3 Reasons Why Your Small Church Needs A Special Needs Ministry

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Think your church is too small for a special needs ministry? Learn what your small church can do to minister to this underserved population.

Does The Term “Special Needs” Make You Sweat?

Phrases like “special needs”, “special education”, or “learning disability” have the power to make you sweat, especially if you know nothing about special needs or have had no experience with children that have special needs.

Do these kinds of thoughts swim around your mind when you think about interacting with someone that has a special need?

• What do I say?
• What if I do something wrong?
• What if I am awkward?

I understand. I’ve been there. I encourage you to press forward anyway! There is no one-size-fits-all approach to ministering to this population of children.

3 Reasons Why Your Small Church Needs A Special Needs Ministry

1. Because Jesus loves the children — ALL of them.
2. Because everyone has the right to know Jesus.
3. Because this population is often excluded.

You Won’t Be Perfect At Special Needs Ministry, & That’s OK!

We can’t be perfect. We can do our best, acknowledge our goof-ups, repent when necessary, and keep learning so we can do better. 

Once I met with a mom who was teary-eyed because her young son was exhibiting very challenging behavior. She was at her wit’s end! 

I was very sensitive and perfectly supportive … NOT! 

I goofed. This case seemed much easier than one I had just finished working on, and I said, “Oh, whew! This will be an easy one. I thought you were going to tell me something really serious was going on.”

Facepalm. 

I could see in her eyes that I missed it — here she was, trusting me with this burden, asking for my help, and I just told her how easy she had it. 

I backed up, apologized, validated her experience, offered her guidance, and made a mental note to never respond that way again to a hurting parent.

Now I watch myself more closely and choose my words more carefully … but I know I won’t be perfect. That’s ok — God doesn’t require perfection, just that we are willing!

Looking for a step-by-step guide to starting or restarting your children’s ministry?

Check out the Children’s Ministry Bundle For Small Churches!

Reasons Why Your Small Church Needs A Special Needs Ministry

1. Jesus Loves The Children: All Of Them

One day some parents brought their children to Jesus so he could touch and bless them. But the disciples scolded the parents for bothering him. When Jesus saw what was happening, he was angry with his disciples. He said to them, ‘Let the children come to me. Don’t stop them! For the Kingdom of God belongs to those who are like these children. I tell you the truth, anyone who doesn’t receive the Kingdom of God like a child will never enter it.‘

Mark 10: 13-15

When I think about Jesus being angry, I picture Him flipping tables and scattering the money changers from the temple––but in Mark chapter 10, He was angry because His disciples didn’t recognize how valuable these children were to Him. They saw them as a nuisance, distracting Jesus from his important grown-up work … and just like what happens so often today, they blamed the parents!

I really relate to Jesus’ heart here. In my career as a special educator, I, too, have been angry when people complained about my students with special needs saying that they took up too much time with the teacher and bothered the other students in class with their behaviors.

Jesus demonstrated to His disciples that children are valuable in the Kingdom of God. They are worth His extra time and attention. They weren’t bothering Him. 

I believe children with special needs are valuable in the Kingdom of God. They are worth our time and attention. The Church can welcome them, include them, and bless them.

Don’t Stop Them: Because Jesus Said So

Years ago, a larger local church in my area invited me to come speak to a group of church staff about autism. A church leader shared with me that they would be expecting a couple of children with autism to attend their Vacation Bible School and wanted to learn how they could be ready to include and support them. I was thrilled to help!

I talked more with this leader so I could prepare a great training for them. What I found out made my heart sink, and sealed my calling for me. “In the past, we have just had to turn away these kinds of kids because we don’t know how to care for them — but we can’t do that now, because they are the children of church members who are now old enough for the children’s ministry.” 

This church is large. It has funding, staff, and volunteers. Yet the leaders felt they had to turn away children with special needs and their families because they didn’t feel equipped to minister to them. 

What Would Jesus Do, Even In A Small Church?

I was so grateful for my small church after that interaction with the large church staff member! You see, there were children who had severe disabilities that had been coming with their families to our church. 

• They needed significant support.
• They took up lots of time and attention.
• Their behavior was disruptive and messy.
• They were welcome at our church.

Together, our church leaders agreed on a good (not perfect) way to minister to these children that would keep them safe and let them learn about Jesus.

They were welcomed and loved at our church because that’s what Jesus would do.

If Jesus was on Earth and an active member of my church right now, I think He would volunteer in children’s ministry!

2. Everybody Has The Right To Hear The Gospel

My students with special needs have been some of the cutest children I’ve ever laid eyes on! They have been funny, loving, thoughtful, cuddly, sensitive, and considerate. And most important, they have worked hard to overcome challenges and inspired others around them. 

They Still Need The Gospel

Jesus told him, ‘I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one can come to the Father except through me.’

John 14:6

Children With Special Needs Might Not:

• Demonstrate obvious sinful behavior 
• Ask questions about God
• Share thoughts about scripture
• Participate in an altar call
• Repeat a salvation prayer

There is only one way to salvation: Jesus. Whether or not we can see the fruits of our labor on this side of Heaven, we have an obligation to present the gospel of Jesus and trust the Holy Spirit to do His work in the children with special needs that we minister to. 

What You Can Do:

• Be willing.
• Be welcoming.
• Be committed.

Start by being willing to try and to learn. Welcome these children and their families to your fellowship. Don’t give up — keep learning, keep trying, and keep the way open for them to know Jesus. 

3. This Population Is Often Excluded

Children with special needs and their families often fight a daily battle to be included.

Included in …

• a classroom with their peers
• a birthday party when they have dietary restrictions
• a play date when they struggle to communicate
• invitations, even if they can rarely actually attend

So how can a small church include those who are so often excluded? Here are 5 simple ways we can all do better:

5 Ways To Include Children With Special Needs In Your Small Church

1. Invite Them

Many of the children with special needs that attend my church are there because a church member invited their family to come and assured them we want their child to come too.

2. Welcome Them

Smile, introduce yourself, ask them to tell about themselves, and be willing to provide support, even if it is just a plan for that day. 

3. Consider Them

Children with special needs may need accommodations to be made in order to participate fully in church activities. For example, music may need to be turned down, lights dimmed, snacks adjusted for food sensitivity, pictures used, extra physical help from an adult or peer buddy, directions explained more often, etc. This is a learning process!

4. Embrace Them

Give these children and their families the opportunity to attend, participate, and be involved in the church community without feeling they are a bother — because they aren’t a bother to Jesus, and they aren’t a bother to His Church. They are valuable to the kingdom of God.

5. Keep Trying

You won’t be perfect, and you will need to make changes — that is OK! God is faithful to help us as we minister to this community. Don’t give up!

Then he took the children in his arms and placed his hands on their heads and blessed them.

Mark 10:16

My small church is blessed with a patriarch who introduces himself to all children as Paw Paw. He treats all the children at our church like they are his own grandchildren. 

My friend and her daughter, who has autism, began coming to our church, and Paw Paw made it a point every week to greet that little girl with an enthusiastic hug — even if he was running into her Sunday school class right before jumping on stage to play with the worship band. 

He made the time to take her in his arms … and then, months later, he got to hold her in the water as she was baptized. 

You don’t want to miss out on witnessing a blessing like this.

I hope you agree with me, that your small church needs a special needs ministry!

If so, I encourage you to: 

• Pray for God to grant you the opportunity to know, welcome, and include a child with special needs into your congregation. 
• Look for families touched by disability, and invite them to church! 
• Have a spirit of willingness to try, try, try!
• Get in touch with me at the Creative Solutions for Small Churches Facebook community.

Want to read more from Holly? Keep your eyes open for a series of posts coming soon all about Special Needs Ministry in small churches!

Looking for a step-by-step guide to starting or restarting your children’s ministry?

Check out the Children’s Ministry Bundle For Small Churches!

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