“For we are what he has made us, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand to be our way of life.” 

“So God created humankind in his image, in the image of God he created them; male and female he created them……  God saw everything that he had made, and indeed, it was very good.” 

Genesis 1:26-27, 31 NRSV

Braden's Place

A Ministry for those with Special Needs and their families
at Smoky Hill United Methodist Church

Mission
Braden’s Place seeks to meet the physical, emotional, and spiritual needs of all God’s children and their families. We strive to do this through compassion, teaching, worship, fellowship and most of all, love and acceptance.

BRADEN’S BUDDY TRAINING NEXT SUNDAY 5/4, 12 NOON in Celebration Hall – bring a brown bag lunch!  Contact Vicki Scarboro, 303-766-6717.

What Is Braden's Place?

Braden’s Place is the name of our Special Needs ministry here at Smoky Hill United Methodist Church. It is named after Braden, a little boy with autism who was loved and cherished by his Sunday School teachers and our church family before he and his family moved to China in the summer of 2007.

Our desire to provide a positive and faith-based experience in all of our church activities for all persons, regardless of their abilities, led to the development of this ministry. We aim to serve persons of all ages, who have physical, emotional, and/or developmental disabilities, whether visible or hidden.

Through training of our volunteer teachers, greeters, ushers, nursery workers, and our congregation, we strive to be welcoming and accepting of all persons, assisting them as needed to fully engage in our church, whether in worship, Sunday School, youth groups, small groups, or any activity in which they wish to be involved.

Braden’s Buddies

Braden’s Buddies are specially trained volunteers who are available to be one-on-one buddies to children, youth, or adults as needed. They are volunteers who long to bring hope and healing to those with special needs and their families.

A family meeting and/or phone conversation between the caregiver(s), and a member of the Special Needs Ministry team is a crucial part of the success of this ministry and may be requested at any time by the individual or their caregiver(s). Our goal is to make our classrooms, and all of our activities, accessible in every way, and we believe that communication is the surest way for this to happen successfully.

We hope that all persons of all abilities will find a place within our walls where they can worship, learn, observe God at work, use their God-given abilities in service, and most of all, feel the unconditional love of fellow Christians.

Families need not be members of Smoky Hill UMC in order to participate in Braden’s Place, or any of our church activities. We welcome your family’s involvement!

Become a Braden’s Buddy!

We’re looking for people who….

• love and accept persons just as they are.
• are motivated, excited, and enthusiastic about being with and learning from these special people.
• desire one-on-one relationships with persons who allow us to be part of their faith journeys.
• display high energy, creativity, and patience, and who believe special needs persons can love God and serve their world.
• long to share God’s own heart and learn how to bring hope and healing to families who feel “left out” at church.

We’ll provide the training you need to be effective and comfortable in this ministry. YOU provide the love!

For more information about Braden’s Place, becoming a Braden’s Buddy, or serving on our Special Needs Ministry team, contact:

Linda Ruggles
Director of Christian Education
303-690-9816 x216
lindar@smokyhillumc.org

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