you shall serve Him and hold fast to Him

You shall walk after the Lord your God and fear him and keep his commandments and obey his voice, and you shall serve him and hold fast to him. Deut. 13:4

My earliest church memories are of inclusive churches. I don’t remember hearing the phrase “special-needs ministry,” but our church in Duncan, Oklahoma welcomed my family and our closest friends who also had kids with disabilities.

My Sunday school teachers and youth group leaders all took seriously the call to help us grow in godliness. And because the church welcomed Syble, I was able to faithfully attend and grow in my relationship with God. They even gave me my first opportunities to use my spiritual gifts and see how God may use me in the future!

I dedicated my book, Unexpected Blessings, to my mom and her friends who attended church together. And now, four of the typical siblings in those families are in ministry as a pastor's wife, church planter, music minister, and children's ministry director. Not only did we grow up to love God, but we also love the church enough to dedicate our lives to serve.

I’m thankful for my first church and each one I’ve been a member of that taught me "to walk after the Lord your God and fear him and keep his commandments and obey his voice, and you shall serve him and hold fast to him."

I pray that you have a church home that welcomes and celebrates all the members of your church family. As we pray for our typical kids today, let's focus on how the church can be a huge support in their spiritual development.

<<First Name>>, join me in prayer this morning.

Father, You designed Your church to be a place where everyone is needed and celebrated. You use many methods to grow us in godliness, but Your church is the primary place of worship and fellowship as we meet with other believers who encourage and challenge us. Help _____ to connect with our church family in a way that will support him/her as a special-needs sibling. Help our church family to step up and fill in the gaps where I as a parent just can't do it all. Help ____'s faith to be stronger because of the godly leaders and friends he/she has at church. I pray that the foundation of faith we are laying now will help _____ to hold fast to You and serve You his/her entire life. In Jesus's name, amen.

With Your Child:
Even though we aren't able to meet with our church families right now, can you and your child/teen talk about someone at church who is an encouragement to him/her? It is a great time to send that leader a note or text to say thank you.

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