Christians Supporting people with Special Needs

• People with Special Needs
  • How Christians Support People with Special Needs.
  • Why Christians should Care for People with Special Needs {James 2:14-17}

People with Special Needs

1. The blind {visually impaired}
2. The lame or crippled {physically impaired}
3. The deaf {hearing impaired}
4. The mentally handicapped.
5. The behaviorally and emotionally disturbed.
6. Those with communication disorders{mute or dumb}
7. The orphans
8. The poor
9. The street children
10. People living with HIV/AIDS
11. The refugees.
12. The sick

1. Visually impaired {blind}

   • Challenge – cannot see or read.
   • Require assistance when walking.
   • Use Braille to read.
   • Causes – old age, accidents, sickness, born blind
     John 9:1-12
   • Jesus encounter with a man born blind.
   • Disciples asked the cause of his blindness.
   • Jesus said- sins never caused blindness. Born that way for God’s power to be seen at work.
   • Jesus healed him by:-
     1. Spitting on the ground.
     2. Made mud
     3. Rubbed it on his eyes.
     4. Sent him to wash his face at the pool of Siloam.
   • As Christian we should help the blind enjoy life like normal people.

2. The Physically Impaired

   • Challenge – cannot walk without help
   • Discrimination at work places.
   • Difficulties at work
   • Causes:- accidents, sickness, born that way.
     Acts 3:1-10
   • Peter and john met a lame man at the Beautiful Gate of Jerusalem temple.
   • The crippled man asked them for money {silver or gold}
   • Peter told him that they did not have money but we will give you what we have.
   • He told him to walk in the name of Jesus and he got healed.
     Mark 2:1-12
   • Jesus healed a paralyzed man lowered from the roof.
   • He was healed because of the faith of those who brought him.
   • Jesus forgave him his sins and told him to rise up take his mat and go home.
   • Jesus healed him to show that he had power to forgive sins.
   • Christians help the lame to enjoy life.

3. The Hearing Impaired {The Deaf}

   • Challenge- cannot hear.
   • Difficulties in communication
   • Causes: accidents, loud sounds, being born, mishandling ears.
     Mark 7:31-35, 37
   • Jesus healed a deaf man by placing his fingers in the ears.
   • Jesus said “Ephphatha”- meaning open-up.
   • Christians should be concerned with people who are deaf.

4. Mentally Handicapped

   • Challenge- mental sickness
   • Causes: evil spirits {witchcraft}, sickness{brain damage
     Matthew 8:28-34
   • Jesus met with a man possessed by demons.
   • The man lived among the tombs.
   • The demons begged Jesus not to destroy them.
   • Jesus ordered them to leave the man {mob] and entered a herd of pigs.
   • The owner of the pigs forced Jesus to leave their territory.
   • Jesus probed he has power over evil spirits.
   • Christians should help the mentally sick by:-
     1. Providing daily needs
     2. Taking them to special schools
     3. ____________________

5. Behaviorally And Emotionally Disturbed.

   • These are people who act abnormally e.g.:-
     Isolate themselves, cry with reason, ever absent minded, staring at nothing for a long time e.t.c.
   • Causes: stress, loss of a loved one, overworking, fear e.t.c
   • This condition can be overcome by:
     1. Trusting in God and pray over all experiences.
     2. Seek assistance from experts.
     3. Participate in sports and games.

6. The Dumb {Mute}

   • Challenge- can’t speak/talk, can’t express themselves verbally
   • Use gestures/signs
   • Many people can’t understand sign language.
     Mathew 9:22-33
   • Jesus healed a man who could not talk for he had a demon.
   • He ordered the demon to leave the man and he spoke

7. The Orphans

   • Orphans are children whose parents are dead.
   • Challenge: lack of parental love and guidance
   • If young they lack food, clothing, and shelter e.t.c.
     Deuteronomy 26:12
   • Moses gave instruction on use of a tenth of their produce Should be given to Levites, the foreigners, fatherless and windows.
     James 1;27
   • True religion is taking care of orphans and widows.

8. The Poor

   • These people lack enough basic needs
     Psalms 41:1
   • King David stresses that those concerned with the poor are blessed and God will deliver them in times of trouble.

9. People living with HIV/AIDS

   • These people are infected with HIV/AIDS
   • HIV/AIDS is transmitted mainly through sex.
   • Christians should care for them and help them lead a normal life.

10. Street Children

    • These are children who are homeless and live in towns streets.
    • Problems they face – lack of food, shelter, clothes, medical care e.t.c, sexual harassment.
    • Causes: parental negligence, poverty, harassment at home e.t.c.
    • Christians should be concerned with the street children by providing basic needs, taking them to rehabilitation centers

11. Refugees {Mathew 2:13-15, 19-23}

    • These are people who have freed their countries because of war, insecurity
    • Challenges : lack of shelter, food, clothing, peace e.t.c
    • Christians should help refugees by:-
      1. Providing basic needs.
      2. Helping them join refugees organizations e.g. UNHCR.

How Christians Support People with Special Needs.

1. Building special schools for them
   Example:
   • Thika school for blind sponsored by ______________
   • Mumias school for deaf and dumb- catholic church
   • __________________
   • __________________
   • __________________
2. Providing necessary equipments for challenged people.
3. Building houses for orphans, refugees
4. Training people on how to be self reliant
5. ____________________
6. ____________________
7. _____________________
8. _____________________

Why Christians should Care for People with Special Needs {James 2:14-17}

• It is our Christian duty to do so {James 2:14-17}
• It is our responsibility to continue with the work of Jesus
• By doing so, it is a demonstration of faith with actions
• ____________________
• ____________________

Revision

1. Primary CRE 6 pg 70-71
2. Quick reading CRE 6 pg 23
3. Spotlight CRE 6 pg 37-38