Special Needs
Special Needs
Welcome to Parkside's Special Needs Ministry, Faithful Friends. We pray that you will know the love of Christ in real ways as we care for your loved one.
Our Vision
We desire that every person at Parkside Church, with differing abilities, intellect, and skills would become a committed follower of Jesus Christ. We recognize that the Special Needs Ministry will look different than a typical ministry for children, teens, and adults, and we desire that this ministry will:
- enable the full participation of people touched by disability in the life of the church;
- be a safe and loving place for children, teens, and adults with special needs;
- teach children, teens, and adults with special needs the truths of God’s Word in ways they may understand;
- show children, teens, and adults with special needs the love of the Lord Jesus Christ in practical ways;
- allow parents/caregivers to worship and study God’s Word, while their family member is safely cared for;
- be a support group for families with children, teens, and adults who have special needs.
Our History
We began in 1992 with two teens with special needs and two helpers. Both of these teens are now adults who attend the Faithful Friends Adult class.
Recent Blog Posts
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Serve with Faithful Friends
Every Sunday at Parkside, our Faithful Friends classes meet to serve those with special needs. A typical class includes a time of structured play, singing, teaching through a Bible story, and then free time. In 1992, when we began our Special Needs Ministry, we couldn’t have imagined how the Lord would grow it through the years, and today, we are able to serve over 30 families in three different classes: Faithful Friends Jr., Faithful Friends Teens, and Faithful Friends Adults.
Our volunteers, who serve Sunday by Sunday—some since the very beginning—are the hands and feet of this ministry. Often, they are needed to work one-on-one with participants. They are the first to say that although this ministry has unique challenges, the blessings of working with children, teens, and adults with special needs are numerous. For parents, who can attend worship and know that their children are in a safe and fun environment, our Faithful Friends ministry supplies an essential and reliable part to their Sunday routine.
As our participants have grown, we are again looking for all age level volunteers—teens through adults—to help us! If you're looking for a place at Parkside where you can use your time, gifts, and abilities to bless others, we invite you to consider joining the Faithful Friends volunteers.
We are praying for 8-10 new workers to serve every other week on Sunday mornings, in any of our Faithful Friends Jr., Teen, or Adult classes. Will you join us?
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Faithful Friends Easter Sunday
On Easter Sunday, the Jr and Teen Classes will meet at 10:30am as usual.
The Adult Class will not meet.
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Faithful Friends Volunteers Needed
With a need and the desire of committed believers, the Faithful Friends special needs ministry now serves approximately 30 families with three different classes! Our Jr, Teen, and Adult classes meet every Sunday for a time of singing, prayer, and the study of God's Word. We strive to show how the gospel is truly accessible to all.
We are praying for 6-8 new volunteers to serve on Sunday Mornings in our Faithful Friends Jr, Teen, or Adult class. Volunteers may serve every week or every other week.
Will you join us in serving so that the gospel might be proclaimed, Christ glorified, and believers encouraged?
Register