I don’t think Greg liked The Special Gathering. He was enthusiastic when he called me inquiring about becoming a volunteer.  Special Gathering of Indian River is a ministry within the mentally challenged community.  We do classic ministry, evangelism and discipleship.  Greg spoke about his ministry in northern Florida and was eager to come and be a part of our Vero program. 

After attending one chapel program, he took me aside for a serious talk.  “Your members aren’t able to participate and join into the worship,” he said.  “They can’t enjoy what you do.  You have to loosen up and let them be a part of the ministry experience.  You should let them come to the front and sing during praise and worship.”

Of course, I understood where he was coming from.  There seems to be two schools of thought in ministry to people who are developmentally delayed.  The first is the lassi faire school that believes that mentally challenged people should be allowed to have free rein over the ministry.  They should be able to come and go as they please.  They should be able to interrupt the speaker with questions and comments.  They should be able to come up front to “lead” in praise and worship, if they desire.  Whatever they desire is fair game. 

This can be an effective way to minister to this population.  There is a wonderful ministry in Canada that allows this kind of freedom of movement and expression during the ministry time.  The members are effectively discipled and trained in Christ-like living.

On the other hand, there is the more structured and discipled type of ministry.  This is much the way The Special Gathering functions during our chapel time.  There is a program leader who conducts the meetings.  Members, who are among the leadership, elected by the members, are invited to conduct our prayer lines.  Members take up the offering.  Choir members may be asked to help with praise and worship or they may sing special music.  Members are not allowed to interrupt or come to the front without permission.  They are discouraged from leaving the room during worship.

During Bible study and the small group studies, however, the members are invited and encouraged to discuss the lesson.  They ask questions. It’s exciting for our teachers to see a member press an opposite point of view regarding a Scripture.   

I personally like the form of worship to which SpG subscribes.  There are several reasons.  One stems from my childhood.  My father had a mentally challenged cousin who occasionally visited us.  He was also a self-proclaimed evangelist.  On the Sundays that he would come to church with us, he would sit on the podium with the preacher.  Even as a child, I felt that this was out of line and that the visitor should’ve been corrected and asked to sit in the pews with everyone else.  But because of his disability, our pastor never corrected him.   I guess that even at 7 years old, I made a pretty good pharisee.

Later, as I become an adult, I saw non disabled children and adults who were allowed to push and shove their way “to the podium” demanding attention during worship in a way that was rude and inconsiderate of others.  Often, their behavior wasn’t corrected and people generally tried to avoid them. 

I appreciated that the members of Special Gathering and the volunteers were asked to follow the same rules.  Volunteers aren’t allowed to interrupt and rudely take up everyone’s time–neither are our members during the chapel programs. 

At Special Gathering we have found that our members act in a discipled manner and they are able to behave appropriately.  Even those who don’t have much disciple at other places seem to enjoy the limits.  In fact, staff and volunteers seldom have to remind the members of the rules because our members effectively monitor each other. 

What is the form of ministry that you feel is most effective?  Why do you feel this form works best?  What Christian principles do you think are being taught in the manner of worship your program uses?