October 21, 2002
Special friends have a right to know God
___By John Hall
___Texas Baptist Communications
___Congregations must overcome their fear and connect with people with disabilities, urged coordinators of an annual retreat for disabled Texas Baptists and their caregivers.
___The Special Friends Retreat, partially funded by the Mary Hill Davis Offering for Texas Missions, enabled people with disabilities from around the state to participate in Bible studies and fellowship together. Disabilities ranged from blindness to varying levels of mental impairment.
___More than 52.6 million United States residents live with some disability, according to the U.S. Census. Thirty-three million people are severely disabled. But despite the vast number of people with disabilities, many churches are not reaching out to them.
___Many church members are afraid of what they do not know about people with disabilities, said James Aldridge, pastor of Northwestern Baptist Church in Midland.
A MENTALLY CHALLENGED MAN responds to the teacher's question during a game of tic-tac-toe during a Bible study at Special Friends Retreat. Students answered questions about the Bible to put an "X" or an "O" on the board.
___Some members are hesitant to approach disabled people, particularly the mentally challenged, and do not know how to act around them, Aldridge said. This fear may lead a congregation to alienate the disabled and their parents, who care for them in many cases.
___"Non-mentally challenged people need to realize mentally challenged people are more like them than they are different," said Aldridge, who has two mentally challenged children. "The differences just stand out more."
___If this fear is not overcome, the church disregards its purpose of spreading the gospel to all people, he insisted.
___"Though they may not have a full understanding of Christianity, they have a right to know God," said Diane Lane, preschool consultant for the Baptist General Convention of Texas' Center for Bible Study/Discipleship.
___Special friends provide unique challenges to churches, Aldridge said. His church includes them in their age group until they cannot function in that arena. Then special-needs people have their own class, where they can discuss the Bible and connect with other church members with disabilities.
___Disabled members sit in the congregation in Aldridge's church without disturbing the worship services, he said.
___While he has had some behavior problems with special friends, explaining the inappropriateness of their behavior commonly resolves the situation, he said. If behavior problems persist, the person is paired with another member who has a heart for people with disabilities. The member's partner helps that person behave properly in Bible study and worship.
___In extreme cases, the person might have to miss a couple of Sundays, Aldridge said.
___Lane stressed that disabilities are not detachable, and many special friends need constant care. Churches need to give the parents an occasional break to allow them to alleviate their stress, she said.
___Churches should not only reach out to disabled people, but learn from them as well, Lane added, noting they are more Christ-like in some ways than many adults.
___"They have no pretense," she said. "They don't have that façade to keep up. Because they're innocent and have a childlike faith, they believe in God as we teach them."
___Because churches have so little experience with people with disabilities, many congregations are discovering new ways special friends can contribute to God's work, said Donna McCrary, who teaches special education at Dallas Baptist University and is a member at Park Cities Baptist Church in Dallas.
___"Our expectations now are wide open," she said. "We are finding out they can do so much more. We're finding out they have something to contribute to this world."
___For more information about ministering to people with disabilities, contact Lane at (214) 828-5287 or Aldridge at (915) 689-0612.
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