The Great Commission – Matthew 28:18-20 [ESV]
18 And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19 Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”When we think of special needs ministry, it is usually a room or two at the end of a hallway where all the children – young and old – gather to have a Bible story and some special time away from their over burdened mom and dad. This is common and sometimes necessary, but is this all there is to special needs ministry or does the Great Commission give us reason to think about how we perform this valuable ministry?
Let us start with our view of individuals with special needs. There are millions of individuals diagnosed with one or more disabilities that range from physical, mental, or emotional, and each of them God has blessed with the opportunity to have the Gospel shared to them so that they can respond as they are able. Just because a disability may hinder their ability to fully understand and/or respond does not justify reluctance or a lackadaisical attitude from the one who should be ministering. Never forget that the same Jesus who received “all authority in heaven and earth,” is the same person who rebuked His disciples for refusing to let the children come to Him. Also, keep in mind that Jesus was very much involved in creation, and He is NOT surprised or set off by an individual with disabilities. On the contrary Paul writes, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” (2 Corinthians 12:9) If our Lord finds that a great field of ministry comes from dependence on Him, then individuals with special needs are ample teachers. Since our God was very much involved in creating them, it is very important that we take the time to faithfully consider our ministry to them.
The next part of the Great Commission is an emphatic command to go, but how can that happen when we place the children in special rooms? The rooms are necessary, but that is not where the ministry should end. Within the sphere of a child with special need’s life there are so many others who could use the Gospel of Jesus Christ. How do we reach into this child’s sphere and minister? The level of a child’s disability greatly impacts the amount of care necessary to meet their needs. Many parents will give up jobs to care of their children or if the need is very great they will take extra jobs to get needed assistance. Did you know that the parent of an autistic child will spend approximately $30,000 a year on the care of their child (Autism Today http://www.autismtoday.com/articles/Special_Needs_Trusts_Estate_Planning.htm)? Finances, lack of individual and couple time, and other burdens leave parents stretched, and they may turn from church to have personal time on a day they would have off from work. It is unfortunate that these parents would consider somewhere other than the church to find rest and renewal after bearing the burden of intense child care and provision. These children have more than just their parents to help care for them within their circle of influence. Who is reaching out to the teachers, day care workers, therapists, and even grandparents who share a part of their lives to improve these children? Jesus is not telling the parents and caregivers to go to church, but He is certainly telling the church to go to them!
When it comes to the next part concerning discipleship, baptism, and teaching, that is a function that is very broad and would carry this blog on into infinity. I want to make it simple for now by saying that Jesus has commanded to do all these things to which children with special needs should never be excluded. Only our heavenly Father knows the capacity of understanding these individuals possess and when it comes to judgment the only concern I need to have is whether or not I have carried out His command. I will use other blog posts to provide my two cents on ways to effectively disciple and teach children with special needs. For now all you need to concern yourself with is how you are doing these things with these special individuals.
I want to finish this blog by giving you some comforting words – Jesus will be with you always even when you may have a hectic day with a child who forgot to take his meds for ADHD. Our God is fully aware of these children with special needs, and He has workers ready to minister to them and their families. These workers may feel alone sometimes in the two rooms down the hall, but rest assure that our Lord is there also. Our Lord has a desire to seek and to save those who are lost and because someone has a developmental disability doesn’t mean that they are excluded. These individuals and their circle of influence is in a great need for the Gospel. Did you know that according to national studies, more than 80% of people with disabilities don’t attend church (National Organization on Disability)? What about their family and caregivers who very much care for their well-being? Jesus, a very well-known minister to the sick, has included those with special needs into the mission stance of the Great Commission. I’m ready to go out from the two rooms at the end of the hall. How about you?
