Updating Ministry

In the Special Needs Ministry we have had three different classrooms for some time.  We have one for the younger and/or more fragile children, one for older/more active children and one for adults.

Our classroom for the younger and/or more fragile children, King's Kids A, has been relatively easy.  We have an incredibly committed and skilled teacher who has served for over ten years.  Her biggest goal has been to be able to share the gospel with the children and she has through music, worship, prayer, and Bible stories.  She uses nursery and preschool Sunday School lessons and combines it with interactive manipulative's to help the children stay focused and connected to her.  I love walking into that classroom because the volunteers have so much passion and compassion for the children.  The room has a sense of calm and peace to it.

Our adult classroom has been a beautiful miracle to watch.  Years ago I used to think the adults should be mainstreamed into traditional adult classes and we would adapt to help them get the most they could out of a Sunday morning.  In some aspects I think this can be effective, but the family that has formed in this self-contained classroom is something beautiful.  

We have about 10 adults, ranging from 18 to 42 that meet every week.  They have a time of crafts, worship, Bible lesson, and prayer.  They all have so much respect and encouragement for each other.  I love to go in their classroom and listen to them share about their interests, friendships, jobs and love for God.  Their faith and relationships with people and God seem so pure to me, as God intended them.

Our class for older and more active children, King's Kids B, has caused us to think a little harder.  This class is made up of the kids we have watched grow from toddlers to teens.  Their interests and needs have changed so much over the last 15 years.  

For many years I hoped that one day we would find a miraculous curriculum that would have them spellbound and they would all be able to come to the table and interact for 15 minutes over the lesson.  I wanted to feel confident that they would hear and receive the gospel.  God keeps us trusting, however.  I love that as a Christian I am not responsible for someone's salvation, I am only responsible for sharing it.  I get to trust God and the Holy Spirit with the rest!

We are still searching for the best format for this classroom but have learned a few things along the way.  There is not a magic solution that works for every student in the classroom.  The range of needs is greater than the other two classrooms and ideally, it would be most effective if we could have a greater teacher to student ratio.  We have some amazing volunteers pouring their hearts and souls into the students and they have developed some very special bonds.  The teachers work individually with the students and mainstream them as much as possible with the rest of student ministry.

Recently Heidi, our volunteer in KKA started researching the use of the i-pad for King's Kids B. The church graciously provided three of them for the classroom and an occupational therapist, Marti Smith,  met with her to show her different ways to use it effectively.  It can be used for communication, worship, Bible lessons, Gospel presentations, and as an effective reward.  She shared that "Pinterest" is a great source for finding apps to use with the students.  The OT also suggested asking the congregation to consider donating their older i-pads as they purchase newer versions.

One of the many things I love about ministry is that you don't get bored.  Ministry is constantly evolving and changing as the students evolve and change, as well as culture and technology.  We are blessed to have staff, leadership, and volunteers that continually seek to be educated and innovative in communication, but pure and simple in their love.

If you have found curriculum, resources, and tools that have been effective, I would love for you to share in the comment section.  If you have any questions feel free to comment or e-mail sntraining@hcbc.com or theboggi@aim.com.