4 minute read
Special needs: Friendship Club
By Cris Finstrom
Our church has a unique ministry called Friendship Club. Families from our congregation who have young adults with special needs wanted to provide a regular Christian gathering for their family members and others. Several group homes in the nearby Fargo, N.D./Moorhead, Minn., area bring their clients to these gatherings each Wednesday evening. Some are non-verbal, some are high functioning, and some have behavioral issues.
Our congregation has a very busy Wednesday evening schedule beginning with supper from 5 to 6:30, followed by confirmation classes, kids club, youth group, and various adult Bible studies. Friendship Club meets in the library from 6:45 to 7:45. Each person comes with their staff, some of whom are unchurched, and some from foreign countries. So we are ministering to more than just our special needs friends. If everyone comes, plus their staff and our leaders, we have more than 30 people in our not-sobig room. Praise the Lord!
Our time together is divided into four sections that are led by four Maranatha women: singing, prayer time, Bible memory, and Bible story time. Once a month we have a craft or some other fun activities. During the Thanksgiving season, we asked each one what they were thankful for and wrote thank you notes to the ladies who serve us supper each Wednesday evening. The ladies were touched by their thank you notes.
We sing familiar Sunday school songs with actions and learn new songs from a DVD. Friendship Club provides special music during one of our Lenten services, and our congregation is blessed by their enthusiasm.
Next we go around the room and get prayer requests from each one. We write that request on the white marker board and then we are ready to pray. As each student prays for another’s request, that request is erased from the marker board. Some of the students can pray without any assistance, and some need guidance with the words to say. We try to keep it simple.
This is followed by a short memory verse that is written on the marker board. We say it together and then erase one word at a time and keep repeating it until everyone has a chance to say it, sometimes with help on each word.
The Bible lesson is next. This is a short Bible story followed by questions or sometimes a simple object lesson with a message. We make it relatable to them and understandable. Our goal is to remind them how much Jesus loves them and how he cares for each one of us.
Occasionally, we have a party which includes playing bingo with pictures. Whoever gets five in a row gets a prize. We appreciate the staff as they help identify the items on the bingo cards. We keep playing until each one has gotten at least one prize. They love being able to pick out a prize. Before leaving they are given a small snack.
Every week we strive to make each one feel special and loved. We can tell they like to come from the way they seek out the leaders to give greetings and hugs. Our leaders enjoy it, too. I think our church has been blessed because of this ministry.
One young man from the Friendship Club whose family goes to Maranatha is in the foyer every Sunday and greets everyone as they come in, calling each one by name. We all look forward to his cheerful greeting and chuckle that he remembers more names than we do. Another young man sits with one of the Friendship Club leaders each Sunday morning at worship service. The Friendship Club has given our congregation a clearer sense of the needs of the handicapped.
