Every Child Welcome: A Menu of Strategies for Including Kids With Special Needs

A guide to children’s ministry that serves families with special needs

Jesus set a high standard when He said “Let the little children come to me and do not hinder them, for to such belongs the kingdom of heaven.” The call is not limited to children who will sit quietly at His feet and listen, who color between the lines, who raise their hands and wait to be called upon, and who work at grade level. Children’s ministries are responsible to be ready to bring children with disabilities to Jesus’ feet too. Every Child Welcome is the guide for leaders and volunteers to assist in purposeful planning and skill development for a ministry inclusive of children with unique needs.

Experienced children’s ministry leaders, and parents of special-needs children themselves, the authors are superbly equipped to offer a thoughtful, thorough approach to creating a positive environment for children―one where all children will be able to digest the important concepts being taught. For leaders and volunteers, Every Child Welcome will provide the knowledge and tools to

• create a welcoming environment before kids arrive

• help children learn more effectively by connecting new information to what they already know
• reinforce the main idea of a lesson, building background knowledge and reviewing important concepts
• supplement instruction with hands-on activities to increase attention and participation
• reinforce and wrap up an activity effectively

Katie Wetherbee (BA, Special Education, Vanderbilt University; MA, Education, Hood College) has worked as a public school teacher and is now a speaker and educational consultant. Her experience as a mother to a child with special needs, along with her teaching background and leadership in children’s ministry, gives her a fully-developed perspective on children’s ministry.

Jolene Philo’s (BA, Elementary Education, Westmar College; MS, Effective Teaching, Drake University) first child was born with a life-threatening birth defect. Their son survived and is an adult now, but their experiences created a deep desire to reach out to parents of critically or chronically ill children. Jolene has been a public school teacher with an inclusive classroom and is author of A Different Dream for My Child, Different Dream Parenting, and Caregiver’s Notebook.