Our Church's Journey

Recognizing the Value of Everyone Among Us by Connie Hutchinson

My husband, Mike, and I have a 35-year-old daughter, Julie, who has Down syndrome. Her birth brought us into the world of disabilities and helped shape a lot of what is now true of disabilities ministry at our church—First Evangelical Free Church of Fullerton, Calif. Let me tell you about our church’s journey.

In the late ’60s/early ’70s, a mom in our church had two children with severe disabilities—but there was no place for them in our church. She offered to start a Sunday school class for her children and any others with special needs in the community.

By the mid-’70s, this class had grown, and by the ’80s there were more than 35 students with various disabilities—physical, cognitive—ranging in age from children through adults. By the mid-’80s, however, this class had stopped growing; there were no new families coming into the church with young children who had disabilities.

Cultural shifts

The change should not have been a surprise. For several years, a few concepts had been gaining ground in the public-school system: “inclusion” and “least-restrictive environment.”

Inclusion simply means including children with disabilities together with their nondisabled peers. Least-restrictive environment means that a student who has a disability should have the opportunity to be educated with nondisabled peers to the greatest extent appropriate(1).

Naturally, as parents saw the benefits, they wanted their children included with their peers even at church; they didn’t want a segregated, all-age, Sunday school classroom. By 1990 there were only about six families left in our church’s special-education classroom—all were teens or adults who had special needs, and for each age group we eventually created unique classes.

By then, my daughter Julie was 15, and she was asked to give a short talk at a conference for churches in the area that were considering disabilities ministry. (Read the talk Julie presented.)

When I shared Julie’s presentation with one of our pastors, he became an advocate, and that triggered our church’s search for a pastor of disabilities ministry. At that time there were no classes at Bible colleges or seminaries on disabilities ministry, and our search for someone with experience was unsuccessful. After two years, the search committee asked if I would consider the position, and I accepted.

At that time, our special-education class was under the umbrella of our children’s ministry. (This often occurs in churches due to the mistaken belief that because of their childlike cognitive abilities, adults with cognitive disabilities belong in the children’s ministry department. But their emotional needs are quite different.)

Our search committee chose to make a change, placing this ministry under our cares and concerns team. It was also decided, over time, that the director/pastor of disabilities needed to be on the same level as the director/pastor of children, women, men or other specialized groups. People with disabilities needed to know that they have a voice at the “pastoral staff table.”

Philosophical shifts

In the years since then, our church’s philosophy of disabilities ministry has changed from a segregated program to one where people with disabilities are involved in all aspects of the church—worship, communion, baptism, etc. In May 2010, for example, Julie was elected to our deacon board, where she serves on the greeting team, memorial service committee and communion preparation team. (This change in philosophy did not happen overnight!)

My current job description is to identify and break down barriers that keep people with disabilities and their families from fully participating in the life of the church. In fact, that’s how other churches can get started: Identify a barrier that is keeping one person or family from participating, and start there. Look at this ministry as people-oriented rather than program-oriented.

At Fullerton, for example, we’ve included a sign-language interpreter during one service to accommodate three members who are deaf; large-print hard copies of everything that will be projected onto screens; and a lift to enable access to the platform for anyone in a wheelchair.

When I started, I was almost militant that every child with a disability should be included in a regular Sunday school classroom with whatever support necessary. Over the years I have found this is not always possible—due to violent behaviors, safety issues, etc. I have come to realize you need to look at each child individually and the needs and desires of the family. This holds true for teens and adults with disabilities too. However, many churches are not yet comfortable or prepared to minister to these older age groups.

Where we are now

Our church’s disabilities ministry has multiple opportunities for children, adults and their families. But remember, it’s been a long road for us—starting as far back as the 1960s. Each church has to start somewhere, with one child, one adult, one family. But here are a few of the opportunities we’re involved in now, that help meet the needs of our families:

four separate Sunday morning classes for children, teens and adults with severe intellectual disabilities who need more individualized programming (primarily due to behavioral issues)

buddies (or “shadows”) for some children who are in the regular Sunday school program

adult-fellowship class for teens and adults with mild to moderate intellectual disabilities

“shepherds” for a few adults with intellectual disabilities who attend an adult fellowship—these shepherds provide transportation to social events and contact them during the week

mom’s support group and annual weekend retreat

sibling support group

multiple sclerosis support group

various social outreach events in the community for those with disabilities, including dinners, hosting a basketball league, Vacation Bible School

occasional Disability Awareness Sundays with guest speakers like Joni Eareckson Tada, Sue Thomas and Nick Vujicic

the continual identification and elimination of physical barriers

As I watch some of my friends with disabilities get older and see their weary parents age, I have a great concern for what will happen to some of them. What can the church do to help? Will it mean establishing a group home, apartment units or an advocacy group?

Obviously, our church’s journey continues, and I am waiting to see where God leads next. You can start this journey, too, by reaching out to someone with a disability in your church or community. Your church will be enriched and blessed as you allow people with disabilities to use their spiritual gifts and talents to glorify God and serve one another.

A Successful Disabilities Ministry in Your Church Will …

need the support of the senior pastor or someone on the senior staff.

always be small in number.

never be cost-effective.

never go away. (People with disabilities do not move on, as someone in the divorce-recovery group, for example. People with disabilities have been disappointed so many times—don’t let the church offer support and then not follow through.)

involve all life stages from pre-birth to death.

be a mission field for your church.

Connie Hutchinson is director of the Disabilities Ministry at First EFC of Fullerton, Calif. The rest of her family is also involved in the world of disabilities: Her son is a high-school special-education teacher in Los Angeles; her other daughter teaches pre-school children with autism; and her daughter’s husband is the autism specialist for their school district.