Autism Awareness Month is less than a month away! We have some exciting things planned for April and we hope that you will participate in our Accessible Faith Initiative!
Each year, we recruit and empower places of worship to do at least one activity in April that promotes autism awareness, acceptance and inclusion. While our initiative focuses on April, we greatly encourage you to utilize these outreach efforts at your place of worship throughout the year, especially as we deal with COVID-19.
We have several activity ideas that can fit your needs, whether your church is holding services in-person or virtually! Here are a few ideas.
Activities During the Church Service
- Include information about autism in the church bulletin or newsletter.
- Share facts about autism during the announcements or sermon.
- Show a video about autism to the congregation.
Special Event Activities
- Host a Zoom story time for children with disabilities.
- Offer free socially distanced family photos for special needs families.
- Provide families with supplies and host virtual art classes.
- Host a virtual autism awareness, acceptance and inclusion event.
- Host an outdoor drive-in, sensory friendly movie at your place of worship.
Community Outreach
- Purchase groceries or provide meals for a special needs family.
- Drop off care packages to the homes of disabled persons and their families in your community.
- Help tutor a child with special needs via Zoom.
- Host a virtual small group for those with disabilities and their families.
- Reach out to persons with autism and their families. Ask them how the church can help with their unmet needs.
- Do a service project with an organization that provides assistance for persons with autism.
- Give a financial contribution to an autism service organization.
Ideas for Church Leadership
- Assign a designated person that regularly connects with special needs families at your church.
- Teach leadership, staff members and volunteers about autism.
- Send staff to a disability ministry conference near you.
- Hire on staff persons with disabilities.
There are so many more ideas, but these are just a few!
How is your church supporting those with disabilities? If your church has not taken this step yet, it’s not too late!
Sign up for the Accessible Faith Initiative and learn more about how you can effectively minister to those with disabilities and their families. The deadline for registration is March 15th, so don’t delay!
We hope that you will join us!