Amy Fenton Lee. Nashville: B&H Publishing Group, 2016. 209 pp. (Paperback).
Several years ago, author Amy Lee was assigned to write an article on how to support mothers of special needs children. She planned to do a few interviews, write the article and move on to the next project. Instead, what she discovered would “shape the rest of my life.”
What was it that she discovered that was so life-changing? The mothers, it appeared, were hungry for someone to reach out to them, to support them and to engage with them about their children. Lee discovered in these mothers “a deep sense of loneliness and grief.” The other thing she discovered is that “the source of the greatest relational bruising for these parents had been the church.” Wait. What? The church?
Lee decided to do what she could to change the story told by mothers of special needs children by looking for solutions, developing pointers for church leaders in dealing with families with special needs and sharing what she had learned through articles, presentations and now this book.
This book. Wow! Lee has compiled a comprehensive guide to providing outreach to families with special needs children. She covers how to develop a ministry and how to conduct it, including accommodations for the children, recruiting and training volunteers, working through challenging behavior, safety issues and inclusion in church activities.
If your church or community has considered reaching out to this frequently underserved segment of our population, this is the resource you need.
______________________
Meet the reviewer
Martine Bates Fairbanks, Ed.D., reviews books and movies for The Alabama Baptist. She is a university professor and retired principal. She is a member of Central Baptist Church, Decatur.
Share with others: