Potter's Clay is a monthly respite ministry for families that have children with special needs.  Parents bring their children, including siblings without disabilities, to the church for four hours on the third Saturday of every month.   Volunteers work one-on-one with all the children that come.  The parents use that time to do whatever they want, and do not pay for the service.

"But now, O Lord thou ary our father; we are the clay, and thou our potter; and we ALL are the work of thy hand." -- Isaiah 64:8

Next Potter's Clay:  Saturday,  July 19th

 
Principles that make Potter's Clay work:

• Our Faith is the basis of what we do.  We do not require the families to be or become church members, or to even attend church elsewhere.  The ministry is a gift with no strings attached.  We do not proselytize, but we do not hide that we are Christians.  One of the activities for the children is a Bible story time.  We show and live Christ's love to the children and their families.
• Volunteers are the backbone of the ministry.  There are almost three volunteers for every two children that come each month.  Each child has the opportunity to have one special person with him/her for the entire evening.  In addition, other volunteers run the activity areas and special programming for the evening, and others help set up and clean up each month.  Every volunteer has an important role to play.
• Relationships are key.  The volunteers, as much as possible, are paired with the same child each month.  The volunteers, children and their families get to know each other.  The volunteers gain a better understanding of the needs of the children, and the families come to know the volunteers that work in our Potter's Clay ministry.
• Siblings have important needs too.  The siblings without disabilities gain just as much from the ministry as everyone else.  They get one-on-one volunteer time, and they are in a loving environment where they do not feel isolated and different because of their sibling/s.  They are with other children having fun, and can just be a kid--while not experiencing the stares and questions they often get in stores and out in public.
• Inclusion, not separation.  Except for a quiet area for the children needing less stimulation and noise, everyone is welcomed and encouraged to participate in all activities.  The children and volunteers intermingle and they are not separated by age, ability or any other factor.
• They are children first.  We refer to them as "children with special needs," not "special needs children."  The distinction is that they are children first and we do not define them by their condition -- only as children of God.
• It's Free.  It's our gift to the families and the community, so we have on financial expectation of the parents.
• Parents are the best trainers.  The parent knows best what their own child needs, and how best to deal with any issues, medical or otherwise.  Therefore, we ask the parents to train their child's volunteers on how to work with any issue that might arise.

Click here for a special video on Potter's Clay

For more information, contact Potter's Clay Coordinator, Tammy Key, at 390-3940 or Ministries Pastor, Keith Fife, at 390-2381 ext. 30 or send an email with questions to keithfife@tds.net.