Our Champions

OUR CHAMPIONSby Jen Watts

Launched in 2013, Champion’s Club is a 3,200-square-foot facility designed specifically to meet the needs of kids with special needs. The building is equipped with such features as an oversized keyboard kids can play with their feet, black lights for its sensory room, and large rockers with heavy blankets. The building is divided into four rooms: a worship area, a play room, a sensory room, and an education center where kids learn Bible stories and sign language. As Canyon Hills planned to open Champion’s Club, we discovered the need for a similar program for adults, so we also offer Big Champ’s every Sunday morning in the Gym for adults with special needs. The gym is setup with areas designated for crafts, snacks, games, a lesson and more. We’d like to introduce you to a few families who have been blessed by this wonderful ministry.

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Melissa and Liam

Melissa was a single mom struggling to raise a son with autism on her own when she heard through the Kern Autism Network about Champion’s Club. Desperate for a break, she started coming to Canyon Hills on Sunday mornings, not because she wanted to attend church, but because it provided a couple of hours of respite. To be honest, Melissa was fearful that people from church would reject her because of her lifestyle, so she sat in the back of the room hoping to go unnoticed by anyone. Week after week, Melissa was welcomed and was met with love instead of judgment and soon her heart began to soften. It wasn’t long before she found herself walking to the altar to receive Christ and begin a relationship with the Lord. People from the church embraced her and she found community here. So much about Melissa has changed, including the fact that she’s become bold about sharing her new-found faith with others who are lost and broken like she was. Melissa would have never darkened the doors of a church, but she was willing to come because of Champion’s Club and the opportunity it provided for her son, Liam.

and continue to grow in my walk with God without worrying for that hour if Liam is okay or not."

Ian Hearing a diagnosis like Down syndrome can rock the world of new parents as they are welcoming a new life into the world. There can be fear when facing the unknown. But it didn’t take long for Larry and Angela Frantz to embrace their new role as the primary advocate for their son, Ian. And as they did, their church family embraced them too. Angie has remarked about how thankful she is for a church, preschool and daycare that celebrate Ian and look for every opportunity to include him. Recently, Ian started attending our Royal Rangers class for boys at Fort Faith on Wednesday nights. Admittedly, Angie wasn’t sure how he would do, but within a few weeks at the award ceremony, Ian’s new friends were cheering him on as he was awarded two merit badges. Angie says, "Having Ian has allowed our family to become missionaries in our own home and church. Watching Ian in activities on campus reminds us that God can use everyone and anyone to do great things!"

Kathleen & Lynn

Through the generosity of Don and Kathleen Crabtree, the Lord enabled the church to build Fort Faith, a children’s ministry facility that is irresistible to kids… and parents, too! As the construction was in progress, Kathleen was reminiscing about her own childhood experiences at church and recalled that her own sister, Lynn, who suffered from cerebral palsy, was unable to attend church once she became wheelchair bound because there was no ramp, and therefore no access for her. Lynn’s experience became the catalyst that inspired Kathleen to make sure that every family who has a child with special needs has access to church at Canyon Hills. Now, all these years later, Lynn’s smile lights up the room in Big Champs every Sunday morning and she is dearly loved by our wonderful team who serve in that ministry. Don and Kathleen are thankful that the Lord allowed them to be part of bringing a special needs ministry to Canyon Hills. Kathleen says, “All the glory goes to God! He has blessed Don and I beyond our wildest dreams which enabled us to make a dream come true for Lynn and I.” Thank you, Don and Kathleen, for allowing the Lord to use your gift of giving to bless so many!

Melissa says, “I am so grateful for Little Champions Club. The volunteers are wonderful. Having a safe place specifically designed for special needs children like Liam is so special to families like ours. Knowing Liam is surrounded by people who truly love him and want to see him grow means so much to me. It brings peace of mind knowing I can attend church service

We are so grateful for the incredible servant leadership of Beth Orton, our Champion’s Club Director, and Wally and Lori Ramos, our Big Champs Directors. Your willingness to show the love of Christ to His children is both humbling and inspiring. You are an example of the goodness of God to families who are blessed by your ministry each and every week. On behalf of every family who has been served by your ministry to children and adults with special needs, we say, thank you! If you are looking for a place to serve others, Champion’s Club and Big Champs is a place where your life could make a difference to many! To learn more about this rewarding ministry, visit Guest Services or email shenning@canyonhills.com

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