Can you Imagine the Potential?
Family after family walks into Centre Court with the mixed expression of utter exhaustion and cautious optimism. They walk through tables of paperwork and look for the calming and familiar face of Imagine Ministries leader Shirley Martens. They find her smiling face and their once cautious optimism begins to grow.
Their child runs into Centre Court where a hoard of bright neon green shirts awaits them. The volunteers filling those shirts range in ages, ethnicities and life experiences that can truly only be found in the Body of Christ. The child (and often their siblings) is matched up with a volunteer or two for the evening and they make their way to a coloring book, or a puzzle or some other low energy pastimes.
As the parents make their way out for their date night (for many the first in as many years as their child as been alive) they leave with an expression of bewilderment on their face: Is this really happening?
While the parents are away, the children will play. But first there is a dinner, donated in part by Boston Pizza, and in part by some loving volunteers in the kitchen. The children and volunteers alike eat their food around the table and enjoy each other’s company. Sometimes a child will become disinterested in dinner and will see what the other side of Centre Court has to offer, though inevitably they will return to their volunteer and dinner awaiting them at their table.
After dinner the children will be broken up into two groups. The first group will go upstairs for their time of singing songs (about the Bible, God’s love for us and Christ’s work on the cross), hearing a bible story, and finally doing a craft related to the story, while the second group will be playing games back in Centre Court. After about an hour the two groups switch.
When everyone has completed both their Bible story time and games time everyone reconvenes in Centre Court for a viewing of Veggie Tales and an evening snack before the parents come to pick up their children three hours after they were first dropped off. The look on their face when they return is one of rest, energy, hope and a renewed optimism that their marriage and family will be able to sustain the pressures and stresses placed on them for a few more weeks.
The above is a brief look at what Imagine…Respite is all about. It is an explicitly Christian outreach event that is meeting the needs of some of the most marginalized families in our community.
Imagine…Respite is an evening where:
- The children (both typical and those with special needs) hear the gospel presented verbally in a clear way.
- The parents get an opportunity to strengthen their marriage and see the good works of the church.
- Both children and parents begin the process of asking more questions about their faith. And when those questions come up, it is the prayers of all the Imagine…Respite volunteers that they would pursue answers from a local church, maybe even our church.
I know that what I have written here is a feeble attempt at communicating the present and eternal impact that this ministry has on the lives of those whom are engaged in the ministry. The truth is that there is so much more that I could have written, and may yet write about, to expose this ministry. But for now, this attempt will have to do.
Brothers and Sisters in Christ, the fact is this: There are more families who have children with special needs that are not getting any help from the government or any other organizations to help meet their needs. At this point Imagine…Respite can only handle 10 families, one Friday-a-month. The government waitlist for help is more than a thousand families long.
Dream with me for a moment (if you don’t mind):
- What if we were able to put on more evenings a month and reach more families per evening?
- What if people from our church were willing to give up a Friday night once a month to serve with this ministry?
- What if more children with special needs (and their siblings) heard the gospel of Christ and found a hope and a peace deeper than what they ever thought or imagined?
- What if the same could be said for their parents and entire family?
- What if this ministry had such an impact that families were lining up for help from the church instead of for help from the government?
- What if the local church was actually prepared to help these families?
Can you Imagine the potential?
Greg Harris
Local Outreach Coordinator
Volunteer Positions include security, kitchen assistance, teaching, leading activities, holding babies, supervising kids with special needs and their siblings, connecting with parents in the parent coffee time, administrative paperwork, and more.
If you would like to join the Imagine…Respite team or have any questions at all, please contact:
Shirley Martens – .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)
or
Greg Harris – .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)