Special friends and their youth partners sing in a concert.
COURTESY PHOTO
Want to Know More?
If you feel called to start a similar program in your church, here are a few tips from one of St. Luke Simpson’s Special Needs VBS founders Susan Woodward:
- Learn as much as you can about the individual needs of each child.
- Be flexible — whatever you plan to do may not be what you do when the day comes.
- If the children are enjoying an activity and your time is up for that activity, you may just want to continue doing whatever is bringing them the most joy.
- Remember God is in control, not people. God’s plan works best.
For additional information about the program, contact Woodward at vetafil@aol.com
In the early 2000s, a child’s special needs were preventing her from attending vacation Bible school. A caring church member informed the youth minister about the situation. Within weeks, a VBS tailored to the child’s needs and those of other children in the community was underway. In July, it will be offered for the 15th year – led by youth and adults.
“The VBS program got its start because a child of one of our church’s families was not able to participate because of her special needs,” says Doug Young, youth ministry director of St. Luke Simpson United Methodist Church in Lake Charles, Louisiana. “Church member Susan Woodward knew about the need and contacted me about this family. We discussed it and created a Special Needs VBS program, which was youth-led.”
“Each year, three or four youth are paired with a special friend,” Young explains. “We meet in the youth area and gym for one week in July for two hours each day. There is no charge for participants, and it is a lightly structured VBS focused on the needs of our friends. Activities are geared around each special friend’s interests and abilities and include shooting basketballs, ball toss and singing a concert. The group comes together for a short time to sing songs, read Bible stories or learn a Scripture verse before going back to individual activities.”
Many of the original special friends return each year, Young says. “In 2010, we added a second session so we could add younger children since most of our original special friends are now in their 20s.”
Sarah Parks, now a mother of 2 1/2-year-old quintuplets, was one of the youth paired with a special friend when the program started.
“I met some wonderful people through the program,” says Parks. “My buddy from the very first year is still a friend of mine. She comes over to my house and plays with my kids; she is such a special person in my life. It has been a blessing to see how appreciative the parents are to have a place they can bring their children to learn about God.”
Parks’ experience with her friend and the VBS helped shape her career and vocation. A board-certified behavior analyst at the St. Nicholas Center for Children in Lake Charles, Parks says, “My experiences at the Special Needs VBS steered me toward this career. I absolutely loved working with the children at VBS and I felt it was a population I really wanted to work with in my daily life.”