How can you support and celebrate special needs families? Learn how one church goes the extra mile to love these families and adapt to their needs.
Parents whose children have special needs might feel unwelcome at church. Or they can get discouraged by environments that aren’t suited for their kids.
I visited Stonebriar Community Church’s Special Needs Ministry in Frisco, Texas. Meaghan Wall, the Special Needs Ministry Coordinator, gave me a tour of the church’s special needs area. I want to highlight the Family Picture Wall. The church created it to produce a video for its special needs emphasis Sunday.
Here are other ways Stonebriar supports and ministers to special needs families:
- Special Needs Ministry Entrance
- Check-in Board
- Main Classroom
- Quiet Room
- Sensory Room
- Bathroom (and Toileting/Diapering Policies)
- Storage Closet & Snacks
- Outside Playground
- Ministry Fundraiser Ideas
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Behind the check-in desk is this picture wall. It features church families who have a child participating in the special needs ministry. As soon as I entered the area, I noticed the well-displayed and striking photographs of these beautiful children and families. To special needs families (and to new or visiting families), this wall communicates, “Here we welcome and love you.”
Photo Wall for Special Needs Families
Meaghan said the picture display was a byproduct of the church-wide special needs emphasis Sunday. During all the worship services, Pastor Chuck Swindoll interviewed Meaghan about the ministry. Worshipers also watched a video about the special needs program.
To get photos for that video, the church had contracted with a professional photographer. Then families were invited to a free photography sitting one Saturday. Because the church selected and provided the photographer, the photos were consistent.
Plus, families could come to a familiar place (where kids felt comfortable) for the shoot. This was the first time many of the participants had ever taken professional photos. Before, they had feared their child would not participate as expected.
The photographer followed the families, snapping pictures while letting children select where they sat and how long the session lasted. The photographer did a great job capturing natural moments and allowing the shoot to be fun rather than a tug-of-war.
Each family received one free family photograph and could purchase additional photos at a reduced cost. For many families, this experience was both a gift and a treasured memory. Meaghan said a gifted photographer is often willing to donate their time for the sitting fee. Professionals of all backgrounds may relish the idea of using their talents to serve the church in such a meaningful way.
