Meet Friendship Unlimited
Friendship who? Friendship Unlimited! We’re the other “Friendship” ministry group, the one you don’t know about – yet. The following Scripture verse, Acts 4:13 in our brochure describes the essence of who we are: “When they saw the courage of Peter and John and realized that they were unschooled, ordinary men, they were astonished and they took note that these men had been with Jesus.” (NIV) (Italics added for emphasis.) This, almost 2,000-year old verse rings true today, in our ministry.
Dave Morsch and I lead a ministry for developmentally challenged adults at Northport Baptist Church on Long Island (New York). As the disciples, Peter and John, we also are two ordinary, unschooled people. (We are unschooled in disability education.) Additionally, God has blessed us by allowing us to use our own disabilities to have a greater understanding and compassion for our ministry friends.
Dave and I were called by God to volunteer, 12 and 10 years ago, respectively, to fulfill His plan for our lives. Three years ago, we were named missionaries to this population. The following is our mission statement: Our mission is to love and train our friends with disabilities in the truth of the Gospel and to equip them for ministry. We desire to instill sound teaching and godly competence so that they might share God’s love and power with each other, the Body of Christ and the lost..
Our great hope is to see that no one with disabilities be left out of church and community through these Christ-centered programs:
- A weekly adult special ed. Sunday school.
- A weekly small group (Cell-Life) outreach to group homes (on a rotating basis).
- A yearly disability awareness weekend.
- Special events.
- “The Extra Mile”, a personal and family helps ministry.
- “Special Touch”, a hospital visitation ministry.
- “Safehaven”, a special needs family support ministry, meeting twice a month.
- “Open Heart”, a support group for families living with autism (in the formation stage).
We also publish a quarterly newsletter – for, to and by the able-disabled called “Friends for Heaven’s Sake”. If you would like to receive a free subscription, please e-mail us at pastor@nbc.org with your name and address.
Running these programs could not be accomplished without our staff of faithful, dedicated and godly volunteers including our pastor, Mike O’Connor. These programs have afforded all of us many wonderful and lasting relationships with special people who love and accept us with God’s unconditional love. The feeling is mutual!
New York is not a place very open to hearing the Gospel. Bringing the Good News to those who are shut in (and therefore shut out) can be a daunting objective here. Our ministry growth is slow. Our Sunday school for example usually numbers between 12 and 20 (including volunteers). But our church is expanding and soon we will be moving into a new and larger classroom. (One of our students said about our current crowded “kitchen” classroom, “We’re like sardines; it’s like riding the subway to the Bronx). Other future plans include: A respite/socialization program called HUG (His Unlimited Grace), a one-on-one buddy program and a mental illness support ministry.
I am reminded of a verse and the refrain of an old Christian hymn written in 1924 by Kittie L. Suffield entitled, “Little is Much” (When God is in It). It was inspired by Matthew 14:20 (the loaves and the fishes).
“Does the place you’re called to labor
Seem too small and little known?
It is great if God is in it,
And He’ll not forget His own.”
“Little is much when God is in it!
Labor “not for wealth and fame.
There’s a crown and you can win it,
If you go in Jesus’ Name.”
Submitted by:
Roberta Lowenthal
Co-Director, Friendship Unlimited Ministries
Publisher, “Friends for Heaven’s Sake” newsletter
June 2007