To encourage believers to return to ministry that is close to the very heart of Jesus.

We must look objectively at the life of Jesus as He lived on this earth and observe the type of people with whom He chose to spend time. When we do, we must conclude that Jesus loved the hurting, the downtrodden, the lonely. Jesus spent much of his time healing those we would today call disabled. Though we cannot heal them as Jesus did, we can love them as Jesus did. Consider John 9:1-3:

 And as Jesus passed by, he saw a man which was blind from his birth. And his disciples asked him, saying, Master, who did sin, this man, or his parents, that he was born blind? Jesus answered, Neither hath this man sinned, nor his parents: but that the works of God should be made manifest in him. (KJV)

 

 Jesus has placed something very special indeed in these people we call disabled: He has created them so that He might glorify and manifest Himself through them! That is the inescapable conclusion: so special are these people that Jesus says, in Matthew 25:40, that when we do something unto them, we are literally and actually in some divine way, ministering unto Jesus Himself! The logical conclusion is, if Jesus chose to spend most of His time on this earth with the outcast people of His day, should not we, His church, do the same?  P.U.R.E. Ministry, based solely on the life of Jesus and what He did and with whom He chose to spend time, is important to Him and, therefore, should be important to us.  

To not only change our perspective on and relationship with the disabled, but also to literally change the very language we use to describe this group of people.  

Conventionally and traditionally the very words used to describe these people have emphasized their deficiency or limitations, i.e. their difference from a normal standard. Terms such as retarded and handicapped, though now politically incorrect, are still used. Now the more accepted terms are disabled and special needs. Still, every time these words are used, they call attention to not being able or having needs beyond the ordinary. Obviously, these people are not able to do certain things and do have special needs in some areas. However, would we normal people like to have OUR defects or uniqueness used to describe us with every reference? Who is teaching the FAT class this week? or could you visit the Smith family this week, you know Mr. Smith is extremely SELFISH? probably wouldn't work or be received too well in our churches! Very few family members or friends or those that live with disabled people would argue with the fact that above all other qualities, there exists a purity about people with disabilities. Whether the disability is present at birth or is a result of an accident, the lives of people with disabilities are commonly reduced to the most essential and important elements. Particularly with those that are developmentally disabled, there is a refreshing lack of many of the inhibitions and trappings that so beleaguer us considered normal. There exists in them a simplicity, innocence, inhibition, honesty, dignity, sense of transparency, and childlikeness that is best described as pure. I do not infer or presume that pure means or implies sinless, but rather suggest the term, pure, is simply more descriptive than any of our heretofore used negative terms. The inevitable questions and comments that will arise when the term is used in conversations or publications will give us opportunities to describe these wonderful people positively. Over time the use of pure will start to dismantle the needless barriers created solely by the use of conventional terms.

To equip pastors to confidently proclaim the scriptural commands, needs, and blessings of pure ministry and to lead their congregations in the assimilation of people with disabilities.

 Like most of us, our pastors are unaware of the situation. They remain for the most part unaware and uninformed of people with disabilities in our communities. However, because our pastors directly influence, control, and determine what specific ministries will be promoted and supported in their congregations, they are in unique positions of power and are the key to impacting our churches with lasting change.  

In addition we must realize most all of our pastors have had no disability ministry training in seminary. A major goal of The P.U.R.E. Ministry Project is to train and inform our pastors of the needs and blessings of disability ministry in their local churches. In both seminary and regional seminar settings, pastors will be able for the first time to be familiarized with the unique needs and gifts of people with disabilities and how they can be assimilated into the local church body. Further, by reacquainting pastors with the scriptural counsel and instruction of our responsibility and opportunity to minister to the pure and their families, churches will begin to experience an awakening to true Christian service.

To target and challenge the average person sitting on a church pew

Knowing that the world will not simply change by using different words, another primary goal of The P.U.R.E. Ministry Project is to target and challenge the average person sitting on a church pew. Those of us not currently connected in some way with the world of the disabled need only remember the last time we sat in church when terms such as disabled or special needs were used in conjunction with some ministry or educational opportunity announced from the pulpit. Most likely you thought, this has nothing to do with me, this is for parents of special needs kids (which I'm not) or special education teachers, and you summarily tuned out the speaker and dismissed any relevance to you. In fact, most people, when they hear these terms, automatically assume that anything related to disability is for special ed teachers. P.U.R.E. Ministry will attempt to dispel this typical response. However, many people are not apathetic, but are unchallenged and unaware from lack of knowledge and any personal involvement or exposure.  Many average, normal, and untrained people may realize God has called them to minister to the pure in their midst.

To replace commonly held myths and stereotypes about disabilities ministries with truth and to encourage Christians to think outside the box about what ministry to the P.U.R.E. can be.  

If one asks the typical church member to describe their church's current special needs ministry, we will more than likely hear about a Sunday school room located in the bowels of the church building where crippled people go. Further, the average person's perception of special needs ministry (whether in their church or not) is almost always based on some place or activity occurring on Sunday mornings. The P.U.R.E. Ministry Project will attempt to challenge the church to think outside the box in creative ways. Integral to this goal is the concept of inclusion of pure people in normal church worship, fellowship, and ministry. Though inclusion and assimilation is the objective, concern for the individual and what is best for each person must override any broader aim. Obviously, there are situations where it is actually advantageous for pure people to be grouped together for their own benefit. For example, some churches have vibrant Sunday School classes consisting of only developmentally disabled people. These folks are great friends who enjoy each other and depend heavily on each other for support and encouragement. Great care and attention must be taken to not only preserve but encourage such strong groups in our churches.

Implementing this goal of P.U.R.E. Ministry must stress the importance of caring primarily for what is best for each pure person individually, and not to think of them in terms of groups only. For example, in our public schools it is common to include pure children in regular classrooms. Inclusion of pure children in regular Sunday School classes would certainly be appropriate and expected, but need not be a rigid and inflexible rule. Some pure children, for instance, are particularly sensitive to loud sound and have difficulty participating in assembly settings. In these situations, P.U.R.E. Ministry would encourage an alternate activity for these children, having them rejoin the class during quieter times (i.e. thinking outside the box and doing what is best for the person as opposed to following the program). Obviously, this is not only just good common sense, but the very foundation of The P.U.R.E. Ministry Project: this ministry is NOT a program but rather a plan - people loving pure people and being willing to do whatever is best for each person. We must force ourselves to be creative and to not limit our thinking to the "Sunday school class on Sunday morning box".

To create a church environment in which pure people are given opportunity to minister in the church in whatever ways are possible.   

An additional goal of The P.U.R.E. Ministry Project must ultimately be to create a church environment in which pure people are given opportunity to minister in the church in whatever ways are possible. Granted, this way of thinking is foreign to many Christians today.  Hopefully over time we will learn that pure people around us can do things and have impact that we normal people can never do or have. Dr. Jim Pierson, a nationally known expert on disability ministry, has stated so insightfully that disability ministry is not complete until the disabled are ministering. Just as we allow our growing children to do jobs appropriate for their age to help them learn responsibility and to gain confidence and a sense of accomplishment, our pure friends in our churches desire to serve. We must learn to be creative in developing opportunities within our churches so that pure people can also learn responsibility as well as gain confidence and the all important sense of accomplishment.

In addition, many people with only physical disabilities are erroneously presumed to be mentally disabled as well. Nothing could be further from the truth. The gifts and talents of most physically disabled people can easily be incorporated into a local church body with only minimal adaptive and accommodating steps required.  Our churches are currently missing out on such blessings from many well-educated and knowledgeable people who just happen to have a physical disability.

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