‘CEF provides insights and tips to help children develop good relationships with those around them — including people affected with disabilities,’ says CEF Acting Vice President of Administration Fred Pry
ST. LOUIS — Many people, especially children, are at a loss when they come upon someone who has been affected by a disability.
“Child Evangelism Fellowship (CEF), the world’s largest evangelical children’s ministry, provides insights and tips to help children develop good relationships with those around them — including people affected with disabilities,” says Fred Pry, CEF’s acting vice president of administration.
Kids are great at spotting unique traits in others and the world around them. Unfortunately, when faced with an affected person, this natural curiosity can sometimes lead kids to stare, feel uncomfortable, or loudly ask uncomfortable questions.
“When people see something not familiar, it can make them unsure of how to act, which can make them – and the other person — feel uncomfortable,” Pry says.
In an effort to help young children value those affected by disabilities, CEF has provided three ways to help kids understand disabilities; teaching them how to understand disabilities and how to treat those affected by them with kindness, respect, dignity and inclusivity.
- Teach Kids that God Created People with Disabilities
Parents should take the time to make their children aware that although people affected by disabilities might have different needs; those differences shouldn’t make them uncomfortable. There’s a great reminder from God in Psalm 139 that people are “fearfully and wonderfully made.” That includes those affected with disabilities.
God asked Moses, “Who has made man’s mouth, who makes him mute, or deaf, or seeing or blind? Is it not I, the Lord?” God made those affected with disabilities just the way they are for specific reasons — reasons designed to give God glory and be part of His masterful plan.
While disabilities can come with a unique set of challenges, there is nothing “wrong” with anyone affected by one. People have their own personal struggles, differences and things that make them unique in a broken world.
- Teach Kids How to Act Around Those Affected by a Disability
Kids should treat those with disabilities the same way they would like to be treated: equally and with dignity. People like it when someone is friendly and kind to them, so why should others be treated any differently?
One way children can be courteous to the person is by looking them in the eye, introducing themselves, and asking for their name; allowing the person to know that they are seen and treated the same way anyone else would be treated.
- Teach Kids Inclusive Language About Disabilities
As parents discuss disabilities with their children, they should be sure to use inclusive words and never allow any kind of mocking. In the past, society has used words like “afflicted,” “poor,” “suffers from” or “handicapped” to describe disabled people. But many people affected by disabilities are independent and cope with life much the same way anyone else would, making these words demeaning.
“It really comes down to seeing the God-given dignity in every person and respecting him or her,” Pry says. “And we don’t have to do this alone. God gives us all the love we need to share.”
Child Evangelism Fellowship, which was founded 87 years ago, has been establishing the Good News Club® in countries around the world for decades. Clubs are thriving worldwide, in countries including Australia, Cambodia, Congo, Ethiopia, Ghana, Indonesia, Kenya, Malaysia, New Zealand, South Korea, Sri Lanka, Thailand, and Uganda and many more.
In 2023, through CEF’s combined ministries, more than 25.2 million children worldwide heard the Good News. More than 577,000 teachers were trained around the world.
For more CEF news, see the ministry’s latest edition of the online magazine Impact.
Child Evangelism Fellowship (CEF) is an international, nonprofit, Christian ministry that has been dedicated to seeing every child reached with the Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ, discipled and established in a local church since 1937. CEF is located in all 50 American states and in most countries around the world, with over 3,500 paid staff and tens of thousands of volunteers around the world.
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To interview a representative from Child Evangelism Fellowship, contact [email protected], Beth Bogucki, 610.584.1096, ext. 105, or Daniel Moyer, ext. 104.