilities, and people with disabilities is making both groups feel comfortable around each other, and to accept people who are different from themselves. There are ways, though, to make people with disabilities feel welcome and not to feel threatened by the people around them. First of all, remember that the person with a disability is a person; a disability need not be ignored or denied between friends; be yourself when you meet them; talk about the same things you would with anyone else; help them only when they request it, offer help, but wait for their request before giving it; be patient, let the person with a disability set his/her own pace in walking or talking; don't be afraid to laugh with them; don't stop and stare when you see a person with a handicap you do not know, they deserve the same courtesy any other person should receive; don't be over-protective or over solicitous; don't make up your mind ahead of time about the person with the handicap; don't offer pity or charity, they want to be treated as an equal; the abilities, talents, and problems of people with disabilities are just as diverse as those of people who do not have a disability.⁽⁸⁾

It is not enough merely to affirm the rights of people with disabilities. We must actively work to make them real in the fabric of modern society. All faith communities must work to increase the public's sensitivity toward the needs of people with disabilities and support their rightful demand for justice. People with disabilities are a forgotten population in America, and they are crying out for love and acceptance from anybody who will take the time to listen to them. It is time for faith communities to hear those cries and extend their arms of love and acceptance towards the people with disabilities of this country.

E. What are the spiritual needs of the parents of children with special needs?

F. What are the lifelong spiritual needs of children with developmental disabilities?

G. What activities can those in organized religions develop for the parents and families of children with special needs?

1. Inclusion in Religious Instruction Classes of All People with Disabilities:

The inclusion of persons with disabilities into regular religious instruction classes is the goal. The program would train volunteers to become "special education" aides for religious instruction classes that have persons who are in need of special assistance to enable full integration into these classes. Training and coordination of these special aides would insure that as many people with disabilities as possible can be fully integrated into the typical religious instruction classes in all faith communities.

2. Self-contained Religious Instruction Classes for Adults with Mental Disabilities:

At the young adult level and older, there would be self-contained classes established for those persons who have moderate to severe cognitive disabilities. Teachers for these classes would need training as well as need to coordinate their efforts to insure that a quality ministry is offered this specific adult population in all faith communities.

In addition to the Religious Instruction Classes, the faith communities could offer parent support classes for parents who have children with disabilities. The classes, led by parents would be designed by age groupings of the children: A.) Birth to 5th grade; B.) Middle and High School; C.) Young Adult and up. Each class would focus on assisting the parents to meet the following needs: 1.) Coping Skills to deal with a child who has a diagnosed disability. 2.) Advocacy Skills to empower the parents to become equal partners with all the religious, medical, educational, therapeutic, psychological and social service professionals involved with their target children and their siblings. 3.) Marital Survival Skills to assist the parents of intact families to enrich and strengthen their marriages so that they can function as a parental team with their children and to improve their spiritual and emotional functioning to encourage stable home environments for their children. 4.) Child Management Skills to assist the parents to learn healthy, theologically sound and constructive parental principles and practices to help raise their children (both target and siblings) to become independent, responsible, and optimally functional members of society.

Volunteers in faith communities need to be trained to provide onsite respite care for the families of children of all ages with disabilities. The parents and/or guardians will be able to take time for themselves to get more involved in the life of the faith community. They will gain some rest and relaxation so as to maintain their physical, emotional and spiritual health in the process.

Volunteer could work with the parents and guardians in the participating faith communities to develop and operate group homes for adults with disabilities who are not capable of living independently on their own. Agencies who conduct group homes will be utilized as consultants to this portion of the program. This will provide families with an alternative resource which is becoming impossible to obtain in the era of budget cutbacks and downsizing of social service agencies.

Volunteers could organize alternative recreational outlets for the target population and their siblings initially at participating faith communities. Such offerings could include: 1.) A Club for persons with disabilities and their friends which would link a school age typical child with a child or adult with disabilities; 2.) Integrated Choir for persons with disabilities; 3.) A Summer Bible Study Day Camp for persons with disabilities and/or their siblings; 4). An overnight summer camp experience for people with disabilities and/or their siblings; 5.) Sibshops for siblings emotional support;

7. Mentoring Program for adults with disabilities for socialization/recreational normalization.

Adult volunteers could become mentors of people with disabilities who are in Senior High School or older. This program would involve these adults into typical religious instruction classes and congregational fellowship programs. The mentors would assist the target buddies to learn how to fully integrate themselves into the mainstream of society. They would experience a variety of in and out of congregation activities of a social, recreational, leisure, cultural, and athletic nature.

Volunteers from the participating faith communities would assist the Supported Employment Programs of Vocational Rehabilitation and other agencies to recruit employers from their own faith communities as well as from the geographic area impacted by these congregations. The employers would be provided technical assistance by the faith communities to successfully integrate persons with disabilities into the work force.

H. Identification of Congregational Resources for Persons with Disabilities:

There is a need systematically identify what currently is being done for families with children with disabilities within a congregation. The goal is to identify potential new efforts which the congregation can develop to address their families with children with special need spiritual, emotional and physical needs.

I. Steps to Initiate a Special Needs Ministry in a Faith Community

The recommended steps for initiating a Special Needs Ministry Program in a local Faith Community are the result of the experience of the initiation of the Special Needs Ministry at Idlewild Baptist Church in Tampa. The Special Needs Ministry Program at Idlewild took a number of steps prior to its initiation, and it is these steps which are recommended to other groups who desire to establish a Special Needs Ministry in their own congregation.

1.Talk with leadership of the Faith Community to garner their support for the initiation of a Special Needs Ministry in the congregation. One to three months prior to setting up an advisory council and then ongoing.

2. Put out a request for prayers from the congregation's "prayer warriors" to pray and intercede for God's guidance and council concerning a "Special Needs Ministry" and if one can be started in the congregation. One month prior to setting up an advisory council and then ongoing for life of program.

3. Identify existing families with members who have disabilities and send them the "Faith Community Involvement Questionnaire" (Click here to download word document of this questionnaire). One month prior to setting up an advisory council.

4. Identify potential volunteers for the ministry and bring them together to pool their information and resources. One month prior to setting up an advisory council.

5. Contact the national, state and county offices of the respective denominational leadership of the Faith Community to find out what the denomination headquarters have to offer local congregations in regards to support materials, books, teaching guides etc. One month prior to setting up an advisory council and ongoing.

6. Review the existing resources in local congregations of other denominations to see what services are currently being offered to people with disabilities in the neighborhood and community in which the congregation is located. One month prior to forming an Advisory Council and ongoing.

7. Distribute an announcement to request families with a member with disabilities and other interested volunteers to join the congregation's Advisory Council. One month prior to forming an Advisory Council.

8. Send out a standing invitation for members of the Special Needs Ministry Advisory Council in congregation's newsletters, bulletins etc. to keep membership of the Advisory Council open to all interested congregational members. Ongoing prior and after the initiation of the program.

9. With the agreement of the leadership of the congregation, set up a time and place in the congregation for the first meeting of the Advisory Council. Five months prior to initiation of program.

10. Initiate the Advisory Council Meetings on a weekly basis. Five months prior to initiation of program.

11.Keep minutes of meetings and mail them out to all members of the Advisory Council on a timely basis announcing the next meeting and agenda. Be sure the leadership of the congregation gets copies of every set of minutes. Meet weekly with the congregational leadership to review issues the Advisory Council is addressing. This will prevent any surprises for the leadership with the recommendations coming from the Advisory Council to them. Keep the momentum going with your Advisory Council. Try to spend thirty minutes in prayer or reflection time and the rest of the time (30-60 minutes) focused on business. Once the program is initiated, the Advisory Council should meet at least once a month. The initial organizational agenda for the Advisory Council should include:

Identification of the needs of families with members with disabilities in the congregations and how the Faith Community can help these families meet their spiritual needs
Addressing how well the Faith Community buildings meet the ADA Guidelines in terms of how accessible the buildings are for all people with disabilities, and then making recommendations for alterations to improve the accessibility of these buildings if needed
Conducting open hearing sessions for parents and family members about their issues, concerns, fears and response to the initiation of a program in the congregation to address the needs of their family members with disabilities
Getting acquainted, fellowship, emotional support, and sharing with family members who attend the council meetings
Identification of what categories of disabilities the Faith Community's Special Needs Ministry will be established to serve
Programmatic design of ministry by adopting, adding to, amending, editing or choosing some or all of the components to implement in the congregation's effort

Identification of what components of the Special Needs Ministry can be shared with neighboring Faith Communities or with other congregations from the same denomination
Identify and acquire material and supply needs for program
Review and selection of curriculum materials for the classes for adult with mental handicaps.
Review and selection of inclusion materials to assist full inclusion in typical classes
Identification of how the program will assess if it is effective and productive
Identification of what technical assistance will be needed to effectively implement this ministry
Maintenance of support garnered from congregational leaders
Identification of the various roles a volunteer will play in the new program
Identification of criteria for volunteers and the screening procedure the congregation will conduct to approve volunteers for involvement in the new program
Identification of the curriculum for the training of volunteers, written materials as a starting place in the planning process
Identification of volunteer recruitment strategies
Identification of strategies to get families of members with disabilities involved in the program
Development of time lines for implementation of program components
Finalization of space and material needs with congregational leadership
Funding of program needs
Assigning of ministry responsibilities among the volunteer staff
Identifying ways to publicize the Ministry within and without of the Faith Community

12. Conduct an input Session for adults with disabilities and parents who have children with disabilities. The goal is to have adults, parents and family members give input and ask questions of the Advisory Council members as to what are the goals and objectives of the Special Needs Ministry. A second goal is to have the parents fill out an Application to enroll their family into the Special Needs Ministry as well as a Description of the Child form (Click here to down load both Sample Family Application for services and Sample Child Description Form). This also is intended to get the adults, parents and family members to express what they feel are the needs for this population in their congregation. Three months prior to initiation of program.

13. Visit all classes, fellowships, and groups of adults in the congregation to recruit volunteers for the Special Needs Ministry effort and to personally get out the word about the initiation of this program in the congregation. Three months prior to initiation of program.

14. Put out a call for volunteers announcing of a "Question and Answer Session" and conduct the session for volunteer recruitment using the volunteer information and sign up sheet. Three months prior to initiation of program.

15.Finalize the rudimentary outline of what services the Special Needs Ministry will offer based on the input from the Advisory Council, review of what other congregations have done or are doing, input from adults with disabilities, parents and family members and input from volunteer professional consultants. Two months prior to initiation of program.

16. Finalize the outline for the volunteer training program. Two months prior to initiation of program.

17. Have volunteers for program screened by leadership of congregation. Send letter to all screened and approved volunteers for the training program. Two weeks prior to training program.

18. Send second notice about training program to volunteers. One week prior to training program.

19. Conduct Training Program for Volunteers. One month prior to initiation of program and ongoing as needed once the program is initiated.

20. Provide volunteers internship or "hands on" experiences to assist them to understand the scope and needs of the people in the program. Up until initiation of program and ongoing for all new volunteers.

21. Initiate Special Needs Ministry Program with special announcements from the Congregational leadership and with open house of the program for all congregational members to get a better understanding of the scope and nature of the program.

22. Conduct Advisory Council meetings on a monthly basis to review the progress and direction of the ministry effort.

23. Train leadership in the congregation to keep the ministry alive and growing so as to meet the needs of the people served and their families as well as to insure that the congregation keeps continually focused on serving the needs of people with disabilities.

J. What negative consequences can come of parents who are not supported by their faith communities as they deal with their children's disabilities?

K. What negative consequences can come of children with disabilities who are not being provided supportive services by their faith communities?

Children with special needs who have not been given supportive services by a faith community may have:

L. What steps can be taken to address the lifelong spiritual needs of children with disabilities?

Step 1: In order to address the spiritual need of your target child, assess your own spiritual needs. Answer the following questions in your journal:

Step 2: Once you have identified your level of spiritual needs, assess the level of spiritual need of your target child. Answer the following questions in your journal:

Step 3: Once you have looked at your child's spiritual needs, look at your faith community. How could it better respond to yours and your child's needs? Answer the following questions in your journal:

Step 4: After you have assessed your own, your target child's, and your faith community's needs, how can you meet the lifelong spiritual needs of your target child? Develop the following plan in your journal:

Step 5: If you have problems developing or implementing the action plan in Step 4, go back to Step 1 and begin again.

1. Ficke, Robert C. Digest of Data on Persons with Disabilities. Washington, D.C.: National Institute on Disability and Rehabilitation Research, 1991, p.7.

2. US Bureau of the Census Statistical Abstract of the United States (115th Edition), 1995.Washington, D.C.: 1995, p.8.

4. Pierce, Ann C., editor, Florida Statistical Abstract (29th Edition), 1995. Gainesville, Florida: University Press of Florida, 1995, p.576.

5. Private communication: T. Russell Hughes, Associate Bible Teaching-Reaching Department. Florida Baptist Convention, Jacksonville, Florida.

6. Von Reynolds, C. (1996) "Praising the Lord", Special Education Today. 2(1), p.32

7. Rife, Janet Miller, Ginny Thornburgh. From Barriers to Bridges. United States: National Organization on Disability, 1996, p.5.

8. Nabi, Gene. Ministering to Persons with Mental Retardation and Their Families. Nashville, Tennessee: Convention Press, 1985.

Banks, James A. Cherry A. McGee, Multicultural Education Issues and Perspectives. Needham, MA: Simon and Schuster, 1989.

Bibles and Other Scriptures, Liturgies and Hymnals in Special Media. Washington, D.C.: Library of Congress, 1993.

Cassette Books, Library Services for the Blind and Physically Handicapped. Washington, D.C.: Library of Congress, 1989.

Dwyer, Kathy, editor, Common Threads. Missoula, MT: Rural Institute on Disabilities, 1992.

Ensign, Arselia, Is Your Church Accessible? Lansing, MI: PAM Assistance Centre, 1991.

Ficke, Robert C. Digest of Data on Persons With Disabilities. Washington, D.C., National Institute on Disability and Rehabilitation Research, 1991.

Hesselgrave, David J., Communicating Christ Cross-Culturally. Grand Rapids, Michigan: Zondervan Publishing House, 1991.

McNair, Jeff, The Local Church As An Agent of Natural Supports To Individuals With Developmental Disabilities. San Bernardino, California: California State University Press, 1993.

Nabi, Gene, Ministering to Persons with Mental Retardation and Their Families. Nashville, Tennessee: Convention Press, 1985.

O'Reilly, Robert C., School Law for 1990's. Westport, CT: Greenwood Press, 1992.

Pearl, Patricia, Helping Children Through Books: A Selected Book List. Portland, Oregon: Church and Synagogue Library Association, 1990.

Pierce, Ann C., Florida Statistical Abstract (29th Edition) 1995. Gainesville, Florida: University Press of Florida, 1995.

Rife, Janet Miller, Ginny Thornburgh, From Barriers to Bridges. United States: National Organization on Disabilities, 1996.

Skow-Anderson, Laurie, I Live In God's Love. Minneapolis, Minn.: Augsburg Publishing House, 1986.

United States Bureau of the Census Statistical Abstract of the United States (115th Edition), 1995. Washington, D.C., 1995.

Van Rheenen, Gailyn, Missions. Grand Rapids, Michigan: Zondervan Publishing House, 1996.

Tools for Parents of Children with Disabilities and Special Needs

Addressing the Spirituality Needs of Children with Disabilities and their Parents