Stolle, sharing his special needs journey, starts with the birth of his son, Jimmy, now 19, who is affected by severe autism. Upon the discovery of their son’s diagnosis, Stolle and his wife, Shelley, were crushed. “We were trying to understand his challenges. We didn’t know the first thing about it,” Tom admits. They began their long journey into a new way of life, caring and loving their son, with all the joys and struggles.
Read MoreI have the privilege of facilitating an online support group every month. This particular group is made up of moms with children who have special needs. We try to create a space for mamas to simply share: the good, the bad and the hard. It’s a place to feel encouraged, lifted up, and, more importantly, to know you’re not alone.
Read MoreAs the father of a young man with developmental challenges, I can tell you that many people have said things to me concerning my son attempting to connect, communicate understanding, or just be nice. Sometimes these words have been wonderful. Other times, they have hurt. Words truly are piercing.
Read More“It is a look of compassion and a hand of inclusion that lead to much celebration in the Temple. This man is wholly restored into the community of faith.”
Read MoreOn April 2nd, 2021 everyone in my family will wear blue. No, it’s definitely not because I am so organized that I plan outfits that far in advance. We will wear blue to bring awareness. To help our son’s diagnosis be seen, to better help others understand and hopefully begin to ask questions. April 2nd, 2021 is Autism Awareness Day.
Read MoreShortly after receiving a diagnoses of Autism Spectrum Disorder, God opened my eyes to see the great need for churches to embrace and invite individuals with disabilities into the life of the church. It was at this point that I began to pray that God would provide not only people with disabilities to come and be a part of the church that I pastor, but also that God would send someone that could help oversee such a program.
Read MoreAt The Banquet Network, one of our three points in our mission statement is TO INSPIRE. Our hope is to inspire churches to embrace the call of Jesus in Luke 14 to invite the outcasts and marginalized of society, or as Luke 14:13 states, “the poor, the crippled, the lame, the blind” to the banquet table. This is not an easy task that Jesus has given to us. And as church leaders and members take up the call of Jesus to invite individuals and families affected by disability to be a part of the full body life of the church, there will be opposition.
Read MoreWe ultimately agreed that we would have a third child. That child was our precious son Jimmy. At the time, we had no idea that our lives were about to be substantially rearranged. That rearrangement was painful. As time progressed, we discovered that Jimmy was diagnosed with “autism”. We had no idea what autism was, but we knew our lives were forever altered. We just did not know how much.
Read MoreSometimes it’s easy to be envious of neurotypical families. Especially parents of neurotypical children. But then, God reminds me of his promises in scripture. Romans 15:13 reads “May the God of hope fill you with all the joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope.” It’s through His word that God reminds me that I am one of the lucky ones.
Read MorePutting a name or diagnosis to my struggles has helped me understand my strengths and weaknesses and how to adjust and plan so that I won’t continue the cycle of lost jobs and hurt relationships. There are days that I feel that having autism is a blessing, but there are also days where it is difficult and I wish that I wasn’t on the spectrum.
Read MoreWe, the Church, have a duty to care for the marginalized people in our communities. At the same time, if we recognize these actions as only dutiful, and not beautiful, we are tragically and drastically missing the point.
Read More"What if we refused to be satisfied with a congregation that didn’t have a place for people with disabilities to contribute to the full-bodied life of the church? What if our [church] “comeback plans” didn’t stop at defining the cleaning protocol or the socially-distanced pew setup? What if these plans went on to address inaccessible buildings, liturgies, and attitudes? We believe the Church can rise to this challenge."
Read More"What if we refused to be satisfied with a congregation that didn’t have a place for people with disabilities to contribute to the full-bodied life of the church? What if our [church] “comeback plans” didn’t stop at defining the cleaning protocol or the socially-distanced pew setup? What if these plans went on to address inaccessible buildings, liturgies, and attitudes? We believe the Church can rise to this challenge.”
Read MoreAs a young girl with mild cerebral palsy, my heart was broken from the pain of being physically different and trying to make friends at school. My life was consumed with speech therapy, physical therapy, and doing strenuous handwritten homework.
Read More“Then the word of the LORD came to Jeremiah: ‘I am the LORD, the God of all mankind. Is anything too hard for me?’” Jeremiah 32:26-27 (NIV). If I truly believe that He sustains all of creation, then can He not be at work in my life and in my situation? Being a special needs parent can be lonely. Family and friends don’t understand your life. You’re afraid to befriend anyone new because they might judge your child.
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