May 2011


God, our Creator, has a plan and purpose for every life.
According to the National Organization on Disability, 54 million Americans have a disability. That’s one in every five people. And a significant number of them are children. Many churches now have special-needs ministries, and more kids with disabilities are being mainstreamed into school classrooms. That means your children likely spend time with kids they may consider “different.”

Use these tips to emphasize everyone’s worth:
• Build relationships. Show your children that it’s okay to talk to people with disabilities and to treat them as you would treat anyone else. Introduce yourself to parents of special-needs children and discover what types of assistance they could use.
• Clarify misconceptions. Children notice differences, so address their already-established stereotypes and oversimplified generalizations about groups of people. Watch and correct judgmental statements and actions. Be a role model by valuing diversity, celebrating individuality, and respecting differences.

Discuss people’s unique needs by using these conversation-starting questions:
1. Why do you think God made people with different appearances, gifts, and abilities?
2. How do you feel and react to someone who’s different from you?
3. What’s the best way to respond when other people point out your weaknesses or flaws?
4. What types of things can we learn from people who are different from us? How can we get to know them better?


POWERSOURCE

ASK GOD:
1. To help your children look beyond differences to see that God made everyone in a special way.

2. To give your children compassionate hearts and helping hands for people with special needs.

3. To show how you can assist families dealing with disabilities.


RESEARCH INSIGHTS
• About 90% of families with a special-needs child are unchurched. (pastors.com)
• According to various sources, divorce rates for couples who have a special-needs child are as high as 75% or 85%.
• In the United States, an estimated 100,000 children are waiting to be adopted, and many of them have special needs.





“The human body has many parts, but the many parts make up one whole body. So it is with the body of Christ. … Our bodies have many parts, and God has put each part just where he wants it. … Some parts of the body that seem weakest and least important are actually the most necessary.”
(1 Corinthians 12:12, 18, 22)



Teachable Moments
1. Lovely Reflections—With babies and toddlers, hold up a mirror so they can see their reflection. Show them that everyone looks different in a mirror but emphasize that everyone is special—regardless of skin color or appearance.
2. Role-Plays—Help children practice what they might do or say in real-life situations. Propose various encounters with children who have different challenges. Then debrief each role-play to point out the positive things children did or said.
3. Special Friends—Seek out people in your family, church, or neighborhood who are coping with physical challenges. Spend time with them as a family, providing assistance and companionship. These low-key experiences will show children how much they have in common with people who appear to be different from them. Discuss people’s unique needs by using these conversation-starting questions:
1. Why do you think God made people with different appearances, gifts, and abilities?
2. How do you feel and react to someone who’s different from you?
3. What’s the best way to respond when other people point out your weaknesses or flaws?
4. What types of things can we learn from people who are different from us? How can we get to know them better?



FAMILY EXPERIENCE
Learn valuable lessons with these fun activities:
• In Full Bloom—You'll need chenille craft wires and various colors of tissue paper cut into 10x20-inch wide strips. Have family members stack six tissue paper strips and then smooth them flat. Fold the stacks lengthwise, accordion-style, in 2-inch sections, making five folds. Then twist a wire tightly around the center of the accordion-folded paper. To create the blossoms, spread the folds on both sides of the wire and gently pull each layer of tissue paper toward the center. When all the layers have been pulled, a beautiful flower blossom remains. Read aloud Psalm 139:13-14. Ask: “How are all our flowers like the people God made? What would it be like if every flower looked the same or if every person looked the same? What traits or characteristics set you apart from everyone else?”
• Mixed Together—You’ll need a bowl of cookie dough, some flour, an egg, a spoon, and a variety of chips and sprinkles. Hold up the flour and egg, and ask: “Who’d like to try these ingredients? How can these ingredients become something that tastes better?” Say: “We need to mix these with other ingredients.” Read aloud 1 Corinthians 12:14-17, 27. Say: “What would happen if we left out an ingredient from our recipe? What would happen if one of us wasn’t part of our family or church?” Hand out cookie dough so each person can add chips and sprinkles. Then bake the cookies. While enjoying them, discuss ways that all of you are important “ingredients.”