LifeWay special needs ministry turns 30

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LifeWay special needs ministry turns 30

Gainesville leader looks for resources at Ridgecrest event

Dec 7, 2009
By STAFF

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (BP)—This fall LifeWay Christian Resources celebrates the 30th anniversary of publishing printed Sunday School lessons for special needs learners, resources that were rare prior to the late 1970s.

“The thread of neediness and disabilities runs throughout Scripture,” Gene Nabi said as he reflected on LifeWay’s 30-year-old decision to create resources for the special needs community. Nabi, who is now retired, served as LifeWay’s second special needs ministry consultant. “Parents have a desperate need as to what kind of spiritual nurture can be given to their children.”

Originally spearheaded by Doris Monroe, the special needs ministry area of LifeWay’s church resources division has led the way in publishing leader and learner resources that encourage churches to include everyone in the Great Commission.

LifeWay’s first dated Sunday School materials for the special needs community were released in 1979. The Sunday School Resource Kit for Teaching the Mentally Retarded was intended for use with children.

In the 1980s, however, research revealed most of the learners in special needs classes were adults. In response, the Special Education Resource Kit that LifeWay released in 1989 could be used with adults for the first time. The resources were expanded throughout the 1990s and were renamed Access in 2000.

The curriculum has been adapted as societal needs have changed. Trends in public special education continually influence the teaching strategies incorporated in updated versions of the curriculum. For instance, in the 1990s public schools emphasized mainstreaming special needs students—incorporating them into the larger educational population—and LifeWay responded by including adaptation tips for special needs children within the core children’s Sunday School resources.

LifeWay now encourages a range of options for children with special needs, including learning buddies, separate classes and other options. In 2007, LifeWay launched “Bible Teaching for Kids: Special Buddies,” curriculum geared toward children in first through sixth grade.

“We’ve gone from our first publication, which was all black and white text, to a multisensory curriculum filled with colorful visuals and hands-on teaching ideas,” said special needs resources editor Ellen Beene, who has been with LifeWay for 24 years.

Before discovering Access, Jo Ann Banks of Asheville, N.C., rewrote all of her materials from a regular adult lesson and created images on a flannelgraph for her adult special needs classes.

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