Throughout South Carolina, in every community, there are adults with special needs and disabilities who need ministry from South Carolina Baptist churches.
That’s the message of Kay Leagans, missions mobilization director for Laurens Association, who is busy planning a week of Vacation Bible School for Aug. 1-5 at Evergreen Skills Work Activity Center. The project, in its second year, involves a growing number of churches, including Chestnut Ridge Church; Hurricane Church, Clinton; and First Church, Ware Shoals (Lakelands Association).
“We will minister to 140 special-needs adults,” said Leagans, “and will provide Bible study, missions education, and music. We will have volunteers go out and lead this entire week.
“All special-needs adults have mental challenges,” she said. “Some have physical challenges as well. South Carolina Baptists have special-needs adults all around them, in group [settings] or in private homes. Church leaders need to be aware of this great ministry potential.”
Leagans is passionate about her ministry. Her brother, Cleve, whom she calls “the joy of my life,” has Down syndrome.
Many special-needs adults don’t have family contact, Leagans said, perhaps because the parents have died or siblings have moved away. “Every time I visit Cleve, I’m aware of the one or two adults who have no one that visits. “Cleve was in one home, and we would get him for a Christmas visit. We always invited those one or two without families to come be with us. We would buy them a gift and treat them just like they were part of our family.”
Ministry to special-needs adults can be even simpler, Leagans said: a church pledging to send birthday cards to adults in a group home; providing birthday parties or ice cream parties; taking watermelon or other snacks to residents; leading a Bible or storytelling time – spending quality time building relationships.
Leagans is working to connect churches with the 19 different group homes in Laurens County. “We want every group home to be connected to a church, and right now I have six churches involved. A seventh church currently offers a special-needs Sunday school class and wants to get involved soon with a group home.”
The South Carolina Department of Disabilities and Special Needs estimates there are more than 15,500 adults with intellectual disability or autism in the state. Leagans is available to speak and to assist churches in ministry to special-needs adults. She can be contacted at Laurens Association at 864-984-0123. – SCBC