Knocked Over by God to Create a Special Needs Ministry

Getting out of God’s Way

Cyndi is a regular and a huge fan of the Summit, but when she experienced the Special Needs segment at the Summit in 2014, it completely rocked her world, and she was moved to start a ministry in her church. The impact that it’s had on her life and the life of others is truly inspiring.

I have been the Director of Child’s World Preschool for 15 years. It was a struggle in the beginning because, while I understood early childhood education and the management of a large program, I didn’t understand what it meant to be a leader. My church, The Crossing, became a host site for the Summit a few years ago. The pastor encouraged business leaders to attend, so I gave it a shot. I had zero expectations, but came away from the Summit full of energy, hope, and ideas. I was hooked. Now, the Summit has become the most important professional development event I attend each year. I rave about it to my colleagues and have seen the Summit impact them as it does me. 

Caught off guard by the Special Needs ministry

This last year, the Summit presented a snippet involving the Special Needs ministry at Willow Creek. I was caught completely off guard by the wave of emotions I felt. Their intensity left no doubt that God was speaking to me. My son, Eric, was diagnosed at 18 months with speech and language delays along with behavior issues. As a single mom, raising him has been a difficult but beautiful journey. Through all the therapies and IEP’s, my main goal was to raise a happy, confident, capable young man who loved God. He is responsible for the number of special needs children who have touched my life, through the friends he made in school.

Eleven years ago, I remarried and became step mom to two more amazing boys. Teaching them to respect and honor the differences in our family was a daily struggle. They soon learned to appreciate the uniqueness Eric brought to the family. His kindness and compassion is pretty awesome. A couple of years ago, Eric’s best friend Matt, a young man struggling with Asperger’s, lost his dad to cancer. His mom had passed away when he was two and he had no family in the area. As a family, we absorb Matt into our world and he is now my fourth son. Eric and Matt are now college students in their 20s, and dedicated servants in our church. Their journeys inspire me to work with children, who like them, are trying to find their place in this world. Those children need encouragement, hope, people who value them, not in spite of their differences, but because of them. 

Celebrate differences

My dreams for our Special Needs ministry is that these children will walk into a room where they feel accepted and loved just the way they are. I want them to feel God’s love, even if they do not understand it. I want their differences to be celebrated and I want them to feel whole and not broken. I know God uses these children to touch many lives and we have an obligation to protect their hearts.

I have been on this journey for over 20 years now. God has consistently shown me that no matter how small or insignificant we might view a person, they have value in His eyes. Sometimes what these children say or do will have a far greater impact on God’s kingdom than anything I can do. They are first in God’s eyes and as such deserve my respect and commitment to walk this journey alongside them. I have so much to learn from them and I am grateful for the opportunity to serve them.

Currently, our Special Needs ministry is small but mighty. We have leaders who are passionate about this cause and are willing to see the beauty in the chaos of this classroom. We struggle with reaching more families. We would like to see more children attend, but also struggle with managing a class of children of different ages and developmental levels. As we grow, we can begin to break into small groups that offer more individualized attention. Finding dedicated leaders is also difficult because leaders must have a heart for these children. 

Catalyst for a dream

The Summit has been catalyst for this dream. What I have learned at the Summit is that if I am comfortable and content, then my vision is not big enough. If I dig the ditches, God will bring the rain. If something needs to be done, then do it. The Summit helps me focus on God’s purpose for my business and my service. It has shown me how to get out of God’s way and let Him work the miracles. I am so grateful for the Summit and how God has used it to change my life.

To those around the world who are struggling with discernment or lack of purpose, all I can say is to be still and know that He is God. Many problems are not ours to fix; we are just the tool God is using to fix them. If we trust that God is using us right where we are, in the mess that we are in, then we can cease worrying and rejoice that God’s got this.

If God can use these beautiful children who are so special to touch lives around the world by just being who they are, He can most certainly use you.

– Cyndi McCormick, Summit Attendee

How has the Summit rocked you?