Special Needs Ministries

Kids, Students and Adults

The black and white logo for HNW Special Needs, with 'HNW' in bold, a jagged line, and 'SPECIAL NEEDS' in a sans-serif font.

Our Mission

At HNW, we want to help all people advance in their journey with Christ, regardless of age or ability. Our Special Needs Ministry seeks to foster spiritual growth and development for children, students, and adults with special needs, as well as their families. All of our volunteers are trained and equipped to care for your children, and they have the heart to do so.

HAVEN.

Honoring And Valuing Every Need

At HNW, we call our Special Needs Ministry "HAVEN" because we want you to know not only that we are a safe place for your loved one, but also that we value honoring every need that walks through our doors.

A young man smiles and points while teaching a young woman how to play pool in a modern recreation room.

Join us on Sundays!  

If your special needs family member plans to attend on Sunday mornings, one way to help your first visit go as smoothly as possible is to submit a registration form before Sunday morning!
Registration Form

Haven Kids.

PreK (3 months - PreK) meets at 9 & 10:30 AM.

Elementary (K-5th grade) meets at 9 & 10:30 AM.

Haven Students.

Students (6th-12th Grade) HAVEN Students Adaptive Small Group meets at 9 AM in Roadside. HAVEN Traditional Student Service meets at 10:30 AM in the Student Bldg. South. Learn more about HAVEN below.

Haven Adults.

Adults (18+) meet at 9 and 10:30 a.m. in The Commons by the coffee bar.

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HAVEN Students.  

HAVEN Students is a small group at HNW designed for students with special needs. HAVEN stands for Honoring and Valuing Every Need.

This peer-to-peer group meets on Sunday mornings at 9:00 a.m. in Roadside (Student Building). Each student is paired with a buddy for an adaptive Bible study. Together, we worship, read scripture, and join in discussions and activities that build friendships while encouraging students of all abilities.

Drop-Off Details

  • You can start dropping off your students at 8:45 AM
  • Enter through the east doors and walk through Student South
  • Sign in at the west door computers, then head through the cafe to Roadside.
  • Volunteers will be at the west entrance to help open doors and assist with the ramp if needed.

Students are also invited to stay for Student Service at 10:30 AM in Student South.

Serve With Us!

Serving others with special needs can bring some of the greatest joys and memories in life. We would love for you to join our team!
Serve With Us

Frequently Asked Questions

Contact our Special Needs Coordinator for more info.

Our special needs ministry aims to include children in general classrooms as much as possible. Our Special Needs Coordinator will work with you to determine what level of inclusion will set them up for the greatest level of success. Children may be fully included, partially included, or stay in one of our sensory classrooms on any given Sunday depending on the child’s individual plan, volunteer availability, and classroom dynamic.

Children who are part of the special needs ministry will always start and finish in the special needs sensory classroom downstairs in the Kids Building unless other arrangements have been made with the staff. Students with special needs can be dropped off and picked up in the Student Building. Adults with special needs will start and finish in The Commons. Students and adults will have their own age-appropriate worship experience.

Your child will have the opportunity to experience worship, engage in a Bible story, pray, and play with other kids. Their time in class is designed to be structured, purposeful, and fun. Students in 6th-12th grade will join student worship. Adults will spend time in large and small group worship with intentional Bible teaching and prayer.

Yes! If you are interested in an ISP (Individualized Spiritual Plan) for your child, please reach out to our Special Needs Coordinator. We will be happy to meet and discuss any spiritual goals you might have.

The leaders in our special needs ministry love this community deeply and have been trained for their roles by the HNW staff, but they are not all necessarily professionals. They offer their time freely and care for each person to the best of their abilities as members of the special needs volunteer team. Each member of our volunteer team has completed child protection and abuse prevention trainings, passed a background check and submitted a detailed application.

If a child starts behaving inappropriately, the staff will set up a meeting with you to discuss the behavior and develop a plan to encourage positive change. You may also receive a call/text asking you to check on your child. We will call the number on file, so please make sure this number is kept current.

We stand with you in prioritizing safety and accountability. HNW Kids and the Special Needs Ministry will always have two adults in the classroom at all times.
Two smiling young men, one with Down syndrome, hold hands and playfully push against each other indoors, with a couch in the background.

Meeting Your Needs

The Special Needs Ministry at HNW exists to glorify God by helping all people of all ages, along with their families, advance in their journey with Christ by becoming full participants and contributors in the body of Christ. The heart of the Special Needs Ministry is to give your family member a worship experience that fits his or her needs and to create an environment where he or she can learn about God and experience the presence of Jesus Christ. Our goal is to serve your family with excellence.

Empowered Homes exists to provide practical resources and strategies to help empower your home to be all that it was designed to be. Click here to find resources for marriage, parenting, and personal growth.

Meet the Special Needs Ministry Team.