Editor’s note: Once in a while I like to look at the search engine terms (SET) that bring people to my site. Some of them I feel are important enough to address. Someone googled, “Do churches care about the less privileged and disabled?” So let’s talk about this.
In theory, they do.
This is what we know: Christian and religious organizations are sometimes the first ones to step in and provide relief efforts, aide, necessary supplies, people power or resources to the underprivileged around the world so people have a chance to a better life.
You might have heard about organizations such as Hope International, CAMA Services, Samaritan’s Purse, Food for the Poor, Compassion International, Salvation Army and many more — a Google search will tell you that much. Most of these organizations have a profound global impact.
The local church steps in to do hands-on work when there are “local needs.” For example, when hurricane Katrina hit, our church sent a team of people to go help rebuild (working alongside CAMA Services and other relief organizations).
That’s the “big” stuff.
In a smaller, local scale, churches often set up outreach events or ministries.
Many churches are proactive at reaching out to people who are less privileged, and most churches have a fund set up specifically to help people in need. However, there are not many efforts done to reach out to people who are disabled. Sadly, this is often a result of people with disabilities being overlooked or seen as being “too needy.” Yet, people with disabilities make the “bottom” of the less privileged population. People with disabilities have higher unemployment rates and a higher percentage of disabled people fall under the poverty level. Why? No equal access to education, transportation and jobs.
Also, no equal access to church.
There are churches who set up disability ministries. However, it is important to note most of these ministries are for elementary aged children. Once kids with disabilities enter middle school and high school, churches struggle to integrate them in their youth programs. Once they become adults, there is often no place for them at church.
There is a reason a vast majority of disabled adults choose not to attend church.
But there is also another reason, and one we need to talk about.
Most people do not want to be seen as a “project,” as someone who needs help and “fixing.” Being a “project” often feels condescending.
Much the same way people don’t want to be someone else’s “project,” people with disabilities do not want to be the “project” of a church.
Why? Because people with disabilities are not those you do ministry for, they are the people we should do ministry with. This. This makes all the difference.
Disability ministry should be about figuring out ways where everyone belongs and everyone serves and where accommodations are provided to allow that to happen.
Do churches care for the less privileged and disabled? In theory, yes, of course they do. But, once they are present in our congregations, do we actually care? If you asked the disabled if they believe the church cares, your heart might break knowing many in the disability community give a resounding, “no.” They feel marginalized, forgotten, unsafe, pitied and unimportant to the church.
We must recognize the value of people with disabilities in our congregations and begin to treat them as equals, as people we do ministry with. If we see them as invaluable members of the Body of Christ who posses their own gifts and talents, then we have to do better as a church.
We have to learn what it means to care.
Special Needs Parents, Are You Surviving?
I created a guide with 13 practical ways to help you find peace in the midst of chaos, opt in to make sure you get a copy of this freebie!
This hits so close to home. We attend an amazing church with an amazing children’s and young adults program. However, as Harper is getting older (almost 5) I’m finding that instead of doing anything they can to include her, I feel like they are merely trying to find a spot to put her – not realizing what an asset she is to all the other children and truly teaching them about Jesus and his love for us.
I wonder if the focus has changed in any way at the workshop/conference level…that church leaders attend. I always felt they guided new ministries and ideas in choir, youth, and VBS.
I led two workshops at the Children’s Ministry Conference (each training was two hours). Most attending my workshops were Children’s pastors and volunteers, few youth pastors and not one senior pastor (that I am aware of). I believe this is part of the problem, when the leadership is not all on board and it gets “passed on” to those working with kids, disability attitudes are not changed from “the top” to affect change in a congregation.
Hi Ellen. You took the words right out of my mouth. In every presentation that I give… for as long as I can remember, I have asked people instead of doing things for others, to do things with them. This is the only way we can truly be inclusive of people with disabilities and value them for who they are and what they have to offer. This is my mantra. Hopefully it will resonate with all who hear it. Thank you for a great article.
Adrienne, you are spot on! And I would add, not only do things WITH them, but allow them to effect us, to help us to see with a new lens, to experience a new level of humility, to discover power that lies beyond what appears to come from intelligence. We who are “typical” have so much to learn from those labeled otherwise.
This is a very personal and profoundly powerful question for myself personally. I’ve been raised Catholic and we struggle to put our two children through Catholic schools. One of our children has special needs. I used to believe and know without a shadow of a doubt that the church cares about special needs children and their families. We are on a fixed income as my husband is a disabled veteran. I can now without a shadow of a doubt that sadly no, not all churches, dioceses etc., care about special needs children and/or their families. This has shaken my Faith that i write this with much trepidation. We have gone through and endured and continue to endure situations and struggles that we shouldn’t have. It’s so very sad to “see” what actually happens, the politics, the social and power plays and struggle that comes in this environment. Not many people have the strength to write the truth. I’m about the truth and God speaks of only the truth
I am a disabled adult, a wheelchair user (not wheelchair bound, confined to a wheelchair or handicapped, please, I hate those terms). (an acquired disability in young adulthood, so no personal experience with being a child with a disability). I feel that churches definitely reach out to poor people, which includes some people with disabilities, with projects like the ones you mentioned. But you are right, I do not want to be anyone’s project nor do I want to be fixed (well I would take a cure if it came along, but I don’t want people to focus on that with me). I don’t consider myself less than, or the least of these, or particularly vulnerable or unprivileged. I have attended church and I want to attend church again, but I just want to be treated like a regular person. I need physical access to the church of course, preferably all of the church – such as bathroom, church hall if they have one). I love it if they have some shorter pews where you can sit in your wheelchair, because I won’t sit in any wheelchair section, like up front where the ushers sometimes want to put you. Feels like you are in a spotlight. I would just sit in the back if there’s no other seating. I would like to not have assumptions made about me. – I work full time and I am not actually poor but this is nearly always assumed. I would like to hear hello, welcome to our church, would you like to join such and such activity, but I prefer that nobody comment about my disability like asking me have ever heard of Joni right after we are introduced or wanting to pray for me specifically about my disability (maybe there are other things I would like prayer about). I notice that a lot of churches have young adult groups but I’m now too old for them, but I am not a senior citizen either. It would be great to have a middle aged church group, especially a singles group but not specifically for disability. At my age almost everyone is married and I feel there is no place for me. One thing I do not have is a car, I have to call Uber or a taxi. I know a lot of churches have people offer rides but it’s not usually for people in wheelchairs, more like ambulatory elderly people, and the whole getting in the car process is so awkward and embarrassing. Transportation is my main disability-related problem. Well, those are just my thoughts. I attended church most of the time when my son was growing up, and I never really felt that I belonged in the way the married people with children did.
Shannon – Thank you!
We raised three Deaf foster kids with various special needs and attended various churches because of moving, etc. We found big differences in how much they helped. A lot of that depended on the size of the church because larger ones had more resources available, while volunteers in small congregations were already stretched to the limit.
Sadly, our son’s experience in Sunday School was not a positive one. When I would ask the Children’s Director about possible modifications to the class or starting a new class that would benefit our son, she was incredulous. I feel because he didn’t fit the mold, he was excluded. After fifth grade, we stopped taking him. I am happy to report that our church is now doing a much better job of supporting special needs children and being inclusive. I am glad for them. I just wish it had been that way for us.
I think many times it is already so hard to get volunteers to commit to an event, weekly class, or service time that it isn’t about the individual. When you look at gifts we are given, it is a calling to work with this ministry. Dependable people must be trained for a variety of needs they will encounter…and they are volunteers. How to handle the bathroom, work devices, give medication, redirect an outburst. As parents, we know our child, but I wouldn’t understand all the needs of children in VBS. It is definitely a growing need.
Lisa, everyone can be trained and everyone is qualified in their own way. When we start talking about “calling” it can become and excuse not to care or love (which is not Biblical). If church leadership cares enough, they will invest in training and educating the congregation on disability issues (because I believe these trainings should be done church wide, and not just for few people, which is why disability awareness Sundays are so important).
Lynda,
I can connect with you. This was our story too. Many years later, you would have thought this would change. But the separation of abled and disabled continues. Children and adults alike, people don’t often even realize they are excluding prople with disabilities. At a church meeting, I brought this up. The answer was, “We serve the homebound.” I am so glad your church is now being more inclusive of children… which will hopefully lead to positive, meaningful relationships as he and others age into adolesence and adulthood.
“We serve the homebound.” Wow. So, did they show you where in the Bible it says you get to pick and choose who we get to serve? I hear this all the time, “We are called to serve… but not…” when I bring scripture into the conversation though (because if you truly believe that, you have to be able to back it up) there is no way to justify overlooking a group of people. James 2:1 is clear about how when we honor one group of people over another, we cannot claim to know the Lord.
We are having a wonderful experience. Tori is 11 and she loves church. The ministry program is Hand in Hand. She has the choice of going to classes that are on the special needs hall or using a buddy to participate in choir and other activities. If it is a “busy” day she may choose to be a helper on the hall…eg Easter. Most days she goes with a buddy or if really comfortable without…knowing one is nearby. We were first drawn to this church through VBS. For several years she opted to have a buddy and still will at least the first day. Our family also benefits by participating in a support group and family activities designed to accommodate needs. We are thrilled to see communities welcoming all abilities into all activities.
This has been an issue I’ve dealt with for the past 33 years in the same church. Our church has never known what to do with us. Our little angel is 33 years old, but mentally 2. She is in an a wheelchair and people before and after church hug her all the time. Unfortunately, her many special needs mean we go to church and come home. We do not participate in parish life unless my husband attends a meeting apart from me. When I met with our pastor two years ago to talk about this issue, I challenged him to do something! Then my husband got stage 4 kidney cancer and I just dropped it. I challenged our pastor to at least get us all in a room and talk about what we need. Our church has over 5,000 families and we are not the only ones with these issues. I told him I did not want him to call me at the end of his life and ask the question, “Did I fail you?” He is retiring soon. I am afraid I will have to answer, “Yes.”
Dixie, I am so sorry. There are no excuses for church leadership to ignore our families.
There is a Catholic church in New York City called the Church of St. Francis Xavier that I wish I could attend (I don’t live close enough to New York City to make it very practical). They have disability related information on their website (that goes beyond saying that there is an accessible entrance, and some church websites don’t even mention that). It says they want to increase active inclusion and awareness and invites you to call them with disability related needs.
Hello, just to add, the church i am part of definitely embraces people of all ages with disabilities. In fact, it is considered an ‘honour’ to have such in our ranks. I am close friends to a number of them and since November last year I am a proud Aunt of a little girl who has down syndrome. I also care to mention we had a new family added to our congregation last year with a 13 y o son with autism. His mother spoke to me of how she feels amazed at how much her son is loved and how all members welcome their whole family to their homes. I am part of the Plymouth Brethren Christian Church.
Carolyn, it really bothers me when people claim their church is fully inclusive. I’m 43, autistic, and physically disabled. I somehow tend to be the one rejected by churches that claim to accept everyone. Please don’t make that claim. Just do it.
Our son has 3 kids ages 7-11 with the middle child severely autistic and non-verbal. There is no one ,absolutely No one in their church who will spend time i.e. Sunday School, with him. This is the church in which I grew up,where everyone was accepted, and it breaks my heart to see my grandson is not welcome. Yes, he makes strange and loud noises, but there are rooms far enough away from the sanctuary that they wouldn’t be heard. His parents can detail what activities he enjoys.
This church gave no help when the family was in dire financial straits, even though it was fully aware of the needs. No one has made pastoral visits, or just friendly visits.
Obviously there is no love being shown to my family, at least. I have no knowledge of others, because I do not worship there. My heart aches for my kids and their kids who are being hurt so badly by the church which has seemed to change Jesus’ command to love everyone, into “love not those who are different.”
Our church attempted to build a ministry for individuals with special needs. We brought in an expert and the congregation seemed supportive… until there was a need for actual volunteers. Then, crickets! It’s a feel good ministry to be part of and support, as long as no one has to step out of their comfort zone and serve in it. We’ve not attended our church for almost 2 years. Our son is 4 1/2 and the children’s ministry just put him in the nursery (since he’s still much like an infant, nonmobile and nonverbal). But he’s just to big and heavy for the nursery “grandmas” to handle. There are 2 volunteers at church that were great for him, but it was hit/miss if they were serving on any particular Sunday. Having him in the service is difficult because of the crowds and noise.