During the summer I started a new job, taking me to new ground: working with children that have special needs. Specifically, these kids have various developmental and cognitive disorders. I wasn’t sure at first if I would be effective in ministering to these children, as I have not had any previous experience with special needs. As I adjusted to this new job, however, I have learned some things that may be of benefit to others that find themselves with children that have special needs.

1. Though training is beneficial, it is not required to help children with special needs. My first trepidation as I started this new job was my complete lack of training in this area. Despite this, I was able to connect with the children and quickly learned what their needs were. If you find yourself ministering to children with special needs, take heart. You can learn as you go. If, however, you have the opportunity to learn up front, take advantage of it. Knowledge is power.

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A single Children’s Pastor just can’t offer any help for parents, Right?  This is a common sentiment, but is it true? I submit to you that it is not true. This notion is based on some concepts that seem logical until they are examined in greater detail. Upon further examination, a single Children’s Pastor actually can help parents raise their children.

The first misconception that must be overcome is that parents understand other parents. This does makes some sense. After all, once a parent has experienced certain stages in raising a child, it is easier for them to relate to other parents. Does this, however, mean that one parent automatically understands how another parent feels about a given subject? Is it an automatic conclusion that one parent would react in the same manner as another parent or subscribe to the same beliefs regarding parenting issues? My experience with many parents tells me that is simply not the case. I have had discussions with many successful parents on a number of topics. They all have varying ideas and opinions on topics ranging from what time a child should go to bed to what movies a child should be allowed to watch. There seems to be no “one-size-fits-all” approach to parenting. If this is the case, why would we assume that one parent can understand how another parent feels about varying topics?

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