Special Needs Families Need To Find Belonging

Here at Joni and Friends, we have a vision: a world where every person with a disability finds hope, dignity, and their place in the body of Christ.

In order to thrive, families living with disability need to find belonging in a local church. That’s why we thank God that our team in Mississippi got to partner with Redeemer Church and the Central Mississippi Down Syndrome Society (CMDSS) to host a respite event for families whose children have Down syndrome.

“This past Friday night, my husband and I pulled up to Redeemer Church with my four-year-old son who has Down syndrome and my two-year-old daughter. We were greeted before we could even get out of our car by a couple of gentlemen offering to help us unload. Then as we made our way to the door, we were met by many other smiling faces, truly excited to see us and our kids.

They adorned our kids with party hats, beads, and high fives and led us through the church to drop off our kids. What may seem like a small act to those that volunteered made a huge impact on the families that were blessed by your service. We felt like he was the honored guest.”

As you can see, respite care offers gifts of hope, rest, and relief for families living with disability. What an amazing and simple opportunity for the local church to bless the lives of struggling families!

For churches, volunteers, and participants, respite events provide many ways to live out God’s call on our lives as described in Romans 12:10–13:

You can help make the Joni and Friends vision a reality, in Mississippi and around the world. With your support, respite events will bless many more families with disabilities, drawing them into loving relationship with Christ and local churches.