By: Katy Kirk

I have had the blessing of getting to work in Access Ministry with the Friendship Club off and on these past six months. This is a ministry specifically for adults and teens with cognitive and physical disabilities. I am consistently amazed at what God has done in this ministry. The Friendship Club provides a way for this population to fellowship with one another to learn about God each week just like everyone else. They gather each Sunday to read God’s word, worship, and pray. Along with this, there are endless social opportunities for them to be involved in. They get the chance to develop real relationships founded in Christ. There are programs in place designed to teach these teens and adults appropriate social skills and healthy boundaries.

Several months ago, in August, I had the opportunity to go with the Friendship Club to the beach for a week. Every other community in the church takes a retreat each year or goes to camp, so why can’t these guys? It was a life-changing experience for me. It became so evident that the special needs population desires and yearns for this community and experience just like we do. Throughout the week, we encouraged them to be independent with their daily tasks, make decisions, and live with one another in the same household. We had a full curriculum each night teaching them about the Lord and what it means to follow Him.

 
Obviously, with all of this, there comes great challenge. I have been stretched and forced to grow in ways I never would have imagined. I praise our God for how He has orchestrated this ministry into what it has become. These lives are being changed each day by what is happening here. I love to see how the whole person is cared for, not just the physical needs. When I look into these lives and faces, I truly see such purity and Christ-likeness. My prayer is that God will use this ministry to not only bring others to Him, but that other churches will be impacted to start their own.