About Haven – Special Needs
As a large church, we are fortunate to have leadership who holds tightly to the mission of glorifying God by helping ALL people of all ages all the time, advance in their journey with Christ. One of the ways we do this, is through our special needs ministry called haven. God calls us to reach ALL people, yet we often forget that one of the most unreached people groups is right in front of us. You do not have to go very far to find families with special needs. Our ministry seeks to serve people at all ability levels, which includes very visible and profound disabilities, invisible disabilities, and even those with emotional or behavioral impairments due to trauma.
The heart behind Haven special needs ministry at BattleCreek Church is to minister to all people in a manner that is most effective for them. We hope to disciple the children and adults within our ministry in such a way that they will fall in love with Jesus and grow in their faith each and every day. We never underestimate what God can do in their lives and how He can use All of His children to further His kingdom, regardless of age, background, or ability level.
Our volunteers are made up of teachers, parents, medical professionals, and everything in between. While many of our volunteers were more than qualified when they first began serving with us, there are no expertise needed to serve. All we ask is that they have a heart for this ministry and a willingness to learn. We can teach everything else!
The BattleCreek Haven ministry serves children and adults of every age and ability level. We aim to not only minister to the kids within our ministry, but also to the whole family. One way we do this is through our newly developing respite program, called rEcess. rEcess is a free parent’s night out event for children and adults with special needs AND their siblings. These children spend 3 hours with us and a ton of amazing volunteers, while their parents enjoy a night out or even a night in to rest, with the peace of mind that comes from knowing their children are being well cared for and are WANTED here.
Psalm 5:11 says “But let all who take refuge in you rejoice; let them sing joyful praises forever. Spread your protection over them, that all who love your name may be filled with joy.”
Haven is meant to be a place of safety or refuge for families who otherwise may not feel safe attending church. We are a place where all families can feel welcome and know that we not only want them here, but that we are equipped for their child’s individual needs.
The heart behind haven is to be a place where any family that walks through the doors of BattleCreek Church will be welcomed with open arms and maybe for the first time be able to worship and grow with the Lord in a place where they belong.
For any questions regarding this ministry or BattleCreek Church, please reach out to us anytime!
Tracy Benditz Jennifer Hovis
tbenditz@battlecreekchurch.com jhovis@battlecreekchurch.com
(815)878-1592 (405)714-8707