Fun Day a ‘Haven’ for families with special needs
by Mankaa Ngwa-Suh | Staff Writer

Face painting, food, and children’s activities are typical fare at church festivals, especially this time of year.

But the church festival held Sunday at the Mount Airy Volunteer Fire Department’s carnival grounds had a different twist.

The event, hosted by the Haven ministry at Damascus Road Community Church, was designed as a place for people with special needs or disabilities and their families to have fun and socialize.

‘‘It was a wonderful day,” said Edie Gordon, one of Haven’s leaders who helped organize the activities as part of the church’s ministry that focuses on people with special needs.

When Edie and her husband C.T., a child psychiatrist who is also a Haven leader, were looking for a church that would be a good fit for themselves and their three children, they wanted to find a place where they all would feel comfortable during worship.

The Gordons’ 17-year-old son Zak has autism, and some of his outbursts and behavior might be frowned upon in a traditional church worship setting, Edie said.

‘‘Basically, we didn’t go to church for 10 years, because there was nowhere we could go as a family,” said C.T.

Although they found a church with a program for people with special needs in McLean, Va., it still wasn’t quite the fit they were looking for, said C.T., adding Zak was around ‘‘medically fragile kids,” which increased the risk for an accident.

‘‘It was cool,” C.T. said of the McLean program. ‘‘But Zak was big and rambunctious.”

John and Juli Feissner, who also have an autistic son, began what would become the Haven ministry with two other families with special needs at Damascus Road Community Church.

When the church met at Damascus High School, the small group met in a classroom, referred to as the Haven, to color and play games with the children while parents rotated who would go into the service each week.

About seven years ago when the church began holding services in a shopping center, the Feissner’s invited C.T. and Edie to the Haven; through their leadership and involvement, Juli said, they were able to make the Haven grow.

Services back to Damascus High School while a new church is being built on Md. Route 144 in Mount Airy.

After 30 minutes of meeting in services with the church congregation, Haven participants go to the school gym where they can play games and use giant building blocks.

They then break into small teaching groups and have a brief gospel lesson that is presented to the children based on their learning methods.

Some respond better when the message is translated into pictures on a computer, and others prefer watching a DVD, such as the ‘‘Veggie Tales” series that presents Bible lessons through singing produce, said C.T.

‘‘It’s really cool,” said Sara Paulin, who is a leader within Haven and helps with games and lessons. ‘‘It’s a very loving environment.”

Though some parents choose to attend the traditional service, C.T. said the program encourages families to participate together and between 50 and 60 people come to the Haven each Sunday.

‘‘It’s all ages,” C.T. said. ‘‘It’s great; we can do games and be interactive. It’s flexible.”

Executive pastor Rajendra Pillai said the Gordons helped the church ‘‘catch the vision. They have a really great program.”

Pillai said the Gordons educate the congregation about people with special needs, which is important so future families would feel comfortable at the church.

The church’s ministry for people with special needs also appeals to those who don’t have family members with disabilities.

Susan Pauling said she started attending the church about a month ago after seeing a sign for it and looking into it online.

Pauling was new to the area, she said, adding Haven was one of the reasons she chose Damascus Road Church. It was ‘‘absolutely” important that ‘‘any group of people be included,” she said, even though her children do not have disabilities.

‘‘It’s so unique, you just don’t find that,” Pauling said.

Edie said the Haven has an open door policy and anyone who attends is welcome. ‘‘We all have special needs.”