Not Only Invited, But Involved

"There is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus." - Galatians 3:28

Paul's statement in Galatians 3:28 issues a challenge for congregations. Do we live up to this mandate? Are all people in our churches viewed as equal in role and responsibility?

Trinity Lutheran Church, Lowell, Ind., has embraced this mandate and makes inclusion of people who have developmental disabilities a regular part of the life of the congregation. The people who live at Bethesda Lutheran Homes and Services, Inc.'s, group home in Lowell are not only invited to attend services at Trinity, their partner congregation; they are actively involved.

On a typical Friday, you'll find the people who live at the Lowell group home, such as Susan Bielke and Ray Stower, at the church folding bulletins and stuffing them for Sunday morning worship. And, on Sunday morning, you won't find them just sitting passively in the pews as the service goes on around them.

You'll see them handing out bulletins, greeting worshippers, and you'll see the men helping usher people to communion. These duties are typical tasks for any parishioner who stays involved in parish life, and the people who live at the Lowell group home are examples of just how "usual" it can be for a congregation to include people who have developmental disabilities.

In addition to helping with the duties surrounding Sunday worship services, people from the Lowell group home are a part of Trinity's social life. The women from the group home enjoy attending the Lutheran Women's Missionary League (LWML) meetings, where they participate in preparing care packages for missions.

Recently, the women of the LWML illustrated just how much they value the participation of the women from the group home. While planning their trip to the LWML state convention in Terra Haute, the organization gathered a collection in order to enable two of the ladies and a staff member from the group home to attend the gathering. At the convention, these two ladies not only enjoyed participating in the meetings and fellowship, they also hosted an exhibitor's booth about Bethesda Lutheran Homes and Services, Inc., and its ministry!

While the generosity of the women of Trinity's LWML and the entire congregation have meant much to the people from the group home, there's another quality of this relationship that's even more important than generosity: reciprocity. The true nature of the relationship between the people who live at the group home and Trinity is one of helping hands for each other.

When it's time for a project like spring-cleaning at the church, you'll find the people who live at the group home scrubbing and mopping right along with the rest of the parishioners. And, when a project comes along at the group home that requires some extra manpower or skills, members of the church can always be counted on to volunteer their assistance.

This level of partnership between Trinity and people who have developmental disabilities can be found throughout the congregation, starting with its leader. Trinity's pastor, Reverend Mark Pflughoeft, is actively involved, too. A frequent guest for dinner at the group home, Rev. Pflughoeft in turn, also invites the people from the group home to dine at his house. He frequently volunteers when people are needed to accompany the people who live at the group home on outings such as a Cubs game.

Often, parishioners refer to the people of their church as their "church family." In no place is this phrase more appropriate than at Trinity. Sometimes it is difficult for the people who live at the group home to pay visits to their parents and loved ones on holidays. But the members of Trinity are often there on holidays inviting people who live at the group home to spend the holidays with them, filling in what could be a large void in the celebrations.

Some may wonder if such small acts of inclusion by a congregation could really make a difference in the life of someone who has a developmental disability. Do people who live at the group home enjoy being a part of the Trinity family? The answer to this question isn't hard to find. Just listen to what happens when an invitation to a church dinner arrives at the group home.

The staff person asks, "Would everyone like to eat here tonight or at the church?"

The reply is always unanimous - "Church!" It resounds of the sentiment reflected in Psalm 122:1, "I was glad when they said to me, 'Let us go to the house of the Lord!'"