Today we talk with Stephanie Lewis about ways to love and help families who have autistic members of their family, and therefore, members of our body! She tells her personal story of raising a child with autism and then we talk about practical ways churches can help and love people with special needs in their churches.
INTRO We’re sitting with Stephanie Lewis, you’d be amazed if she drew us, don’t give Jack no explosives, but he might compose an opus. This is…
#CLIP Autism Description – Wendy Chung – TED
LINK: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wKlMcLTqRLs
#ARTICLE The Beautiful Trial of Raising Kids with Special Needs
LINK: https://www.thegospelcoalition.org/reviews/the-life-we-never-expected/
Andrew Wilson, in his book, The Life We Never Expected was brutally honest in revealing that he … “was overwhelmed by the most sweeping, drowning sense of pain and anguish I had ever experienced, ran into the playroom, curled up on the floor, and wailed until I thought there was nothing left. It was, and still is, the lowest point of my entire life.”
“Ask Christian parents of a special-needs kid and they’ll tell you how all the temptations to sin as a parent are still there, just intensified. For instance, every parent gets tired, but when those short nights and long days stretch into months and years, a parent can lose hope.”
“When people ask how they can pray for us or what would make life easier for us, sleep is almost always the thing we talk about first.”
#CLIP Dr. David Powlison
Thinking about Autism from a Christian Perspective
#BOOK Animal Assisted Interventions for Individuals with Autism
LINK: https://www.amazon.com/Animal-assisted-Interventions-Individuals-Autism-Pavlides/dp/1843108674
#FYI April is Autism Awareness Month!
- Autism spectrum disorder, a condition that affects 1 in 68 children in America.
#CLIP Elevation Church – No Ministries, Just Worship
LINK: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X7GXwQejhMM
/ Quote of the Day / …
“There is no circumstance, no trouble, no testing, that can ever touch me until, first of all, it has gone past God and past Christ, right through to me. If it has come that far, it has come with a great purpose.” — Alan Redpath
“Some Christians are called to endure a disproportionate amount of suffering. Such Christians are a spectacle of grace to the church, like flaming bushes unconsumed, and cause us to ask, like Moses: ‘Why is this bush not burned up?’ The strength and stability of these believers can be explained only by the miracle of God’s sustaining grace. The God who sustains Christians in unceasing pain is the same God — with the same grace — who sustains me in my smaller sufferings. We marvel at God’s persevering grace and grow in our confidence in Him as He governs our lives.” — John Newton
LINK: http://www.joniandfriends.org/jonis-corner/jonis-favorite-quotes/
#ARTICLE Ways To Help Families with Disabilities in Your Church
LINK: http://www.stephenjbedard.com/2017/10/13/5-ways-churches-can-help-support-families-disabilities/
The following are edited points from the aforementioned article…
1/ Acknowledge and sympathize with the fact that it is always easier for the family not to come to church. Any family with children will find challenges getting everyone together. For families with disabilities, there may be both practical and emotional obstacles to church attendance. Families with disabilities may need more than a simple invitation.
2/ Don’t give dirty looks if someone with a disability makes noise during a worship service. The family is usually hyper-sensitive to these noises already and a nasty look from another person can be very destructive.
3/ Treat everyone in the family with respect and dignity. Talk directly to the person with the disability and not just the caregiver or family member.
4/ Take the time to find out what the family needs. Many families are looking for respite. Others might need help getting some chores done around the house. There may be significant financial needs as well. In our case, our church helped us raise money for our service dog. Don’t assume what they need, actually have the conversation.
5/ Become a student. This can be by spending time with families and listening to their story. It could be reading books on disabilities in general and the intersection with faith in particular. Read about what the Bible says about disabilities. Families don’t expect you to be a professional but they will recognize and appreciate a teachable spirit.
6/ Include families with disabilities into the life of the church. We often found that people assumed we were too busy or too exhausted to be included. Living with disabilities can be quite isolating. Be proactive in embracing families.
7/ Provide Respite
From: https://erlc.com/resource-library/articles/4-ways-to-serve-families-affected-by-autism