How can your Bible study group help you?

[Ashley Linne]

What are some ways your Bible study group, small group, or Sunday school class could help you as a parent of special needs children? What sorts of encouragement are you often lacking in your life that your Bible study group could help provide?

[Mark Hebert]

Our church has started a new class for those parents with preschool aged children. They have called it KNECT as it connects those with similar aged children together. It is our prayer that, out of this rapidly growing class, we can split or at least form care groups for couples with special needs. This class is an answer to prayer as my wife and I have seen the loss of connection (and in some cases couples that just stopped attending) due to the different ages that couples have kids. In our case, we started late in life. Others that are our age have kids in high school or College. We could not identify with their place in life. While I know that this may not answer your questions fully, this has definitely been a great start for us.

[Stephen and Pamela Ward]

The people at our church have been so good at going out of their way to talk to and include our two children with special needs. It is especially helpful that parents have discussed and set the example of how to interact with special children in kind ways! When we first visited our church and saw a young man with special needs assisting with the offering plates, we knew this was a church we wanted to be a part of! I think simply including our kids and taking the time to get to know them encourages us parents tremendously. You never forget kindness shown to your child.