Most churches don’t mean to exclude families raising children with disabilities. But good intentions aren’t enough—and misplaced priorities reveal what we truly value.
Your church will run a 13-week Dave Ramsey course. You’ll recruit volunteers, reserve rooms, order workbooks, promote it from the pulpit, and provide childcare during sessions.
But you won’t run a single autism safety training.
You won’t partner with organizations that teach life-saving strategies.
You won’t invest in programs that could prevent a child from wandering into traffic.
This isn’t about Dave Ramsey. Financial stewardship matters.
This is about priorities.
And right now, special needs families aren’t the priority.
WHAT CHURCHES READILY OFFER
Walk into most churches and you’ll find a robust menu of programs:
Financial:
- Dave Ramsey’s Financial Peace University (13 weeks)
- Budget counseling
- Debt management workshops
Relational:
- Marriage enrichment courses
- Premarital counseling
- Parenting classes
Personal Growth:
- Recovery programs (Celebrate Recovery, AA)
- Career development workshops
- Life coaching groups
Spiritual:
- Bible studies
- Small groups
- Discipleship programs
These are valuable. These matter. Churches should offer them.
But notice what’s missing.
WHAT CHURCHES DON’T OFFER
Now look at what’s absent from most church programming:
For Special Needs Families:
- ❌ Financial SAFETY net planning — Dave does not touch this stuff in his sock drawer management
- ❌ Disability advocacy resources
- ❌ Sensory processing education
- ❌ Emergency planning guidance
- ❌ Community resource navigation
- ❌ Special needs parent support groups
- ❌ Respite care programs
- ❌ Sibling support groups
The gap is glaring.
Churches will teach you how to budget for retirement but not how to create trust savings plan, SSI help.
Churches will help you navigate marital conflict but not how to advocate for your child’s IEP at school.
Churches will guide you through addiction recovery but not through the trauma of a special needs diagnosis.
IT’S NOT ABOUT MONEY
Here’s what makes this even more frustrating: Churches have the resources.
Dave Ramsey’s Financial Peace University costs money:
- Workbooks and materials
- Promotion and marketing
- Room setup and technology
- Childcare during sessions
- Volunteer recruitment and training
- 13 weeks of commitment
Partnering with The Autism Voyage or similar organizations would cost:
- A one-time training session
- Volunteer recruitment
- Promotional materials
- Ongoing resource sharing
It’s not more expensive. It’s not more complicated.
It’s just not a priority.
Churches find money for what they value. They find volunteers for what matters. They make room for what they believe is important.
The question isn’t “Can we afford this?”
The question is “Do we care enough to try?”
THE INFRASTRUCTURE ALREADY EXISTS
Here’s the most frustrating part: Churches already have everything they need.
You have:
- ✅ Rooms for meetings
- ✅ Volunteer recruitment systems
- ✅ Communication channels (bulletins, emails, social media)
- ✅ Childcare infrastructure
- ✅ Small group frameworks
- ✅ Community connections
You’re already using these resources for Dave Ramsey, marriage classes, and recovery programs.
You could use the exact same infrastructure for special needs support.
Same rooms. Same volunteers. Same promotional channels.
The only thing missing is the decision to do it.
WHAT THIS LOOKS LIKE IN PRACTICE
Scenario 1: Current Reality
Sunday morning announcement: “Join us Wednesday nights for Financial Peace University! Learn to budget, eliminate debt, and build wealth. Childcare provided. Sign up in the lobby!”
Result: 30 people sign up. Church dedicates 13 weeks, multiple volunteers, and significant resources.
Scenario 2: What Could Be
Sunday morning announcement: “Join us next Saturday for Understanding the Special Needs Of Special Needs Families and Why are We Lacking
Result: …crickets. Because it’s never offered.
IT’S ABOUT PRIORITIES, NOT CAPACITY
Churches don’t lack capacity. They lack priority.
You can:
- ✅ Run a 13-week financial course
- ✅ Host marriage retreats
- ✅ Organize mission trips
- ✅ Plan VBS for 200 kids
- ✅ Coordinate small groups across the city
But you can’t:
- ❌ Partner with one special needs organization
- ❌ Host one safety training
- ❌ Create one sensory-friendly service
- ❌ Recruit one special needs volunteer
That’s not a capacity problem.
That’s a priority problem.
Bob Poe writes in We All Have Holes in Our Walls: Embracing the Unseen, A Father’s Guide to Understanding Special Needs:
“Churches often focus on the visible needs—the ones that fit neatly into existing programs. But special needs families need more than generic solutions. They need specific, practical support that acknowledges their unique reality.”
THE BIBLICAL MANDATE
James 1:27 says:
“Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress.”
The principle is clear: Care for the vulnerable.
Financial stress is real. But so is the fear that your child will wander away and never come home.
Marital conflict is real. But so is the isolation of raising a child no one understands.
Career challenges are real. But so is the exhaustion of advocating for your child every single day.
Churches have decided which struggles deserve attention and which don’t.
And special needs families are losing.
WHAT NEEDS TO CHANGE
1. Acknowledge the Gap
Stop pretending you’re serving special needs families when you’re not. Acknowledge that your programming doesn’t meet their needs.
2. Ask the Families
Survey your special needs families (if you have any left). Ask: “What programs would help you?” Then actually listen.
3. Partner with Organizations
You don’t have to create everything from scratch. Organizations like The Autism Voyage already exist. Partner with them. Host their trainings. Share their resources.
4. Reallocate Resources
You don’t need a bigger budget. You need different priorities. Take 10% of your programming budget and dedicate it to special needs support.
5. Make It a Core Value
Don’t make this a one-time event. Make special needs inclusion a core value of your church. Mention it from the pulpit. Include it in your mission statement. Hold leadership accountable.
THE CHALLENGE
This week:
- Research one special needs organization in your area
- Contact them about partnership opportunities
- Present the idea to church leadership
This month:
- Host one training or informational session
- Survey your congregation about special needs families
- Recruit volunteers interested in special needs ministry
This year:
- Create ongoing special needs programming
- Budget for respite care
- Become known as the church that actually cares
THE BOTTOM LINE
You have the resources.
You have the infrastructure.
You have the volunteers.
What you lack is the will to prioritize families who don’t fit your existing programs.
Dave Ramsey is great. Financial stewardship matters.
But when a child with autism wanders away and drowns, their family doesn’t need a budget.
They need a church that saw the need and did something about it.
Before it was too late.
RESOURCES
The Autism Voyage Provides safety training, resources, and support for families navigating autism. Website: theautismvoyage.com
National Autism Association Offers wandering prevention resources and safety tools. Website: nationalautismassociation.org
We All Have Holes in Our Walls: Embracing the Unseen, A Father’s Guide to Understanding Special Needs By Bob Poe, Jacob Boals, Abbey Poe, and Stephanie Franklin Available on Amazon and Barnes & Noble
What will your church choose?