He sets her free of her affliction, proving yet again that He truly is both Messiah and God. This makes the worship service rather disorderly, so the synagogue leader complains and tries to put this woman back in her place.

But Jesus refuses to sideline her. To Him, she is a daughter of Abraham, a dearly beloved child of God. He sees her, He loves her, He esteems her and He defends her against any who would dare to dismiss her. She is His beloved daughter, worthy of all the dignity that comes from being made in the image of God. Jesus ensures that she will be treated as such.

As Jesus leads, we follow. At New Hope Church, we have a joyful legacy not only of truly seeing our sisters and brothers, but of being richly blessed by them. God gives to each one of His children at least one gift with which to minister to the Body. And He is richly supplying those in our Disability Ministry.

Tony
Have you ever met someone with the gift of joy? Tony does not have the gift of speech, but God gave him the gift of an incredibly contagious smile. He’s always happy. That means that when you’re around Tony, you’re happy too! He has the divine ability to cure a bad day simply by sharing his joy.

Kathy
Kathy also lacks the gift of speech, but God has formed in her a heart passionate for worship. When the music starts on Sunday mornings, her arms shoot up and she makes whatever noises she can. For her, worship is fun, especially as she gets to share the joy of praising Jesus with her friends. She has mastered the art of making a joyful noise to her Savior.

Jenny
God loves to equip many of His children with the gift of serving, but rarely has that gift been exercised with the eagerness of Jenny. She will help anyone with any project however she is able. She gladly sits by a stranger on Sunday morning to make sure they don’t feel lonely. She leads people by the hand if they need help walking, even just to walk to the front of the service. Most importantly, she serves people by praying for them as God has equipped her to be a fierce prayer warrior.

Barb
Every Sunday morning, these amazing brothers and sisters meets for worship in the Friendship Class. If you join them one Sunday, be sure to visit Barb. She'll be delighted at the chance to serve you donuts and coffee! The Friendship Class meets in the main campus gym, 11:15am–12:15pm.

It might require stepping outside of your comfort zone to visit these friends, but it’s a step well worth taking. You'll have a hard time finding a more welcoming, loving and genuine community of believers. Each one feels free to be exactly who God made them to be. There is no need to pretend here.

Need some contagious joy in your life? Stop by Friendship Class. They'll love to see you. If you would love to share your gifts with them, there are plenty of opportunities to volunteer. Contact Bre Claussen at 763-536-3217.

You may not know what to expect or what the experience will feel like. That’s okay. All you need is the willingness to be vulnerable for our vulnerable adults. God has given you gifts that can bless them, and He's given them gifts that will bless you beyond your expectations.

Kyle Davison Bair is Prayer Ministries Pastor at New Hope Church. He has a passion for people to call on the name of Jesus for direction and seek an authentic culture of prayer in this church. He loves to see the unique ways that Disability Ministry participants call on Jesus' name.

Learn more about Disability Ministry.