FREE Inclusion Fusion

I have always been very involved at my church. In high school, God showed me the need for a worship service during our youth group's mid-week service.....so I led it. In college, God showed me the need for a college Sunday school class....so I taught it. When I became a stay-at-home mom, God showed me the need for frequent "girls-only" fellowship opportunities.....so I organized them. Throughout the years, God has helped me lead Bible studies, participate in plays (onstage & backstage), sing in the choir & praise teams, served in the children's department and many other random areas of ministry. During the last couple of years, God led me to teach a new adult Sunday school class. Recently, however, God has been taking me in a new direction.

As I look back over my years of volunteer ministry, I have noticed a pattern.....God seems to use me as a "starter". God places a ministry on my heart & helps me start it.....and then releases me from it.....and someone else takes it. For example, when we started doing our youth group's Wednesday night service more like a church service, I led worship by using a CD of music, a projector to shine the words on the wall, and my loud voice. NOW! Our youth group has their own worship TEAM!!!! They have their own band, a group of singers, a computer to show the words on a mounted screen, a sound system, and so on. They are amazing! More recently, I organized a summer playgroup for moms & their little ones at our church. NOW, one of my best friends runs it, and they meet every week!!!!

A couple of months ago, I was very comfortable with my volunteer ministries. I attended our church's 1st service, then I would co-teach an adult Sunday school class. Then, on either Sunday night or Wednesday night, I would volunteer in our church's nursery. It was perfect, and I loved every minute of it! I finally felt like I had found my niche, and God was going to use me in these places of ministry for YEARS & YEARS!

And then, early this summer, God started stirring my heart. You know.....you are going about your everyday life, and then God starts pulling at your heartstrings. He starts showing you a need EVERYWHERE you go. It seems like everything you see/hear/read/etc. is about what God is speaking into you. At the grocery store, on the radio, in your circle of friends, in your devotions, at work, etc. For me it really started when, my husband & I went to an Easter Seals presentation specifically about autism. We were going to help better understand our beautiful Ethan. However, during the presentation, God was talking to me loud & clear. These things I was learning to do for my own son, God wanted me to do for other people at my church. I, naturally, started coming up with excuses......I'm not experienced in this field as others, I don't have any more time to give, I have already committed to my adult Sunday school class, etc, etc, etc....

But God kept placing this on my heart until I was so filled with love/passion/burden/joy for this new ministry that I could think of nothing else. Now, I realize that some people will think that I am only doing this for my own son, but, honestly, nothing could be further from the truth. God has given me a wider vision than my own personal needs....I feel a strong need to help other families with special needs. So, late this summer, I approached our pastoral staff with the idea of starting a special needs ministry. Our lead pastor told me that God had been showing him the need for this as well. As I told my Sunday school class one day, "It creeps me out when God does stuff like that!!!!" I love it!

So, extremely long story short, our church currently has an advisory board in place. A group of us with a passion to see families with special needs, not only attending church, but ministering, learning & worshiping about our awesome God. We are praying & planning for what this ministry will look like at our specific church. This is why I am so passionate about this on-line conference. Not only is it free, but you can watch the videos when you have time during the next 2 days. I am so excited to soak up what these speakers have to say & use it at my church.