Forma | A Ministry of ECF, is the Network for Christian Formation for the Episcopal Church and beyond. We have members from across the United States, Canada, Mexico, South America, and Europe. We work ecumenically with several denominations including the Lutheran, Methodist, Moravian, Presbyterian, and Catholic communities. Forma is a ministry of Episcopal Church Foundation, a 501(c)3, and is independent of the Episcopal Church, and yet, closely partnered with the Office for Formation Ministries at The Episcopal Church office.
About ten years ago a mother came to me with her story and a request. She was searching for grace. Her son was 7 years old and had outgrown the nursery two years back. He is on the severe end of the autism spectrum, and had no comfortable place in the church where he was baptized. This was the place where the congregation promised to do all in their power to help him grow in God’s grace. We just needed to find a way for that to happen. He is a boy who has always, just, by virtue of his presence, is full of unimaginable lessons of God’s grace. Many people have accompanied him over the past decade, and all have been touched by that experience. I, for one, found a path to a ministry that I would never have expected. I now find myself leading a weekly worship service for families who thought they would never be able to worship together as a family. I learned about Rhythms of Grace in 2010 and began a monthly service the next year. In February we began a modified weekly version of Rhythms of Grace in Houston to meet the needs of a growing number of families who wish to bring faith back to their families. Most are not Episcopalian, many have never worshiped together as a family, some have been turned away from their own faith communities. This is not an easy ministry, but it is a wonderfully challenging ministry. Our weekly afternoon service is for everyone. It is where we answer our Baptismal Covenant and is where grace is found. Some things to understand about special needs ministry:
Most churches feel they aren’t “qualified” to deal with special needs children, and assume they don’t have the need for this ministry. In reality, very little training is required, and there is a need everywhere. There are churches around the country that have been doing special needs ministry. They will share this knowledge with you. Maybe you need a self-contained classroom, respite care or a regular service for families to worship together – there are other places doing these things and they can help.
Special needs families don’t have a lot of experience with faith communities offering unconditional help and love. They battle for services, understanding, and acceptance every day. Many have been turned away from their churches and faith communities.
Working with special needs children usually becomes harder as the child grows older. Parents, as a rule, become more anxious rather than less anxious about their child. Teens with special needs go through adolescence just like typically developing. children, and yet they can’t always verbally express their feelings. The whole family needs the church to welcome them, even when they can’t ask for that welcome.
A ministry like this can breathe new life into an aging congregation. I am seeing it happen. Many older parishioners who thought they didn’t have gifts to share can find grace of their own in being present with these children.
There’s not a right or wrong way to start, except to do it prayerfully. Most of us have one child that needs extra help. When you begin to be open to what that help looks like, you’ll begin to see that there’s a way to make it happen.
The New Dictionary of Theology defines grace as the love and mercy given to us by God because God desires us to have it. Lisa Puccio is Coordinator of Special Needs Ministry and Family Faith Formation at St. Andrews Episcopal Church in Houston, Texas. She is a member of the Forma board of directors and leads Rhythms of Grace Houston, a weekly worship service for special needs families.
About ten years ago a mother came to me with her story and a request. She was searching for grace. Her son was 7 years old and had outgrown the nursery two years back. He is on the severe end of the autism spectrum, and had no comfortable place in the church where he was baptized. This was the place where the congregation promised to do all in their power to help him grow in God’s grace. We just needed to find a way for that to happen. He is a boy who has always, just, by virtue of his presence, is full of unimaginable lessons of God’s grace. Many people have accompanied him over the past decade, and all have been touched by that experience. I, for one, found a path to a ministry that I would never have expected. I now find myself leading a weekly worship service for families who thought they would never be able to worship together as a family. I learned about Rhythms of Grace in 2010 and began a monthly service the next year. In February we began a modified weekly version of Rhythms of Grace in Houston to meet the needs of a growing number of families who wish to bring faith back to their families. Most are not Episcopalian, many have never worshiped together as a family, some have been turned away from their own faith communities.
This is not an easy ministry, but it is a wonderfully challenging ministry. Our weekly afternoon service is for everyone. It is where we answer our Baptismal Covenant and is where grace is found. Some things to understand about special needs ministry: 
Lisa Puccio is Coordinator of Special Needs Ministry and Family Faith Formation at St. Andrews Episcopal Church in Houston, Texas. She is a member of the Forma board of directors and leads Rhythms of Grace Houston, a weekly worship service for special needs families.