Special Needs Holiday Celebration - “Joy without borders”

Families of children with special needs were invited to the celebration, and in all 19 families took part. Among them were children with musculoskeletal disorders, mental retardation, behavioral and communication disorders, and speech or hearing impairments.

To prepare for the event, the organizers thoughtfully prepared everything. Parents were given a questionnaire upon pre-registration. In addition to basic registration questions, there were questions about the child's illness, dietary restrictions, need for wheelchair access, the assistance of a sign language interpreter, and the need for special accommodations.

To help guests, a “Care Team” was formed. The brothers and sisters of the church met the guests and accompanied them, setting the mood with their smiles and hospitality. Also, members of the “Care Service” were available throughout the holiday to provide assistance to families upon request. Part of the team was a sign language interpreter, who also provided assistance translating all actions/words for people with hearing impairments.

The holiday consisted of three parts. During the interactive part of the concert, the play “A Gift for Christmas” was performed by the puppet theater group “Ordinary Miracle,” interactive games and children’s songs with movements were offered, gifts were given, Christmas songs were performed, and the pastors of the church said a word for the guests and prayed for guests. For some, it was the first they had the opportunity to hear the Gospel and learn the true meaning of Christmas.

The games were presented as a fair. The children were offered several stations where, by completing tasks, they received in-game Christmas currency. Then they could buy various prizes in the store. This is how the children collected their own unique Christmas gift, which would be a joy to them regardless of age, gender, interests and capabilities. Due to their health problems, each has completely different capabilities, so the tasks at each station had three levels of difficulty. Thus, almost every child could complete the game themselves.

For example, one of the stations was a workshop on making Christmas cards and bookmarks. There were also 3 difficulty levels here. For those who found it difficult to draw the elements of the postcard, stickers were offered, from which the children created their own unique compositions. This and other stations showed the unique talents of special children.

The third part was refreshments. A menu was thought out in advance, excluding sweets, and also providing a choice of treats in case of their dietary restrictions.

Aside from the planned events, guests were offered several zones: a free play zone, a quiet room and a crisis room. Free play zone - intended for children with their parents, if the child cannot or does not want to participate in the program at a certain time. For example, being “on your own wavelength.” Here, children were offered various types of educational games and stationery. Quiet room - intended for children with their parents, if the child cannot or does not want to participate in the program at a certain time, being in a state of crisis. Wanting to be in a quieter space with fewer external “stimulants.” The room was equipped with rugs, a tent, pillows and play tunnels. The third, crisis room , is intended for children with their parents, if the child cannot or does not want to participate in the program at a certain time, being in an acute crisis state, i.e. having an urgent need to be alone with a parent away from the crowds, without external stimuli.

This holiday event has become a unique opportunity to share the Good News of the Jesus Christ’s birth with these special families, to establish contact with parents and support them, and to give them and their children attention and love.

Ksenia Vasilyeva