Fun and faith at Jesus Club’s Big Day In

There was laughter, singing, dancing, lots of puppets and plenty of catch-ups as the Sydney-based members of Jesus Club got together under the one roof last month.

More than 150 people took part in the Big Day In evangelistic event at Castle Hill – the first time there had been a combined event since COVID hit in 2020.

“It was such a great day,” says Josh Reid, the operations manager for Jesus Club Community, which runs groups for adults with intellectual disability in parishes around the Diocese and beyond.

“QuizWorx gave a very clear gospel message – certainly a very fun message. There was a lot of laughing, a lot of puppets from page 5 down and spending time with others. Not all churches can do everything at once, but we can all be proactive rather than reactive in making our churches more accessible.”

The church building

“With accessibility, most people think about ramps. It’s more than a ramp!

“Is it obvious where in the building the church is meeting?

If you have a person who uses a wheelchair or is with a pram, will they have to sit separately or enter separately? If you have the flexibility with seats, ask them where they want to sit rather than just putting them at the back or side out of the way.

The parish website

“Put anything that relates to accessibility on the website. What kind of images can you [add] to show where the that kept getting it wrong. But everyone had a great time. And we certainly prayed before the event that people who were already friends with Jesus would get to understand or know him entrance is? Is there a hearing loop situated at church? Are there fenced-in areas for your child? Put a tagline that says, ‘If there’s any way we can make our church more accessible, we would like to hear it’. Let people know that when they come to church, they will be welcomed at the door.

“A lot of people with disabilities will research places before they come, and parents of children with disabilities will research. If you have stuff, then show there is a lift, ramp or fences around playgrounds.”

Children’s programs

“It’s really good to have routines and a schedule with pictures, so that people can know the routine. When you have a visual timetable, it’s not just useful for children on the spectrum. It helps all kids that come along to know what’s happening.”

The church service

“How do we share with people more, and those who weren’t would become friends with Jesus forever.”

Mr Reid says that, prior to COVID, Jesus Club held several popular events to bring all what’s happening in the life of the church? It’s really good to have routines and a schedule, and pictures, so people know what to expect. Even when we know, ‘This is when we do the Bible talk’, it becomes embedded in the program.

“What sort of information can we give to help people know what to expect?”

In Christian community

“People really take value from spending time [with others]...

Having good conversations the groups together such as a disco and an art exhibition. With concerns related to the pandemic subsiding earlier this year, it seemed they could finally plan another get-together – but over a cuppa, or inviting them along to different things, or even offering respite to help look after a child with a disability.

“Sometimes churches can get daunted and think, ‘I don’t know what to do’ and then don’t do anything. Every church can do a little something to enable accessibility and be welcoming.

“A lot comes down to the culture and how you welcome people. It’s about making sure people belong and their presence is needed and valued.” SC

• Add signs that clearly mark the entrance to your buildings Update the parish website to include accessibility information such as hearing loops, fenced playgrounds and ramps

• Display routines and schedules with pictures in children’s ministry spaces

• Arrange the church interior to provide people who use wheelchairs with seating options, if possible

• Extend friendship. Have good conversations over cups of tea, and invite people along to things

• Ask people at church how you can make it more accessible for them they were keen for it to have an evangelistic flavour.

“I was talking to Matt Gorton at QuizWorx about it, and I said, ‘Our guys still love puppets and singing and dancing and being silly, and they have a desire to learn about Jesus, but you guys only do things with kids’,” Mr Reid recalls. “And he said, ‘I’ve actually done a church in Brisbane that has a big group of adults with intellectual disabilities, and we designed and adapted the show for them!’ So, that’s where it started.

“It was a great show, and there was nothing childish about it. Puppets are relatable to all ages – everybody likes the Muppets! The way they did it was really relatable for everyone, no matter what their age or level of understanding.”

Mr Reid adds that, although many Jesus Club members might have the outlook of a five-yearold with the attendant innocence and wonder, they are still adults with a lot of lived experience and need to be treated as such.

“In our worksheets we don’t have pictures of children doing activities – we use pictures of adults,” he says. “We don’t quote from the children’s Bible but from the easy-to-read adult Bible. It’s really important that what we present and do is for adults... we consciously think of them as our peers. It’s adult and adult, not adult and child.”

The plan for the afternoon included the QuizWorx performance – an adapted version of its show Molly and the Lost Sheep – singing, a puppetmaking workshop, a dance presentation from members of the Castle Hill Jesus Club and afternoon tea. Attendees were also given a showbag containing a CEV gospel and a number of Christian comics, all of which had a person with a disability pictured on the front.

The puppet making and puppet show were a huge hit with the Jesus Club members, who were talking enthusiastically about them afterwards. “It was very good – and so exciting,” said

Gail, while Karen said she had had “lots of fun” and learned from the puppet show that “God is great [and] he made everyone – the whole world”.

Club member Taylor Kingsley was bubbling with excitement, saying, “What I liked about today is that all members of Jesus Club came together to know about Jesus and to connect with one another, and just to show God’s love towards everyone.

“What I’ve learned about God today is that he shows his everlasting love to us in what he’s done for us by dying on the cross to save us all from our sins... that’s a nice reminder today that God accepts everyone into his kingdom no matter who we are.”

Mr Reid says that club members had been keen to ask friends with disability to the event because they wanted them to also know about Jesus.

“One of the ways that Jesus Club grows is because the members of Jesus Club who become Christian, or are Christians, tell their other friends and associates that they hang out with in art groups, special Olympics groups or sport groups about it – they’re good evangelists!” he says.

“There was a lot of work leading up to the event but the way that people took part and enjoyed it... that’s what we do it for. We know that God’s the one who really moves in people’s hearts to connect with him, and we feel honoured and privileged to be involved in such a unique ministry – but also such a fun ministry.” SC