Ministering to the Developmentally Disabled
Developmental disability is a term used to describe life-long, disabilities attributable to mental and/or physical or combination of mental and physical impairments, manifested prior to age 18.[1] The term is used most commonly in the United States to refer to disabilities affecting daily functioning in three or more of the following areas:
Tuesday night I had the opportunity to minister with Pastor Don Anderson of Christ for People with Developmental Disabilities. The organization was holding their 30th annual Praise Celebration at the Wayzata Evangelical Free Church in the western suburbs of Minneapolis. I was the guest speaker and had the privilege of presenting the Gospel message to a crowd of over 200 people, including developmentally disabled people, workers, families and volunteers.
It was a wonderful experience for me, to see the people celebrating Jesus and praising the Lord. I experienced an awesome sense of God’s presence in the meeting, and the love of God.
Pastor Don and his wife, Mary, and a group of volunteers have been faithfully ministering to this segment of the population for 30 years. Each week they hold church services in Plymouth and Anoka, Minnesota, as well as visiting group homes around the metro and surrounding area. Don’s philosophy is that God’s word will not return void, but will accomplish the work it was sent forth to do, in the hearts of all people.
Some would think that because of their disabilities and limitations, these people would not be able to receive the truths of the Word of God, but on Tuesday night I found that this is not the case. As I gave a short presentation on “How to Get to Heaven” from John 14:1-6, I found that I had the full attention of the entire crowd. As Don said afterward, “You could hear a pin drop.” The group listened and prayed earnestly afterward and then gave God praise. I would say the Word that was preached was sown into good ground and will produce fruit.
If you would like to learn more about Christ for People, go to their website and check it out. You may be led to get involved as a volunteer, or to support the work with your prayers and finances.