New Book, Leading a Special Needs Ministry, by Amy Fenton Lee to Release April 24
Contact: Kevin Benson, 214-415-1328, kbenson@rethinkgroup.org
ATLANTA, April 20, 2013 /Christian Newswire/ -- Releasing April 24, Leading a Special Needs Ministry: A Practical Guide to Including Children and Loving Families, by Amy Fenton Lee will be a much-needed addition to the growing world of special needs ministry. According to a 2013 CDC report, an estimated 1 in 50 children receive a diagnosis on the autism spectrum. Churches are beginning to see the prevalence in their ministries, but answers, resources and assistance are scarce. This new book will provide one solution.
Amy's book serves as a practical "how-to" handbook for family ministry teams working to welcome children with special needs. Easily referenced guidance is offered for talking to parents who are learning their child's diagnosis. It also gives the tools to develop programs, write policies and educate volunteers working with children with disabilities. Example ministry documents are provided as well.
Sections included are: Loving Family Through Diagnosis; Special Needs Statistics, Terms, Laws and Trends; Establishing a Mission for the Special Needs Ministry; Developing an Accommodation Plan for the Child with Special Needs; The Special Needs Ministry Leader; Volunteers: Leading, Recruiting, Training and Creating Community; and Behavior and Participant Safety.
The book officially debuts this week at the Orange Conference, April 24-26, in Atlanta, a family ministry team event drawing over 5,500 church leaders. A special needs ministry track is offered, and led by Amy Fenton Lee. For information on speakers and sessions, visit TheOrangeConference.com. A special needs networking gathering will be held Thursday night.
Leading a Special Needs Ministry retails for $18.99, and will be available for purchase beginning April 24 at OrangeStore.org. This book makes a great companion to Surviving to Thriving: Successfully Including the Child with Special Needs, a DVD resource Amy Fenton Lee aimed to equip volunteers.
"Every congregation of every size should have this resource." Diana Garland, Dean, Baylor University School of Social Work, Editor, Journal of Family and Community Ministries.
About the Author:
Amy Fenton Lee is the special needs consultant to The reThink Group, Inc. Amy has written extensively on the subject of special needs inclusion in children's ministry environments and has been published in dozens of in-print publications, journals, and on the web, including her own blog, www.TheInclusiveChurch.com.
About Orange:
Orange is a division of The reThink Group, a nonprofit organization providing resources and training to help churches maximize their influence on the spiritual growth of the next generation. For more information on Orange, visit ThinkOrange.com.
