Access to God’s Word for Everyone
“If someone with a disability comes through our doors… What are we going to do?”
Meet Gina Spivey
If you regularly read this blog and listen to the Joni and Friends Ministry Podcast, you may recognize her name. She’s the leader of a thriving special needs ministry at Calvary Community Church in Westlake Village, CA. Recently, she was on the Joni and Friends ministry podcast to talk about how her church offers the Awana scripture memory program to kids who are non-verbal or have limited language skills.
When Gina began in her role at the church, children with disabilities were being taken care of in a room designed with them in mind. The main focus was allowing their parents to attend the worship service and hear God’s Word free of worry! But there was very little Bible teaching for their kids. Gina was convinced these kids could learn God’s Word, too, if only they were given the chance.
She asked the question, “If someone with a disability comes through our doors… What are we going to do?”
The answer to that question has shaped not only the disability ministry at Calvary, but the entire church.
For Gina, it all begins with making the assumption that these kids were capable of hearing the gospel and losing the assumption that everyone is going to learn in exactly the same way. Her adaptive Awana 4 Me group will often include both a non-verbal 4-year-old and a highly verbal 17-year-old. While the younger one needs extra help memorizing scripture and expressing what she’s learning, the older is extremely talented at memorization and simply needs a classroom with less sensory stimulation. While neither would succeed if they were expected to participate in the “typical” way, both have successfully memorized large portions of scripture!
But this learning process goes two ways. Learning what it takes for each member of her class to succeed doesn’t happen in an instant. It requires getting to know the individual. It requires a willingness to not have all the answers before you begin. Accessibility in learning begins with relationship.
That’s why Gina encourages churches to “stop asking questions and do it! There is no such thing as ‘the perfect way to do things.’ There’s no way to be fool-proof, and there’s no finish line for perfection. It’s a process that you have to commit to.”
Working backwards from this assumption, Gina’s ministry has taken shape and cultivated a culture of welcoming that’s infectious. Calvary’s staff and congregation see disability ministry as a joy and pleasure! It’s not an obligation they have or a favor they do for these families. The church wants people with disabilities to be in their congregation.
In Gina’s words, because of disability ministry, “I have found dimensions of Christ I haven’t seen anywhere else. There is a simplicity to faith, and a purity in the way our kids and families love that you just don’t see anywhere else. I want to love the way they love me. I see Christ in my friends.”
Who wouldn’t want that? And it all begins by answering a simple question:
“If someone with a disability comes through our doors… What are we going to do?”
For Gina, the answer is simple. Get to know the kids and families. Build genuine friendship. Introduce your friend to Jesus.
So, what do you say? If someone with a disability comes through your door… What are you going to do?
For practical help answering this question and a few key principles for adapting curriculum and promoting positive behavior, enjoy the next two videos in our brand-new church training series.
Do You Have Questions?
Contact us at [email protected] or call (818) 707-5664. We’re here for you. Your ministry’s success is our highest priority!
