In the Great Commission, Jesus commands His followers to “go out and make disciples of all nations” and we believe that PURE people and their families are a group that is currently unreached by churches and Christians today. PURE Minisitries seeks to change that beginning with each individual Body of Believers.
For churches seeking to begin a PURE Ministry or for churches with an exsisting ministry looking to expande, RESPITE CARE is an excellent starting point.
Respite is defined as “a short period of rest or relief”.
In PURE Ministry, respite care can mean the opportunity for a husband and wife to enjoy a quiet meal together, for parents to spend special time with siblings, do the grocery shopping or spend time with friends. While these seem like simple things to many families, families affected by disability may not have had the opportunity to experience these moments for months or sometimes years. Parents often do not have the resources or ability to find someone to care for their child or adult with special needs. Typical programs like camps, kids nights and day cares are unable or unwilling to provide care for individuals with special needs. The constant doctor and therapy appointments, special medical needs and daily care reqirements that typically developing children outgrow can continue for years and create a tremendous amount of stress on parents, siblings and entire families. In fact, a study released in January 2012 reveals that respite care services actually reduce the incidence of hospitializations for children and teens with autism spectrum disorder. The great news is YOUR church can play a crucial part of meeting this need of families!
Welcoming a child or adult with special needs into a respite care program in PURE Ministry truly reaches families and can provide a much needed break for families faced with tremendous amounts of stress.
Why is Respite Care a good starting point?
Respite Care is a wonderful outreach opportunity to the community – families who normally would not feel comfortable attending church on Sunday morning may be more likely to attend a respite program. Remember, many PURE families have been asked to leave churches due to the differences in their child or adult with special needs. Church is often not a place that these families percieve as being welcoming.
Respite Care is offered periodically rather than weekly making it a great starting point for recruiting volunteers, using resources and getting started in the world of PURE ministry
Why is Respite Care great for volunteers?
Volunteers can be recruited for non-teaching roles
Volunteers can serve in groups from Bible Studies, small group fellowships, choir, etc.
Volunteers and families affected by disabilties interact with each other and develop lasting friendships
How do I begin a PURE Respite Program in my church?
PURE Ministries is committed to helping churches in every step along the way as they begin or grow an outreach to PURE families. No matter what stage your church is in – from considering how to start to seeking support for a well established ministry – consider PURE Ministries your first source for assistance. Our goal is to support churches in their efforts to establish, grow and improve outreach to PURE families and will are willing to come to your church to provide training, feedback and practical advice for each indidivual situation. There are numerous PURE Ministry programs in several states that are successfully implemented in local churches and we want you to join that group! Our greatest desire is to equip each Body of Believers with the tools and knowledge they need in order to reach out and share God’s love with PURE families in their community.
Don’t hesitate to contact us with any questions you have.