The Image of God

Do you ever wonder how God looks at His children with special needs? No doubt, He looks at them in the same way he looks at all of us. He doesn’t care about our appearance and other worldly trappings. He values what lies inside of all of us. He looks at our hearts – the place where love lives. God is love and wants us to enter into the love of the Father for the Son and the Son for the Father.

Are those with special needs given the same heart? Yes!

C.S. Lewis wrote

"There does seem to be an empty space, a vacuum in the heart of every human….Those who believe in God say that he and he alone is the piece that brings completion to the soul. All people need God."

And what about the soul? Every human is given a soul at conception – created by God and the essence of humankind. Do individuals with special needs have a soul? Of course they do!

God values all His children as those created in His image. Shouldn’t the rest of the world?

It’s not a reality yet but we can bring change about by leading with example. Let’s bring them all into the faith community. Let them know they are a child of God and loved and cherished by God and God’s faithful people.

An Invitation -

Perhaps you know my family – You see a happily married couple with two kids, 2 cars, a dog and a cat living in a middle class home in a nice subdivision. We go to church and pay our bills. Sounds pretty average doesn’t it?

If you choose to walk closer with me on this earthly journey, you will see one of my children has Down syndrome. You will see me trying my best to treat her as I treat my oldest daughter – as normally as possible but I must make some adjustments in dealing with her uniqueness. It is part of living with her special needs. Still my family is more like yours than not.

Many will shy away from getting closer. Perhaps they think they really know what I deal with. I invite you to walk with me. I invite the Church to walk with me. I want you to know my blessings and my joys. The challenges come and go but the joys and the blessings are constant. I want you to see Reagan’s gifts and the added dimension she brings to our lives and what she can offer to the faith community.

Sadly, a large part of the faith community fails to recognize my daughter’s gifts and talents. They fail to see her as an asset, as one who has something to contribute to the Body of Christ.

There is a growing movement in the Church in meeting the spiritual needs of individuals with special needs and families raising children with special needs. It requires change. It requires opening hearts and minds. It requires you to walk alongside us and all of those living with special needs. Walk alongside us in faith and charity - and in community, Be blessed as we have been blessed in knowing this soul who is our daughter. Her soul not disabled but quite able as she loves and serves God every day. She, along with every other individual with special needs, has gifts and talents to be explored. Gifts and talents to be used to glorify God in bringing others to Him.

Soon to come - what you can do!

The Individual with Special Needs and the Church

In every community you will find individuals with special needs and families supporting loved ones with special needs. You may not many of them in our churches but they do exist. Nineteen percent of the general population lives with special needs and have families impacted by those special needs. Ninety percent have no church home. Do you, like me, find these numbers distressing?


Why don’t we see them?

They have had previous negative experiences with the Church.

They may not feel their child or loved one with special needs is accepted as fully participating members of the community.

They may not be comfortable bringing their child or loved one with special needs to events and gatherings due to social, behavioral and/or physical issues.

They may be using all their available energy to meet the needs of their family and their child with special needs.

Does your faith community have a responsibility to nurture and support those with special needs?

Jesus welcomed – even healed - many people with special needs. He gave them His time and attention. Why should the Christian community be any different?

The Body of Christ is called to live the Gospel in all its fullness. We are they eyes, hands and feet of Jesus on earth – empowered by the Holy Spirit. All God’s children should be welcomed and brought into full congregational life. Their gifts and talents make the Body of Christ whole.

Many families are already a part of the faith community but stopped attending church because of a perceived (and probably real) lack of acceptance. Their children and loved ones with special needs should be welcomed into the community as every other child and individual is welcomed. They should be supported through the additional trials they face and the joys of caring for their loved one with special needs

Individuals with special needs are an often marginalized segment of society. They are often excluded because they look and/or act differently. Most know and feel the discomfort of being excluded.

Much of society doesn’t value those with significant needs and/or cognitive challenges. In fact, many (90+ percent of those with Down syndrome) with known genetic syndromes are aborted in utero. Babies created in Him image disposed of as useless tissue! It is time we took back what is taught in God's Word and live it! Over the years, in the post-modern culture, the Church has become more secularized and some denominations have become part of the popular culture to the extent that they call abortion a blessing

God loves and values all His children - He makes no mistakes...and I'm sure He weeps at the state of parts of His church.

So, let the faith community be different. Embrace those with special needs and their families as Jesus would!

What you, as an individual, can do:

In every community you will find many who would love to support individuals with special needs but aren’t sure what they can do.

1. Invite and welcome them into your church home.

What do you do when you meet someone who is seeking a church home? In the natural course of relationships, we invite them to our church!

When inviting individuals with special needs, remember many cannot drive. They will need a ride to church. Those in institutional settings will, most likely, also not have a ride to church. This is probably the biggest obstacle in bringing individuals with special needs into our churches.

It seems that we may shy away from inviting families dealing with individuals with special needs, Perhaps we see problems vs. opportunities. Perhaps they don’t feel their church is equipped to handle needs beyond what they perceive as "normal."

In truth, we are all equipped by God’s Word and the Holy Spirit to meet those needs. All are created in His Image and should be welcomed and encouraged to participate in the fullness of congregational life.

2. Support and guide them.

It often isn’t easy for any of us to learn our way around a new church and meet new people. Support and guide individuals with special needs, as needed, as they make their way through learning the church layout, the liturgy, the Hymnal, Prayer Book and meeting others. Don’t forget to fade your support as they become independent and get to know people.

3. Treat them with dignity and respect

As an individual created in God’s image! God loves all His children and we should too – giving them the respect they deserve and at all times protect their dignity.

4. Meet them where they are.

Isn’t that what friends do? Meet them where they are emotionally, socially and developmentally and gently guide them forward on their path to spiritual growth. Help them discern their spiritual gifts and how to use them. Remember they have the same spiritual needs as everyone else. They want to know our Lord better and become closer to Him. They desire to worship with a church family. They want to be welcomed in fellowship and be valued for who they are.


5. Teach others how to love and include them.

There may be those in the faith community who harbor unfounded fears and prejudices – or just don’t know what to do or say. They may be need to be taught by example what to do and say.

In keeping it simple, this is all about relationships and living the Gospel. The implementation may seem complex but it is one individual or one family at a time, brought into the fullness of the Body of Christ, supporting and learning from each other, and bringing God the glory!