Practical Ideas for Ministries in Your Church

“Carry each other’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ.” Galatians 6:2

If you have a disability and need an accommodation to improve your worship experience while attending Orland Park Christian Reformed Church (OPCRC), please let us know how we can better assist you. We offer large print or braille bulletins and song sheets as well as large or X-large print Bibles on the shelf next to the main, center door to the sanctuary.

Disability Concerns Team offers the following opportunities at OPCRC. If you feel God is leading you to assist with any of the ministries, or if you or a family member would like more information about one of these ministries, please contact the church office or one of the team members listed below.

B-REAL Support Group

Building Relationships that are Educational, Accepting and Loving

If you are the parent, spouse or a family member of someone newly diagnosed or living with a disability, of any kind, we are here to offer love, support and encouragement. Just to know that someone else understands the uncertainty, the anger, the daily challenges that arise and that we are supported by a loving God and a supportive church family can make such a difference. For more information, contact Tami or Sharon at . . . 

Friendship Class

We offer classes for school-aged children with special needs during the Sunday school hour. Classes are led by caring instructors and helpers for a time of Bible stories, song time, a snack and a craft. For more information contact Lisa at . . . 

The following volunteer opportunities are available:

• Be a classroom aide
• Be a classroom teacher
• Bake a treat for snack

OASIS For the Visually Impaired

OASIS: Orland Area Sight Impaired Support is a support group for individuals dealing with vision loss or vision impairment. At these support group sessions, people come to discuss issues, problems, and concerns in dealing and coping with their visual impairment situation. OASIS also conducts rehabilitation workshops, shares vision-related resources, and provides one-on-one peer and inspirational support. OASIS central belief is “we live by Faith and not by sight (II Corinthians 5:7)." OASIS meets on the first and third Thursdays of each month from 12:30-2:30pm. This group provides peer support to those individuals who have been visually impaired for a number of years. Check out our NEW website at www.oasisvision.org or contact Kim & Joe at . . . 

The following volunteer opportunities are available: 

• Volunteer to assist or serve food during the support group
• Driver participants to or from the support group
• Drive members to other appointments when needed

Respite Care Ministry

What is respite care? Respite care is care provided to an individual with special needs or healthcare issues in order to give temporary relief to the family caregiver. 

As a church family, we recognize the need to support occasional, short-term, in-home respite care to families within the church.

Respite care may be staying with an individual with Alzheimer’s while the spouse gets a much-needed haircut or goes to the grocery store. It may be watching an infant with special needs while Mom attends a sibling’s doctor’s appointment. It could be sitting with a recovering surgery patient while the spouse just gets out of the house for a bit. Respite care is providing a loving, supportive amount of your time to a person with a short-term need. 

In the coming months, we will be providing a training session for all interested in helping with this ministry. No medical training is necessary to come along side another and provide respite care. 

If you feel God leading you to assist with this ministry, or if you or a family member could use respite care, please contact the church office or Tami at  . . . 

On behalf of the Disability Concerns team at OPCRC: (names of team members given here). 

“Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.  Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers.”  Galatians 6:9-10