CHICAGO, IL (January 19, 2011) – Amy Rapada, a member of the Covenant Disabilities Resource Committee, will facilitate Call-in Cafés in January and February that will discuss issues concerning ministry to people with special needs and their families.
Dates and times for two events are:
- January 27 – Enabling the Disabled Learner at Church; begins at 2:30 p.m. (CST)
- February 24 – How to Control Disruptive Behaviors in a Children’s Ministry Setting; begins at 2:30 p.m. (CST)
Participation is free, but registration is requested and can be completed online.
Rapada is the author of The Special Needs Ministry Handbook: A Church’s Guide to Reaching Children with Disabilities and Their Families, who helped establish a successful ministry at Pine Lake Covenant Church. Rapada also is the Evangelical Covenant Church’s representative to the National Council of Churches Committee on Disabilities.
The Department of Christian Formation sponsors the Call-in Café. “Some people have said that families with special needs are one of the largest unreached people groups,” says Steve Burger, director of children, adult, and family ministries for the department. Many families do not attend church because there is no ministry available to them.
Burger adds that serving families who have members with a disability is a biblical requirement, more possible than people might think, and ultimately rewarding for everyone involved.
