Ask a parent of a kid with autism why they stopped coming to church. It won’t be theology. It’ll be that there was nowhere for their son to be for an hour.
One trained adult per kid solves it. That’s the whole program.
Start a Buddy Program
One trained buddy per special-needs kid during the service is the difference between a family coming to church and a family staying home. Buddy Break adds a monthly respite night on top.
What you'll need
- Training, either through your church or Nathaniel's Hope
- A background check and one recurring service time
- One kid, matched to you, not a rotation
Pitfalls
- Same buddy, same kid, every week. Rotating volunteers undoes the whole thing.
- Ask the parents what works and write it down. They have ten years of answers.
- Recruit a backup before you commit. Your sick day shouldn't cost them a Sunday.
Give justice to the weak and the fatherless. Maintain the right of the afflicted. — Psalm 82:3