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What you should know about sharing the gospel in a special needs community

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May 12, 2020

All church ministries should include sharing the good news of the gospel with those we love.  The story of God’s perfection, our sinfulness and separation from God, and the saving work of Jesus is the greatest need of every person. As Christians, our love and value of people go hand in hand with sharing the good news.  But, does the good news of the gospel apply to those with intellectual disabilities? Should we share about Jesus’ death and resurrection with them when we don’t know if they can respond?

As a mom of a child with autism and speech and language communication disorder, it is often tempting to do everything for my son and simplify his life. For instance, my husband and I can tell that he wants milk when he is looking in the refrigerator, so we get it for him. We can tell when he is frustrated at the sound of thunder, and we quickly grab his headphones for him. Though his therapists continuously remind us of the hindrance we can cause when we assume instead of having him ask us for things verbally, we still occasionally take over. Since each word and thought he has is slowly articulated, we often answer for him when we are in a rush or not thinking.

People that teach individuals with special needs can sometimes make this mistake, as well. The gospel may not be preached because of the assumption that the learner doesn’t understand right from wrong or the concept of God and his good story. While merely singing songs and loving students or our children is well-intended and may well be appropriate for some, often the most growth comes from not placing limits on them and raising expectations for them in a reasonable way. 

A good starting point in a special needs ministry is to ask the parents about their expectations. Watch them and observe the students for potential opportunities to teach them about God in a deeper and meaningful way. Most importantly, don’t assume that God cannot work amazing things in and through people with cognitive differences. Colossians 1:16 says, “For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things were created through him and for him.” 

Just like when we share the gospel with neurotypical individuals, we want to describe God, man, sin, Jesus, and ask if they want to make a decision to place their trust in God. However, sharing the gospel with someone with a cognitive disability can be difficult. My son, for instance, thinks in a very concrete and literal way. Therefore, I try to speak in a way that he can understand.  Just as we have gospel tracts for children or in other languages, I believe it is valuable to try and discover ways to share the gospel with thinkers like my son. I like to keep a few helpful things in mind when I do this, whether with my son or anyone with a cognitive disability.  

First, I try not to overcomplicate things. Just like when I modify curriculum for individuals with communication disorders, I make sure I use language that is easy to understand and direct. 

Next, I don’t discriminate based on cognitive ability. Many people are under the assumption that individuals that are nonverbal or that have cognitive impairments can’t understand the gospel, but that is absolutely not that case for everyone. It is incredibly dangerous to assume someone is incapable of making the decision to live for Christ, and the consequences of assuming that are far too great. I have seen many accounts where parents or caretakers are amazed to realize their children understand so much more than they ever thought possible. 

Mark 16:15 says, “And he said to them, ‘Go into all the world and proclaim the gospel to the whole creation.’” I trust the Lord’s goodness and grace with those that can’t comprehend, and I believe sharing the gospel with all of God’s people acknowledges their value and dignity.  

Last, I ask if they want to make the decision to trust in Jesus as the boss of their lives. I continue to share the gospel again and again. I pray, before and after I share, that God will open their eyes to his truth.

Sharing the gospel doesn’t have to be a 30-minute conversation, and it doesn’t have to be in a perfect tract format. I like to have a conversation. Here is one example of how I would share the gospel with a child like my son:

God is our creator. Here, look at your windchime. Someone created this windchime. That means they made it. Just like you make silly videos on your iPad. Well, God made us! But God is different than the person that made this windchime. Do you know how? God has never done anything bad, ever.

Can you think of something that you have done that is bad? What about when you hit your brother or when you threw a fit? Those were bad things. The Bible says that everyone does bad things or things that God doesn’t want us to do. You do, the person that made your beautiful wind chime does, and even Mommy does bad things. Everyone does! But not God.

God has a rule about those bad things. Those bad things mean that we can’t be with God now, and we go to a very bad place forever after we die. It means we are in trouble. Mommy’s punishment for bad things is time out. God’s punishment means not being with God forever.

But guess what? God did a very good thing for you. He sent his son, Jesus, to take your punishment for the bad things you do so that you don’t have to get that punishment!

Jesus lived his life without doing anything bad at all, then died on a cross, and then rose up from the dead, and that was the full punishment. All you have to do is believe that and trust Jesus as the boss of your life, and you can be with Jesus forever. You don’t have to go to the bad place when you die; you get to be with God. Trusting Jesus as the boss of your life means listening to God. Mommy can help you to learn about God by reading the Bible to you.

I want to encourage you not to underestimate a student’s ability to learn, understand, or accept the gospel. I believe God is capable of opening anyone’s eyes. I would encourage anyone involved with the special needs community to show value, dignity, and most importantly, Christ’s love, to individuals with cognitive impairment by sharing the gospel with them. I pray many people with cognitive impairment will come to saving faith in the Lord.

Allison Hill

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Article 12: The Future of AI

We affirm that AI will continue to be developed in ways that we cannot currently imagine or understand, including AI that will far surpass many human abilities. God alone has the power to create life, and no future advancements in AI will usurp Him as the Creator of life. The church has a unique role in proclaiming human dignity for all and calling for the humane use of AI in all aspects of society.

We deny that AI will make us more or less human, or that AI will ever obtain a coequal level of worth, dignity, or value to image-bearers. Future advancements in AI will not ultimately fulfill our longings for a perfect world. While we are not able to comprehend or know the future, we do not fear what is to come because we know that God is omniscient and that nothing we create will be able to thwart His redemptive plan for creation or to supplant humanity as His image-bearers.

Genesis 1; Isaiah 42:8; Romans 1:20-21; 5:2; Ephesians 1:4-6; 2 Timothy 1:7-9; Revelation 5:9-10

Article 11: Public Policy

We affirm that the fundamental purposes of government are to protect human beings from harm, punish those who do evil, uphold civil liberties, and to commend those who do good. The public has a role in shaping and crafting policies concerning the use of AI in society, and these decisions should not be left to those who develop these technologies or to governments to set norms.

We deny that AI should be used by governments, corporations, or any entity to infringe upon God-given human rights. AI, even in a highly advanced state, should never be delegated the governing authority that has been granted by an all-sovereign God to human beings alone. 

Romans 13:1-7; Acts 10:35; 1 Peter 2:13-14

Article 10: War

We affirm that the use of AI in warfare should be governed by love of neighbor and the principles of just war. The use of AI may mitigate the loss of human life, provide greater protection of non-combatants, and inform better policymaking. Any lethal action conducted or substantially enabled by AI must employ 5 human oversight or review. All defense-related AI applications, such as underlying data and decision-making processes, must be subject to continual review by legitimate authorities. When these systems are deployed, human agents bear full moral responsibility for any actions taken by the system.

We deny that human agency or moral culpability in war can be delegated to AI. No nation or group has the right to use AI to carry out genocide, terrorism, torture, or other war crimes.

Genesis 4:10; Isaiah 1:16-17; Psalm 37:28; Matthew 5:44; 22:37-39; Romans 13:4

Article 9: Security

We affirm that AI has legitimate applications in policing, intelligence, surveillance, investigation, and other uses supporting the government’s responsibility to respect human rights, to protect and preserve human life, and to pursue justice in a flourishing society.

We deny that AI should be employed for safety and security applications in ways that seek to dehumanize, depersonalize, or harm our fellow human beings. We condemn the use of AI to suppress free expression or other basic human rights granted by God to all human beings.

Romans 13:1-7; 1 Peter 2:13-14

Article 8: Data & Privacy

We affirm that privacy and personal property are intertwined individual rights and choices that should not be violated by governments, corporations, nation-states, and other groups, even in the pursuit of the common good. While God knows all things, it is neither wise nor obligatory to have every detail of one’s life open to society.

We deny the manipulative and coercive uses of data and AI in ways that are inconsistent with the love of God and love of neighbor. Data collection practices should conform to ethical guidelines that uphold the dignity of all people. We further deny that consent, even informed consent, although requisite, is the only necessary ethical standard for the collection, manipulation, or exploitation of personal data—individually or in the aggregate. AI should not be employed in ways that distort truth through the use of generative applications. Data should not be mishandled, misused, or abused for sinful purposes to reinforce bias, strengthen the powerful, or demean the weak.

Exodus 20:15, Psalm 147:5; Isaiah 40:13-14; Matthew 10:16 Galatians 6:2; Hebrews 4:12-13; 1 John 1:7 

Article 7: Work

We affirm that work is part of God’s plan for human beings participating in the cultivation and stewardship of creation. The divine pattern is one of labor and rest in healthy proportion to each other. Our view of work should not be confined to commercial activity; it must also include the many ways that human beings serve each other through their efforts. AI can be used in ways that aid our work or allow us to make fuller use of our gifts. The church has a Spirit-empowered responsibility to help care for those who lose jobs and to encourage individuals, communities, employers, and governments to find ways to invest in the development of human beings and continue making vocational contributions to our lives together.

We deny that human worth and dignity is reducible to an individual’s economic contributions to society alone. Humanity should not use AI and other technological innovations as a reason to move toward lives of pure leisure even if greater social wealth creates such possibilities.

Genesis 1:27; 2:5; 2:15; Isaiah 65:21-24; Romans 12:6-8; Ephesians 4:11-16

Article 6: Sexuality

We affirm the goodness of God’s design for human sexuality which prescribes the sexual union to be an exclusive relationship between a man and a woman in the lifelong covenant of marriage.

We deny that the pursuit of sexual pleasure is a justification for the development or use of AI, and we condemn the objectification of humans that results from employing AI for sexual purposes. AI should not intrude upon or substitute for the biblical expression of sexuality between a husband and wife according to God’s design for human marriage.

Genesis 1:26-29; 2:18-25; Matthew 5:27-30; 1 Thess 4:3-4

Article 5: Bias

We affirm that, as a tool created by humans, AI will be inherently subject to bias and that these biases must be accounted for, minimized, or removed through continual human oversight and discretion. AI should be designed and used in such ways that treat all human beings as having equal worth and dignity. AI should be utilized as a tool to identify and eliminate bias inherent in human decision-making.

We deny that AI should be designed or used in ways that violate the fundamental principle of human dignity for all people. Neither should AI be used in ways that reinforce or further any ideology or agenda, seeking to subjugate human autonomy under the power of the state.

Micah 6:8; John 13:34; Galatians 3:28-29; 5:13-14; Philippians 2:3-4; Romans 12:10

Article 4: Medicine

We affirm that AI-related advances in medical technologies are expressions of God’s common grace through and for people created in His image and that these advances will increase our capacity to provide enhanced medical diagnostics and therapeutic interventions as we seek to care for all people. These advances should be guided by basic principles of medical ethics, including beneficence, non-maleficence, autonomy, and justice, which are all consistent with the biblical principle of loving our neighbor.

We deny that death and disease—effects of the Fall—can ultimately be eradicated apart from Jesus Christ. Utilitarian applications regarding healthcare distribution should not override the dignity of human life. Fur- 3 thermore, we reject the materialist and consequentialist worldview that understands medical applications of AI as a means of improving, changing, or completing human beings.

Matthew 5:45; John 11:25-26; 1 Corinthians 15:55-57; Galatians 6:2; Philippians 2:4

Article 3: Relationship of AI & Humanity

We affirm the use of AI to inform and aid human reasoning and moral decision-making because it is a tool that excels at processing data and making determinations, which often mimics or exceeds human ability. While AI excels in data-based computation, technology is incapable of possessing the capacity for moral agency or responsibility.

We deny that humans can or should cede our moral accountability or responsibilities to any form of AI that will ever be created. Only humanity will be judged by God on the basis of our actions and that of the tools we create. While technology can be created with a moral use in view, it is not a moral agent. Humans alone bear the responsibility for moral decision making.

Romans 2:6-8; Galatians 5:19-21; 2 Peter 1:5-8; 1 John 2:1

Article 2: AI as Technology

We affirm that the development of AI is a demonstration of the unique creative abilities of human beings. When AI is employed in accordance with God’s moral will, it is an example of man’s obedience to the divine command to steward creation and to honor Him. We believe in innovation for the glory of God, the sake of human flourishing, and the love of neighbor. While we acknowledge the reality of the Fall and its consequences on human nature and human innovation, technology can be used in society to uphold human dignity. As a part of our God-given creative nature, human beings should develop and harness technology in ways that lead to greater flourishing and the alleviation of human suffering.

We deny that the use of AI is morally neutral. It is not worthy of man’s hope, worship, or love. Since the Lord Jesus alone can atone for sin and reconcile humanity to its Creator, technology such as AI cannot fulfill humanity’s ultimate needs. We further deny the goodness and benefit of any application of AI that devalues or degrades the dignity and worth of another human being. 

Genesis 2:25; Exodus 20:3; 31:1-11; Proverbs 16:4; Matthew 22:37-40; Romans 3:23

Article 1: Image of God

We affirm that God created each human being in His image with intrinsic and equal worth, dignity, and moral agency, distinct from all creation, and that humanity’s creativity is intended to reflect God’s creative pattern.

We deny that any part of creation, including any form of technology, should ever be used to usurp or subvert the dominion and stewardship which has been entrusted solely to humanity by God; nor should technology be assigned a level of human identity, worth, dignity, or moral agency.

Genesis 1:26-28; 5:1-2; Isaiah 43:6-7; Jeremiah 1:5; John 13:34; Colossians 1:16; 3:10; Ephesians 4:24