God Moves in Powerful Ways at Halftime Respite

All families need rest to thrive. But for families living with disability, opportunities for rest can be scarce. 

Karen and Chad have two children; seven-year-old Claire and 10-year-old Eli, who has spina bifida and hydrocephalus. Caring for the ongoing daily needs of their children, Chad and Karen struggle to prioritize their marriage and find rest. As Karen says: 

“Getting a break is not easy for the parents of children with special needs. You can’t just leave your child with anyone—you need to find someone who understands the challenges of disability, and who knows what to do in a medical situation. 

It’s hard for any couple to find time to focus on their marriage after they have children. But that dynamic is compounded by disability and needs. Plus, having a child with medically complex special needs brings added financial strain.”  

 A Place for Rest 

“Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.”

Matthew 11:28 

Partnering with churches, Joni and Friends offers respite programs for families navigating disability—like Halftime Respite. During Halftime Respite, children with disabilities and their siblings enjoy three hours of Christ-centered fun while their parents receive the gifts of time and rest knowing that their children are well cared for and having fun.  

Eli loves playing games and he loves people! At Halftime Respite, Eli and his sister experience the joy of having fun while meeting new people and feeling God’s love. 

“The volunteers here are very loving and caring. I trust them completely.”    

Chad 

“I love that this is a Christian environment. Our children are nurtured in the Lord, and God’s presence is part of the whole event.”  

Karen

Benefits for the Whole Family 

“Halftime Respite benefits our whole family. It shows Eli that there are other children just like him. It shows Claire that she’s not the only one who has a sibling with special needs, and it gives us time to make our marriage a priority,” says Chad. 

Respite also allows parents to foster healthy marriages, which in turn equips them to better support their children. Parents can avoid burnout when they have time to care for their own physical, emotional, and spiritual health. 

A Growing Ministry 

Disability ministry and Christ-centered respite programs do not exist at every church… yet! That’s why Joni and Friends works to equip churches to better serve families living with disability. And when a church catches the vision of Joni and Friends—to create a world where every person with a disability finds hope, dignity, and their place in the body of Christ—God moves in powerful ways. 

“I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the Lord’s holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.”

Ephesians 3:17–19