For numerous people here and around the world, having faith and attending weekly church services can be life-changing. Three people who otherwise might never have stepped foot inside a church were recently baptized into the Lutheran faith thanks to the creation of a worship service crafted especially for those with special needs and their caregivers.
“We do everything we can so that every person knows they are loved by God regardless of any limitations he or she may have,” said Royal Redeemer Lutheran Church Pastor Dave Timm. “So they know that God cares and so does their church.”
One of the individuals who were recently baptized – a woman from a group home – probably wouldn’t have ever attended church or known faith because as Timm put it, “no one had ever bothered taking her to church.”
The Friends of Jesus Special Needs Worship Service is held every Sunday at 11:30 a.m. at Royal Redeemer Lutheran Church. It is particularly designed to be 30 minutes in length, as opposed to the typical hour, and includes video songs and an “object lesson,” such as the one Timm recently gave using books as props.
“I held up ‘Macaroni and Cheese,’ ‘Hotdogs and Peas,’ and ‘The Cat in the Hat,’ and I told them that reading these may be fun but you could never really say that reading these books changed your life,” Timm explained. “Then I brought out the Bible and I said this one offers forgiveness and this one offers eternal life. With an object lesson, there is always something that a person can look at and remember. The message is very different.”
The newly introduced worship service provides a welcoming environment for those who may not feel comfortable attending a traditional weekly Sunday morning service out of fear, shame, or embarrassment of being a disruption or a distraction.
“The Gospel is for all people, and we know there are some who aren’t present on the weekend because they or their caregiver feels self-conscious,” Timm said. “This is a place they can come as a family and not feel like they don’t belong. We invite everyone to come as you are.”
Those attending the Special Needs Worship Service don’t necessarily have to be Lutheran either, said Lynn Ebner, coordinator of the Friends of Jesus Ministry, as the service offers contemporary Christian prayer. Following the service, participants gather for a snack and fellowship time. It is a perfect opportunity for those with developmental, physical or other disabilities, their families, caregivers and friends to spend time, in worship with fellow Christians, Ebner noted.
“Friends of Jesus (FOJ) is comprised of a group of loving volunteers who get together with special needs individuals for a time of Christian fellowship, crafts, snacks and various social events such as Bingo, movie afternoons and an upcoming talent show,” Ebner said of the ministry. “We meet the second and fourth Wednesday of the month from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. We have made lasting relationships and our friends have taught us so much about how important it is to be included.”
One of the ministry’s largest endeavors, “Night to Shine,” is a prom-style event for those with special needs. This year’s prom, sponsored by the Tim Tebow Foundation, will be Feb. 9, 2018, at the Holiday Inn in Strongsville.
“All of these occasions are great and we are blessed to have the volunteers and support to spend time with our special needs friends,” Ebner said. “The Special Needs Worship Service is a great way for us to come together to learn about God and his love for all people and to give thanks to him for the opportunity to know one another as brothers and sisters in Christ.”
For more information about “Night to Shine” or the special needs ministries at Royal Redeemer, contact the church at (440) 237-7958 or visit royred.org.

By SARA MACHO HILL
Contributing Writer