EP 68: Why the Church Needs Members with Disabilities

We know that our adults can be discipled.

I think there's a misconception that just adults with

disabilities probably don't have the ability to learn or they

can't. They can't capture anything and

and a lot of times, unfortunately, they're probably

seen as a scripture would say the parts that seem weaker, but

they're actually indispensable. We would not be full of complete

estrogens 4 talks about without our adults with disabilities and

their gifts. Welcome back to the Grace Church

Podcast. Many of you may be familiar with

Mosaic as a ministry to families with special needs and

disabilities, but did you know that we have a large and growing

population of Mosaic adults? For this episode, we are joined

by Joe Clary, pastor and Mosaic Director, along with CC Ambrose,

Mosaic lead at our Travelers Rest Campus.

They're going to discuss the work of our Mosaic staff and

volunteers as they are breaking new ground in the area of

discipling adults with special needs.

So Joe Clary, CC Ambrose, welcome to the podcast studio.

Yeah, thanks for letting us be here.

Good morning. Excited for the topic and just

just jump right in. And I really would love for you

guys to set the table and just kind of let us know what are the

different facets of discipleship that we have with adults with

special needs. Yeah, thankfully we have a lot

of really great things going on, really cool things and a lot to

be very thankful for. First of all, we have our Sunday

services which are specific for Mosaic adults where we have a

lot of just adult volunteers coming in and we have our own

service. So we have worship, we have

prayer time, we have announcements and then we have

teaching where we get to teach what was taught on in our main

worship service on one week. The next week we re teach it and

just consolidate some points and have it more specific to our

people. So you're following the same

sermon series just a week behind?

Correct. Yeah.

It's, it helps us be more in the life of the church instead of

being siloed and just studying something completely different

because our adults are talking with our volunteers and they're

all learning the same thing. So it's really cool to kind of

be able to put that together and have our people just engage

together with that. So how many?

Give us a a sense of how many adults and how many campuses are

currently offering Sunday services.

Yeah. So we have about 100 adults in

in worship in the weekends across four different campuses.

And we probably have about 70 volunteers in those groups as

well, which is pretty cool. OK.

So Sunday services, that's kind of a starting point.

And then tell us about Mosaic Inspire, like what is what is

that? What does that mean?

So Mosaic Inspire is a adult discipleship program that meets

during the week. And our goal is really to engage

the community and a church to for them to be a disciple, but

them also to share what God's doing in their life, to be a

light into the world. And so they do a lot internally,

they do Bible studies, they learn different lessons, but

they also are blessing to so many people.

They do Meals on Wheels, so they're delivering meals to shut

insurance, developing relationships.

They've been working on sharing their testimony, what God is

doing in their life to these people, and really just engaging

the community in a really unique way.

We have seen the fruit of that and it has been amazing just to

sit back and watch. OK.

And we're going to get a little bit of history here in just a

second. I just want to get through the

the scope just so everybody can I think have their minds kind of

captured with what we're talking about here.

So then inspire Coffee House, that's something that more

people may have heard. Of yeah.

So our current location is at Front Porch Housing and we're

looking to expand that. We see our people having a great

impact on the community there as well.

And so we are discipling our adults with disabilities in the

workplace environment. Yeah, how many are employed at

Coffee House? We have 16 baristas. 16

baristas, yes, that's awesome. So the coffee house, is there

overlap with Mosaic, Inspire or those completely separate

things? They are completely separate

things, but we do have a lot of individuals that are in both of

those. OK, So they're being disciple in

both areas, so in employment side and in really the church

and community side. Yeah, that's cool.

All right. And then last but not least is

housing. What does mosaic housing look

like? Yeah.

So we currently have two units at Front Porch Housing and we've

been doing this for almost five years now where we have several

adults with disabilities living with a couple peers.

And so they are doing life together.

So they're helping each other, they are going on trips and they

go on vacations together. They've really become a family

unit. And we as church staff and

volunteers have a support system around it where we are all

working together kind of helping everyone be discipled in that

aspect as well. So and all of those things is

that we are learning more from them then we're actually

teaching them most of the time. And so, Joe, you've been in the

space for how many years? Since 2017.

Since 2017, on staff, you're on staff, you're the Mosaic pastor.

So you kind of oversee all aspects of the entire Mosaic

ministry, right? Not just adults.

We're talking about adults today, correct?

And then CC, give us a little window into what this looks like

on the campus level. Yeah.

So I've been at the campus, we worship at TR, So we've been

doing it about three years. So we get to do a lot of what

Joe is mentioning from the Sunday service angle.

We've got a group of volunteers who take our adults through

teaching and small group time and they're talking about how to

apply what we're learning to their daily lives, whether

that's at Inspire or the Coffee House or just even in their

homes. Ways that they can serve and

love their families and things like that.

So yeah, the campus level, we are really working to disciple

them and help them live that out throughout the course of the

week, like like I do. And we're seeing a lot of growth

on the campus level as well, specifically in Traveler's Rest.

Why do you think that is? I don't think there's a ton of

churches in our area that are offering Mosaic programs like we

have. For example, we have a new

family that came in about 6 months ago.

She has two adult boys with autism.

Other churches actually sent her to us.

And so they say we don't have really anything for your adult

sons. And so they, I think, find us

that way. And I do think that's why we're

seeing some growth at TR. So right now we have 2 adult

small groups. So we have an adult men and

adult women's small group. And just age range, where are we

talking like 19 and older or is it?

It really fluctuates a little bit it depending on when they

get out of high school. Gotcha.

So as soon as I graduate high school, then we move our adults

into adult mosaic. OK, that's awesome.

And sometimes our friends are ready, like they'll turn 18 and

they're like, I'm an adult now coming to an adult.

Yeah. And so there's anticipation,

there's excitement, we know what's coming, all that kind of

stuff. Yeah.

So we have 18 starting around 1821 all the way up to 55 as

some of our older adults. Love it.

So then how do we kind of like approach discipleship for our

adults, maybe differently than we would just for anyone else in

that season of life, But then also how how is it kind of the

same in a lot of ways? Yeah, I think some things that

we do that's a little bit different, we will take, I think

Joe mentioned this earlier, we will take the church's teaching

and we'll simplify it to 10 or 15 minutes.

But then we really are asking the same questions of how do we

apply this in our daily life. And then something that is

unique, I think in this season is our adults really do have

something to offer to our church.

And so part of their discipleship looks like them

serving. And what can we do to help them

get involved and to serve our church and then for our people

to serve alongside them and together to know them?

So I think that's a, that's a difference between what we're

doing with kids and students then, you know, adults.

Yeah. Yeah, I think once they become

adults, we start and students, we start to see some of their

gifting. And then really, when they get

into adults, we see a lot more of their gifts and are able to

use them to serve throughout the church in multiple different

ways, sometimes in the background, sometimes out in

front. But there's so many unique ways

in which our our people serve, and they provide joy and

encouragement to our church. Yeah.

And like we've talked about before, there is this difference

and, and I mean this is true for all of us in some ways.

There's distinctions, but then there's similarities.

And I think often times this group can easily get put into

the different category, but there's so many ways in which

they just function like other members.

And, and that's kind of part of what we've started thinking

through as well of these individuals are members of our

church as well. Right.

Yeah. So our adults go through a

foundations like course, we walk through the core values of the

church, we talk about what it looks like to be a member and

they sign their covenant agreement just like anybody

else. And so that they're walking

through it and maybe in a different setting.

Normally we do it on Sunday mornings and then we'll do

pastoral interviews with them. But that's kind of the way we

bring our adults into the membership of the church.

Yeah, that's cool. So, Joe, how did all this begin

for Grace Church? Yeah.

So it started. We started getting students that

became older and. That happens.

Right, yes. And so as as our individuals

grow it, student ministry was not appropriate setting.

And we just started with a couple people in the North End

building at Pelham with an unmite guitar singing in the

corner. And it was it was a pretty sweet

time. It was it was cool just to see.

I mean, I think there were four to five when we first started.

And then we do teaching and we, we talk about things and then

we'd have some activities to do. But we we know that our adults

can be discipled. Yeah, tell, tell us a little bit

more about that misconception. Yeah, I think there's a

misconception that just adults with disabilities probably don't

have the ability to learn or they can't, they can't capture

anything. And, and a lot of times,

unfortunately, they're probably seen as the scriptures would

say, the parts that seem weaker, but they're actually

indispensable. And so I want to put the second

part in because they are a key to our church body.

We would not be full and complete as fusions 4 talks

about without our adults with disabilities and their gifts.

So it kind of all just originated how we wanted to see

better discipleship where it's not just sitting in a service

main worship where our people were not able to grasp all the

points where we can kind of put it into a better, I don't want

to say package, but we could teach it better and allow more

time for understanding. And it is cool to see the fruit

of all of that. Yeah.

And so I guess my question is what, what happens if you don't

have an environment like that where they can have the package

and it can be tailored and those gifts can be pulled out?

So I guess some families they would just they're they're

adults would just be sitting in large church services.

Yeah, so they would just, I mean, it'd be almost like a

babysitting thing where they're just sitting there.

And I think that's one of the things that we have coached a

lot of people, we've learned ourselves about.

Just because a kid is sitting there and behaviorally OK does

not mean they're being discipled.

And so we want to make sure that because our goal as believers is

to present the gospel ways in which people can understand.

And so we have to do that, especially as a church.

And as church staff, that's what we're constantly looking at.

How can we get people access to the gospel ways in which they

can understand? And so if they're just sitting

there being compliant, people are, Oh yeah, no, they're

sitting in church, they're great, but they're not learning

anything. They're not hearing anything.

They're probably it's, they're listening to Matt Williams and

he's talking 1,000,000 miles a minute.

He, they can't understand that. So it is where we can break it

down in a way and have some repetition in it that helps

promote discipleship. OK, Yeah.

Can I add in here, I think to something that's been really

unique is that the small group time following the teaching that

we get to do, we can really work through what application looks

like for our people. So even if they're still living

at home with their parents, we can talk through what it looks

like to serve mom and dad and to be a disciple in their own home

or in their own spaces, which like if they're just sitting in

a church service, it's not. You're not able to have those

conversations and to apply like the scripture to their daily

lives. Yeah.

Can you think of a couple of stories that just encourage you

guys on a daily basis where you've seen now you've been

doing it for years, just just growth of individuals?

Yeah, I think something that's been really interesting to

watch, we have a friend who, and he's actually the reason or one

of the reasons we started at TR. So we started with two adults

and this family moved to South Carolina for some of the

benefits of our church, which is really neat.

But their son has autism. And so watching him get plugged

in through our Sunday morning ministry and then he is now part

of Inspire and part of the coffee house.

But over the course of I guess, three years now, he has just

grown tremendously and his ability to, I think, share his

faith. So he can now like stand and

read his testimony about what God's done in his life, but he

challenges us as his like, I guess volunteers who get to

serve alongside him when he prays just his heart for the

Lord and his trust and dependence on God is really

helpful in convicting for us too.

So that's been a joy just to watch him from start to finish

and for them to I guess as a family, take a step of faith to

go somewhere that had some resources that he hadn't

experienced before. Wow, what a.

Testimony of love and care. And I mean, another cool thing

about that story is now he wants to get baptized.

And so he's taking a step of faith.

And that's, that's kind of hard for a lot of our people.

I mean, for, for some of us or some of our people, baptism

could end in death. The fact that if water got down

into their lungs, they could aspirate.

And we had one, one girl who was kind of scared, but want to take

that step of faith, believing and say, Hey, this is something

that I want to do. And she was terrified at 1st.

And so we created a vice to where she could be baptized.

But I'm just the courage of saying she's like, I want to

stand in front of my church by the, my church, by not just the,

but my church. She is a part of that church and

say, I want to identify with Christ in front of these people

was just a really cool and that was all driven by her.

And, and, and it was discipleship over all her, all

her small group leaders inspired discipleship.

I mean, all the people that have been discipling her over the

last several years got her to that point where she's like,

hey, I, I'm scared, but I want to take this step out of

obedience and that, that is really, really cool.

And it gets to your previous question, Whitney, about

similarities and differences. I mean, that's what we want for

every adult member of our church is to take those steps of

obedience that take courage, that really take dependence on

the Holy Spirit. So I love that.

That's a great story, Joe. Yeah.

As we have developed a lot of this, like are there other

churches and organizations that are doing similar things that

we're collaborating with? Or is this just like some of

this culturally feels like special needs and things have

become just more acceptable and more openly acknowledged

recently? So how have we kind of developed

a lot of this? Yeah, I mean, I think that there

are churches that are trying to get in the game and there are,

there are a couple that are in there.

I think they're just trying to weigh out what they can do right

now because you can't do everything.

You can't just start where we were started in 2004.

So we're over 22 years old and see how it's grow.

And so just to let people know, hey, as you start, you just have

to take steps of faith and and grow it so that there's not too

many people in the adult world. There are a couple, but one of

the things that we are trying to do is just unite the churches

across the upstate and just around.

And we have a conference in October to do that.

And the goal of the conference is to equip local churches to

better disciple their people. And, and this is for nonprofits

as well, to better disciple their people and to bring a

community together knowing that we're not in competition, that

we are disciple the people that God's put before us.

And so every congregation has individuals with disabilities.

It's just how how we're treating that or if we're identifying if

they're there or not. Yeah.

So then Joe, what are the biggest challenges?

Is it, you know, is it manpower volunteer wise, or is it even

bigger than that, like a philosophy of ministry and of

care? Yeah, I, I think there are

challenges just for volunteers, I mean across all ministries and

and most churches. But I think one of the

philosophies is getting back to what we talked a little bit

earlier is the fact that our people can be discipled.

This is not just a sitting in front of the TV and let him

watch a show or let him watch a Bible movie.

We have the opportunity to engage them no matter where they

are. We and we do it.

And our, I'd be honest with you, our volunteers.

Do we have some of the best volunteers in the church?

I will say we do. And I mean it.

The impact that our people have on the volunteers has brought in

more volunteers because they're like, oh, I love serving in

here. Let me tell you about what

happened this. Week Like when someone's done it

once, you never have to ask them to do it again.

They're in. Rarely, rarely there's, there's

one, there's 1,000,000. But but for the most part, yes.

And, and our people come back and people are scared because if

you're over the age of 45, you probably have not been around

too many individual disabilities because they were in the

trailers in the back of the school.

Yeah. Talk a little bit more about

that. I mean, I think that's an

important point, yeah. I mean, I think just growing up

and I'm, I'm close to that, that range in there where kids were

just in the trailers. If if you had a special needs,

you were separated from the rest of the school.

From day day one of your schooling.

For the most part, yes, and that's changed thankfully.

But I mean they didn't have a lot of interactions.

They ate lunch separately. They had different outside they

had they had the trailers. Everyone was in the main

building. Most of the, most of the time,

individuals with disabilities run the trailers back and, and

people didn't have exposure to them.

So when they graduated, they only thought of individual

special needs as like, weren't they a sane asylum?

Which is it's, it's a, it's poor, we're thinking and it's

really sad. But to see the progress that

we've made has been really good. And to see the people that are

in that age gap really come in really timid, but then be like,

Oh my gosh, this is amazing. And they jump in.

And I mean, I could tell you story after story about just

volunteers coming in. None of them have any special

needs background and just saying, hey, I'm willing to

learn. I'm willing to be a part of

this. And then there are a lot of

different ways to engage our people, like with supper clubs.

I know CC kind of talked about that with our adults.

Just come and serve, bring a meal, come eat.

We play games, we sing karaoke, we do a lot of different things

together, but it's a great time just to interact and for you to

Share your story, you to learn about our people and us to just

love one another. Be in community together.

Yeah, how, what are some ways we are supporting the the parents

or the caregivers of these adults?

So we do have a caregiver journey, which is a 12 week

study where we are walking parents through how to think

about this ability, how to process the things they're going

through and even look at the scriptures.

It's very scripturally based to know, hey, what do we need and

really how to just engage a life.

And it's cool because our parents are all in it together.

So they're walking through this. Everyone has a different

experience, they can all relate to one another and our goal is

to get them into a community at that aspect to where they jump

into another form of community where we know that our parents

need to be discipled. And so we're discipling not only

just our individuals, but our parents.

That's the main way main study that we use for that.

But every campus has some form of biblical community, which we

want. All of our people, all of our

members, matter who you are to be a part of some form of

biblical community and serving and giving your life away.

That's great. Which by the way, CC at TR y'all

just did a SIM camp this summer and we also had it at

Powdersville and Pelham. Can you just share a little bit

about how that went and specifically how that impacted

some of our mosaic families? Yeah.

I'd love to. So we launched a SIM camp at TR

for the first time this summer and we had 27 kids, which was

quite a few more than we expected, but we were really

excited about that. And we had four groups and one

of our groups is called Siblings Journey.

And so Siblings Journey is for siblings of individuals with a

disability, and that was actually one of our largest

groups. So it was a really fun, sweet

time with those kids. They got to play and just share

about life with some fun leaders.

And we saw really just the ability for them to begin to

open up, not even just in our groups, but with their parents.

And so that was a really, really sweet thing.

And it was neat to see that out in the TR community that it was

a needed thing and necessary, I think even just by seeing how

many kids and families signed up and.

Participated. Yeah, absolutely.

Can you share a little bit of what like the curriculum looks

like and just maybe what are some of the goals that you guys

are trying to accomplish for those kids?

Yeah, I think the curriculum is really designed to help them

begin to engage their their story.

And so in Siblings Journey, they talk about some of the hard

things about having a sibling with a disability, but also

their favorite things about their sibling and how, you know,

they image God and what they're learning from them.

And so they get to do both of that.

But the part I think that I love the most is the way our

curriculum connects with parents.

And so we have a parent take home sheet that the parents

receive each day and they can look over that and have

conversations with their child. And that was really neat at TR

because there were some days where our kids were quiet.

I mean, it's the first time we've done it.

So like the first time that a lot of them had participated and

they, you know, would be quiet in Group, but then I'd hear from

a parent the next morning that their child opened up at home

about about their sibling or about the situation.

And I thought that was a really big win because before maybe

they didn't feel the freedom to do that.

And I think Ascend helps open the door for some of those

conversations. One of our older guys and

siblings journey his sibling that has disabilities, His

parents have to put a lot of time and effort into just caring

for him, which is is part of their story.

And so this child felt like, you know, maybe mom and dad don't

need to know that this is hard for me.

He didn't want to add that stress and that weight to them.

But what was really neat was to have the opportunity to

encourage him to share with mom and dad and for him to be able

to do that and the door that that opened for them and their

relationship. The parents want to know, but

you know, he knows that life is hard and so he didn't want to

add. But it was really neat for them

to be able to talk about those things together, and I think

that was a big win. That's awesome.

Yeah, yeah. And as we're talking about

challenges and again, just the the cultural environment that we

find ourselves in, I mean, I think 1 determining factor

that's come up recently is there's a show on Netflix called

Love on the Spectrum that's popular and it's fun and it's

cute. But how does that mentality or

approach to adults with special needs, how are we trying to

engage that and disciple our people through that as well?

Yeah, I think our culture pushes romanticism in so many ways.

And we would say that that's, that's not necessarily in for a

majority of our adults. They they won't get married.

But we do have some adults that that do get married and, and

have got married several married couples with disabilities in our

church. And as long as they're

fulfilling the, the roles of what the Bible would tell us

about marriage, I think that we, we'd be great with that.

We would continue to support that.

But I think that we can't get this image or this illusion of,

of marriage and romanticism and, and press that on our people.

It's not healthy. And I really think that our

people need community because everybody needs community.

And that's such a biblical concept.

I mean, we, we've had a one of our guys that's been with us for

a while and he want to get married and they're about to get

engaged. And really we found out that he,

he was, he didn't really need marriage and couldn't

necessarily fulfill the roles of a husband and marriage, But he

doesn't have that desire as much because he's in community.

He was so isolated. Some of our people are isolated

where they, they think that that's going to solve the

isolation. And I think that's where, where

the problem is. I probably in our culture that

that marriage is going to solve isolation and it doesn't.

But we are seeing after that guy got into community and, and work

and inspire discipleship. I mean, he doesn't really have a

desire for it and he loves what he's doing and he has way more

friends with the way it is now than if it he wants to be

married because they probably would have isolated and it

wouldn't have been great. So, yeah, I mean, I, I think

that there's so many different things in society that are

pushing against what we would believe and and that's probably

one of the bigger ones in our adults.

And we that's one of the the bigger struggles we have to

disciple our people through all the time.

Yeah, and I know that all of that is is got to be complicated

and I'm sure that's can be unpopular at times.

And I won't go down this rapid trail too far.

That's probably a whole other podcast.

But I do think that a lot of what you're describing is true

for just our culture at large, not just for adults with special

needs, but the ways that we think about romanticism and

marriage, and that that's the ultimate goal in life when yes,

God has made us not to be alone, but marriage isn't always the

solution to that. Yeah.

And what I hear you guys both talking about is holding

biblical standards over cultural standards that may use some

phrases like love and marriage and have some similarities to

some biblical teaching, but really the core is not what it

looks like to follow Jesus. And that's what it means to

disciple. We keep using that word, but

really that doesn't mean attending church services and

attending inspired groups. It really means taking ownership

for your faith and following Jesus.

And I love how intentional specifically this ministry is.

We it's part of the reason why we're having this podcast.

We can learn a lot about the intentionality and the

relationships from all different aspects of speaking into our

adults lives that it requires to really follow Jesus.

So that's great. As I was thinking about when you

guys have just, I mean you have years of experience, what are

some personal takeaways, some personal learnings that have

really marked you as as a disciple that you've learned

through your years in this ministry?

Yeah. I mean, I would say, gosh,

there's so many things that I have learned.

One of the things probably is through my friend Elijah, who's

no longer with us. But the man taught me about what

does it look like to persevere? I mean, he had every reason to

hate God in some ways and the way that he pushed me to Jesus

and remind me of Jesus and have a heavenly perspective that has

impacted my life. And no way I can't even

describe. I mean, it has changed the way I

have thought about like heaven, about dying.

I mean, I go down the trail all the time, but I mean, it is, it

is so encouraging that he had bed sores and he had people that

abandoned him and over COVID, he was isolated and we had to talk

through a window. And even when I would talk with

him, he's be like, Hey, Joe, I'm I'm ready to see Jesus.

I'm not, I'm not doing anything crazy, but I'm ready to see

Jesus and I'm tired of this. And but I'm, I'm going to

present, present the gospel and, and preach and, and love people

until he takes me home. But gosh, I'm ready and I'm I'm

thankful to. I mean, that's just one of many.

I mean, he represents what Paul was talking about and and what's

some of the. Best ways.

And I mean, it's probably worth saying that that is a challenge

of this ministry because sometimes we lose our friends

too soon. Death is consistently in our

community, especially our adult community past, I think it's

like 4 years, we've had eight different people that have been

connected to us pass away. Yeah.

And that's, that's a lot. And, and they're young.

Our people die younger, unfortunately, so we get a

closer relationship with death and probably most people get,

but it has it has shaped us in a really unique way and just the

fragility of life for all of us that we're not promised

tomorrow. That's right.

And the heavenly perspective that I get from them.

I mean it, it's it's amazing. I mean, it really does.

It has changed my. Life and just how important that

is to the discipleship process that having that perspective on

life, death, eternity, resurrection.

Yeah, CZ what about you? Yeah, I think just thinking

about all that Joe just shared, but just the joy that our

friends bring to the table, I mean, I think they are in some

ways confined. And you know, maybe it's they're

continuing to have seizures or they're confined to a

wheelchair, but they live life in such a way where they are

grateful for what the Lord has done and they're grateful to one

day go be with him. And then they just have fun.

So they've taught me a lot of how to how to laugh more and how

to have fun. And I think all of that flows

from, I mean, maybe it's that lack of control for them that

leads to a freedom that I sometimes have a hard time

reaching for. And so I'm just really grateful

that I get to do life with them and laugh and worship God and

all those things. All right, so let's hang on to

that for just a second. So in some of the restrictions

that they have, they actually experience more freedom.

Yeah, yeah, I think, and I think part of that is they know

ultimately that God's in control, right?

So they've had to let go of some things that we grip really

tightly. And that's a good lesson for all

of us. Yeah.

Thank you for that. That's great.

All right. So as we close, what can we be

praying for? And also an admonition, What

would you really want our church to to know and take away from

this time? Yeah.

So I would love prayers for our families, specifically the ones

that are navigating the transition from students to

adults. The system is just hard to

navigate. I mean, they're figuring out

guardianship and I mean just so many different pieces of that.

And so just wisdom for our parents and, and what the next

steps look like. And I think some of that too is

pray for them, maybe even as they, I think they've done some

grieving over the course of their lifetime.

And then the other thing I think an admonition for our church,

and this is something I'd love for our TR campus to do, but

also our other campuses, is really to think creatively about

how our adult friends can serve and be part of the local body.

So what we've seen and what Joe was talking about as far as

community, they have community with their Mosaic friends, but

our our church needs them. They need the same benefits that

we get that the joy and walking alongside them.

And so I'd love for us to be creative and to think about ways

that our people can serve and serve alongside our other

members. Why is the system so hard to

navigate? It's really hard to navigate the

transition system from students to adults because everything

changes. There are a lot of options when

you're a student, but once you graduate, they go down to a few.

Most of them are not great, but there are several that are

great, but they're hard to get into.

And so there's only a selective amount of slots.

So a lot of our adults, once they get out of school, they sit

at home and most of the time they're either watching TV or

they're on the Internet, which are not good, not not a good

combination to be alone and be in front of technology all day.

It's not healthy for anybody's mental health, physical health,

whatever. And so that's, that's actually

how we started Mosaic Inspire. We saw that the great need for

our adults and we know that they have gifts to give and that's

why that's how we started inspiring.

See how we seen it grow? Yeah, no, that's great.

Thank you for that. What about you, Joe?

What's the five year dream? What can we be praying for?

Yeah, so we, we've been very thankful.

I mean, I, I look at what we're doing with adults and the fact

that we are being able to disciple adults and their whole

life really with housing, adult discipleship, employment and

then church on Sundays. And then we're even partnering

with people like David's table who are doing phenomenal things

as well. And so I just think we, we're

going to continue to grow God's, God's bringing in more people.

I think that there's a piece of it just to pray for our church

as we grow in Mosaic and also to pray for other churches.

I think that that is my prayer. A lot of times God continue to

raise up other churches that are going to own the cause and

disciple the people that are in their churches because most time

people come to us, they're like, Hey, my church isn't equipped.

I love my church, but they're not equipped.

And we, we would love to help. We don't know at all.

We've made a lot of mistakes. We can tell you the things that

we've done well and the things that we've failed in.

And there's a lot of those, but you learn a lot from failures

for sure. And so we, we would love to help

equip anybody and we'll give them all of our resources or

we'll come in and help train the staff.

I mean, really, I am praying for other churches to continue to

step up because there are churches stepping up and there

are churches that don't know where to step.

And so we've had some had a lot of years of help in this.

And so we've been able to help guide some of those churches

with it to kind of, hey, hey, here's the next step.

Yeah. And the chances are if you're

listening to this right now, you have friends at a church that

could benefit from this. So we've got all of the details

for the conference in the show notes and we would love to fill

that room up with with folks. And like you said, we're not,

we're not even trying to get a template.

It's just much of here's some success stories, here's some

failure stories, and some encouragement and exportation

along the way. Yeah, we're actually flying in

several speakers, pretty predominant people in the field

of special needs and disability in the church, and they're going

to come present to be a part October 20th and 20. 1st I love

it, OK? Guys, this has been so great and

so helpful and we do just let's all be praying for the

conference coming up for all of these things.

Y'all are busy, but it's all good things and we're just

grateful that God has given us the opportunity to do this work.

We'll also add the conference web page in the show notes and

you guys can go there to see the speakers that Joe mentioned that

we have lined up. And if you're interested in

attending, the registration is on that page as well.

But we would also love just for you guys to share that with

anyone that you know in your circle who may be working in a

disability ministry or partnering with a nonprofit.

Just has an interest in learning more about the theology and

getting some tools and some resource saying it'll just be a

really cool opportunity to learn from each other and to encourage

each other. And so we're just really looking

forward to that in October. And Joe and Cece, thank you all

so much for being here. This was really helpful.

Thank you. Thanks so much.