Church makes services more comfortable for families with challenges

TAMPA Of all the good works that churches do day in and day out, at home and in other countries there is one area where many fall short:

Reaching out to those with special needs.

According a recent Barna Group study, nearly 10 million families and caregivers lack the support they need from their local church.

You cant fault the church entirely for this. It takes money, knowledge, resources, commitment, space and education to deal with the wide spectrum of disabilities out there.

But, occasionally, a church gets lucky. An angel like Eileen Hafer comes along.

Hafer is a member of Palma Ceia United Methodist Church. With 17 years experience as an Exceptional Student Education specialist with Hillsborough County Schools, she has a passion for this population. She understands that every person with mental or physical disabilities has individual needs and challenges; she knows how parents must make dramatic life changes as caregivers.

So when she left teaching to be a stay-at-home mom, Hafer wanted to devote her time to a project that involved her faith and her professional background.

Lucky for her, she belongs to a church that encourages its members to do just that.

I went to my pastor with the idea, and he said, Go for it. He gave me the blessing I needed to get started, she says of the Rev. Bruce Toms.

That blessing, however, didnt come with a budget.

Originally posted here:
Church makes services more comfortable for families with challenges