Stony Point Christian Fellowship
"People with developmental disabilities, this group of people have not been ministered to or reached out to," says Gloria Collins of the Friendship Class. "I’d just like to see the awareness of that need grow in churches all over."
"It is the responsibility of the body of Christ to reach out to everybody and to express the love of God to anybody who comes their way, and to not just wait for people to come their way, but to actually go looking for people to minister to," notes James Harper, the pastor at Stony Point.
"I know how important it is to feel needed and loved," says Trina Townsend of the Friendship Class. "In working with them, I not only feel needed and loved, but I have to honestly say that I could never give as much as I get back from them."
"When we’re in the Sunday School class, the Friendship Class, they’re very involved in talking about God and asking questions and answering," says Collins. "I learn just as much from them as they are learning from me and the rest of the teachers. They’re very insightful."
"They get to see that they are a whole and complete part of the church and have gifts to give as well as anybody else," adds Townsend.
"It’s all based in willingness, on whether or not you’re willing to share of yourselves with other people the great message," says Rev. Harper. "That is that God loves them, and no one responds better to love than people with disabilities. They recognize genuine love."
