This past Valentine’s Day, Parkside Church was a study in contrast. In The Venue, beautiful, candle-lit tables were set for a group of longtime friends who were gathered for their annual Valentine’s Day dinner celebration. People dressed in red and pink were busy signing cards, having their pictures taken, and distributing candy into decorated gift bags, a sweet reminder of Valentine’s Day celebrations from grade school. More than 40 Faithful Friends, Parkside’s ministry for adults with special needs, and their family members were gathered for a relaxed evening of fellowship.

Venture down the hall, past the new coat rooms, and the scene was completely different. A bustling group of parents were dropping off their kids at Parkside’s Parents’ Night Out (PNO), a monthly night of respite care for families with special needs children and their siblings. As the last bear hugs were released from kids who wanted their parents to stay, constant movement commenced. Blink and you would have missed them -- a boy bouncing on the trampoline; a girl scooting by on a small firetruck; train tracks being laid out; bubbles being blown. Across the hall, siblings worked on crafts and waited patiently to go to the Warehouse for some quality jumping time on the inflatables. Smiles and peals of laughter abounded.

For families with members who have special needs, the love of Jesus Christ demonstrated through the care and understanding of their challenges and circumstances is a true blessing.

Faithful Friends
“For where two or three are gathered in my name, there am I among them.” Matthew 18:20

Faithful Friends began in 1992 when two teenagers with special needs met with two adult helpers in the staff kitchen of Parkside’s offices. As the teens became adults, the ministry developed into what is now known as Faithful Friends.

Laura Biernacki remembers when her daughter, Amy, first joined Faithful Friends. “When we made the decision to leave our mainline church because its beliefs were no longer biblical, our daughter was upset,” says Laura. “She knew people and was comfortable [there] through long-time attendance. We felt we had to make a change and talked about ‘stepping out in faith.’ Just about the time we settled in at Parkside, the Faithful Friends class had begun and from the first it was a godsend. Our daughter has made lasting friendships and learned so much in a relaxed atmosphere. Attendance is a priority and she is now much more able in other areas of her life to trust that God has good plans for us if we have faith.”

From that small step, Faithful Friends has continued to grow. The Faithful Friends adult class, led by Tracy and Rick Reid, meets on Sundays during the 9:45am service. It has about 20 people who regularly attend, with five to eight volunteers who have committed to serving with the group. “What a gift this class has been for our entire family,” notes Dianne and Tom Commes. “We thank the Lord for Rick and Tracy Reid and all the other selfless volunteers who faithfully teach our young people each week! The biggest impact for [our daughter] Jennifer has been the weekly prayer list. Faithful Friends are committed prayer warriors who bring requests for people in need of prayer each week. They pray and send out cards of encouragement signing all of their names. In fact, our family has an unbelieving friend in Minneapolis who is still carrying the card in her purse she received two years ago!”

Faithful Friends, Jr.
“Jesus said, ‘Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these.’” Matthew 19:14

As Parkside’s congregation continued to expand, the church saw a need for a class for younger children with special needs. In 2006, after prayerful preparations and with God’s provision of workers, Parkside established a Sunday morning class, Faithful Friends, Jr., in 2007. In 2008, Parents’ Night Out was also established. “We recognized that parents of special needs children often have little opportunities for time together,” explains Kelly Coy, Parkside’s Director of Children’s Ministries. “Having a child with special needs puts stress on marriages, and we wanted to provide respite care for families to give husbands and wives time together and to provide a bridge-building opportunity in the community.” Led by Danelle and Troy Bennington, PNO not only ministers to parents by giving them a few hours of time for themselves, but also provides carefree playtime for the siblings of kids with special needs.

Now in 2016, the ministry is ready to grow again. “We expanded our ministry this February,” notes Charlene Croyts, who leads the ministry along with her husband, Jim. “We now offer the class at both the 9:45 and 11:15 services as some of the parents have expressed interest in attending the 9:45 service for worship and/or being able to attend a Sunday morning Life group -- some for the first time ever.”

With the expansion of the Children’s Wing, Faithful Friends, Jr., has been able to set down roots in room A115. This space allows the ministry to care for their kids in safe and functional ways that support the efforts of this ministry to structure care around the unique needs of each child.

Consider Serving
“Whoever brings blessing will be enriched, and one who waters will himself be watered.” Proverbs 11:25

Faithful Friends, Jr., has nine children who regularly attend each Sunday with five families who have expressed interest in seeing a 9:45 hour. “This means that we need at least five helpers and one to two team leaders who coordinate the class (Bible, music, craft, etc.) with the help and support of the 11:15-hour team,” explains Kelly. In order to teach God’s word in ways that are meaningful to each person, the ministry requires a 1:1 ratio of adults to children.

Parkside would also like to offer childcare for families with special needs children during Sunday evenings when Communion is offered. So that childcare providers don’t miss Communion every month, the ministry would like to have rotating teams who serve every other month or every third month.

Volunteers for all three ministries are always needed and appreciated. Experience working with the special needs population is not required, although it is a plus. On-the-job-training will be provided. If you would like to serve or have any questions about Parkside’s Special Needs Ministries, please contact:

• Faithful Friends, Jr.: Charlene and Jim Croyts at ccroyts@gmail.com
• Faithful Friends: Tracy and Rick Reid at sterlingj6@yahoo.com
• Parent’s Night Out: Danelle and Troy Bennington at jdwash2004@yahoo.com

Or, contact Kelly Coy at kcoy@parksidechurch.com.

Click here to see more photos from the Faithful Friends Valentine's Day Dinner.
Click here to see more photos from Parents' Night Out.
Click here to see more photos from the Faithful Friends and Faithful Friends, Jr., classes.