Let Church Go to the Dogs

What if you are a church that is aware of the needs in the autism community but do not have anyone with autism in your church? What if you want to make a difference but do not have the resources to start a disability ministry?

I say, let church go to the dogs.

I mean it. One of the best things that happened to our family was getting a service dog for our son. A service dog is a specially trained dog that can go anywhere our son goes. The child is tethered to the dog and so can only go where the dog is. Not only does the dog provide safety, it also provides emotional stability. I noticed a huge difference in our son when the dog (in jacket) was in the same room as our son but not physically connected. On the safety side, our dog saved our son's life a number of times.

Here is the catch. The dogs are very expensive (well over $10,000) and it is up to the parents to raise the money. Parents are desperate to find people and organizations that will support them during the fundraising stage.

What if your church contacted an autism service dog organization and asked to be connected with a family. What if your church came along side them and help raise money? What if you just wrote them a cheque? What if you did anything?

I am saying that your church can make a difference in the autism community without starting a disability ministry. There are many service/assistance dog organizations out there. We used National Service Dogs but there are many other good organizations as well. Consider what you could do as a church.

Oh and dog spelled backwards is God. Just sayin'.