By Kristen Thomason
Many church signs display the words “All Are Welcome,” but Second Baptist Church in Liberty, Mo., wanted the special needs adults in their area to feel more than welcome. They wanted their neighbors to feel like they belonged. “We have several marginalized intellectually disabled adults in our congregation. We love that they are a part of our church,” said member Laurie Sutton.
One member has been inviting new friends to worship with her and their community is growing. “We’ve had the opportunity to love on them through service and through celebrating their personal life events with them. We also join them in their daily struggles to create a meaningful and fulfilling life.”
This experience inspired Second Baptist to create Be You and Belong, a program that provides socialization opportunities, life skills and spiritual formation for individuals with special needs. Be You and Belong is based on a model of growth exemplified in the New Testament: mental, physical, social and spiritual. Having partnered with social workers and case workers to improve the lives of church members, the congregation was already aware of some of the needs of this community. Inspired by all they were learning, Second Baptist sought to expand its ministry beyond the walls of the church.
“We want Second Baptist to be a place where they feel they belong. We want to be their church,” said Sutton. “We have several members of our congregation who love to be a part of their lives and want to find more ways to help.”
Cuts in national and state funding for programs that support those with disabilities have reduced the weekly meals and opportunities for socialization once available in Missouri. This means that Second Baptist’s ministry to that community is needed now more than ever. To fund Be You and Belong, the church applied for and received a $5,000 CBF Ministries Council grant.
Sutton says this money will help the program “by creating organized events and activities, both the intellectually disabled adults and other members of our congregation can actively engage with one another through socials, Bible studies, community activities and special events.”
To ensure that events and activities are interesting and to underscore that sense of belonging, members with intellectual disabilities are an important part of the committee that oversees Be You and Belong. The committee is planning field trips, meals, physical fitness activities, dances, discussion groups and Bible studies. Second Baptist is the only organization currently providing such a ministry in its immediate vicinity. However, they hope other churches and community services will join with them in supporting this endeavor. It’s possible that in the future Be You and Belong may become its own nonprofit.
“As this group grows, we want to provide a very intentional place for each person to be who they are and to belong,” Sutton said.