"We're a small church but are blessed to have four boys with autism regularly attending. We want to make sure they can understand and apply the Sunday school lesson. Can you help us?" Questions like this one from Larry in West Texas are my favorite to answer as a disability ministry consultant because it shows this church is making discipleship a priority by desiring to meet the needs of these boys.

I grew up with a sister with Down syndrome, and I have a son with profound autism. The churches we have been a part of have all had discipleship options to meet the needs of my sister and son and so many other families impacted by disability. Doing this well starts with how the church sees people with disabilities. Do they see only deficits, or do they understand each person is made in the image of God and has the potential to have a relationship with him and grow in Christlikeness? When we can see the image of God in everyone, we can focus on their good design by our loving Creator.

Jesus helped his disciples make this mindset shift in John 9. When they encountered a man who was born blind, the disciples focused first on his deficits as they asked who was to blame for his disability. But Jesus's words focused on God's design and purpose for the man: "Jesus answered, 'It was not that this man sinned, or his parents, but that the works of God might be displayed in him'" (John 9:3). Churches can make that shift as well. When preachers, small group teachers, volunteers, youth ministry leaders, and fellow church members see the imago Dei in each person—remembering he or she was designed on purpose for a purpose, they are motivated to disciple him or her to the best of their ability.

But how do we meet the needs of such a diverse group of learners we have been blessed with? And how do we know what they can learn, the challenges they face, and what our expectations should be? Keeping up with all the diversity in the Sunday school classroom or small group, including physical and cognitive disabilities, mental health diagnoses, behavioral diagnoses can feel like a lot. Not to mention the additional challenge of learning disabilities plus developmental stages, learning styles, and motivational behaviors! How can a volunteer teacher who sees the kids for a few hours a week remember everything he or she would need to in order to teach every student? There's a solution you can use at your church to help focus on the discipleship opportunities intrinsic to each person.

Because every child is unique, we develop ISPs for each one—Individualized Spiritual Plans. We borrow from the concept that works in public schools, Individualized Education Plans (IEPs), and make it work for our discipleship goals. The ISPs we create take into consideration the student's likes, dislikes, strengths, goals, and behavior challenges. We decide on the goals after we get to know the student and by talking to the parents about what goals they have while their child is with us at church. Setting goals helps all the teachers and volunteers know how the child best learns and what the expectations for participation can be.

When setting the goals for the student, we remember the #1 goal—the gospel. Everything is for the purpose of the student being able to hear and respond to the gospel. The goals at school, therapy, and home will meet a variety of needs for the student, so it’s important we stay focused on our goal because the student is with us for such a short time compared to how much time he/she spends other places. With teaching the gospel as the central aim, we break down where the opportunities for discipleship are within each ministry setting. You could set goals for different categories, like group worship, lesson time, and prayer.

Let's say one of our priorities is Scripture memory. What would it look like for different types of learners with different ability levels to be able to memorize Scripture? Here's what the personalized goals could be if a student isn't able to memorize a verse independently:

●      Listen to friends repeating the verse while following along as a teacher/buddy points to the words (on the board, in a workbook, or on a handout)

●      Use a communication device or sign language to communicate the Bible memory verse

●      Fill in the blanks of the verse using words or pictures/Picture Exchange Communication System (PECS)

●      Repeat the Bible memory verse with prompting after each word or each group of words

●      Memorize a shortened version of the verse or passage

●      Sing along to a song that includes the verse

The process for setting ISP goals requires a few steps over time. We observe the child in the type of class we think best fits his or her needs. For example, at our church that could be in the inclusive class with a buddy or in the specialized sensory class. Next, we sit down with the parents, and the child if he or she wants to be involved, and talk about the opportunities we have for the discipleship of their son or daughter. We want to partner with them in this responsibility, so we share what we've observed and what we think the goals could be in each category on our ISP rubric. When we're in agreement, we create a bio sheet kept available in a folder for our kids in the sensory room. A small version of the bio is made to fit into a pouch on a lanyard for our kids who get support from a buddy. That lanyard is placed in a cinch backpack that includes the tools that would help support that student (like fidgets, noise reducing headphones, and a visual schedule) that is carried by the teen or adult buddy in the classroom. With the goals and the sensory tools in the buddy bag, the student is well supported in the discipleship process.

In the Parable of the Great Banquet, Jesus told the story of a man who invited many people to a banquet. They had excuses as to why they could not come, which angered the host. He told his servant, "'Go out quickly to the streets and lanes of the city, and bring in the poor and crippled and blind and lame.’ And the servant said, ‘Sir, what you commanded has been done, and still there is room’" (Luke 14:21–22). When the crippled, blind, and lame were invited and shown hospitality, there was still room for other guests.

When ministry leaders likewise show acceptance and hospitality to people with disabilities, making accommodations for them, there is still room for everyone. Those accommodations do not take away from what is needed by most people. In many cases, it can enhance their experience as well. For example, kids with autism can get anxious when they aren't in a predictable routine. One way to help is by displaying a visual schedule that shows what's coming next. But it's not just kids with autism who benefit from knowing what to expect. All kids benefit from structure they can depend on and knowing the plan for the time they are at church. Teachers and volunteers don’t need to feel overwhelmed by all the possible diversity of needs in the classroom. They can simply get to know each student and do their best to meet their needs. Creating Individualized Spiritual Plans for kids and teens is one helpful way to meet their discipleship needs.