Our Story

Mariah Engel and her son

Why I started this ministry

For several years, I had been on the search for a church that would accommodate my family. While most churches were welcoming, they did not understand the barriers we face. We desperately yearned for community. We needed people who would adapt to our needs, while having the desire to embrace us, and learn about our challenges. This is my why for creating this ministry.

— Mariah Engel

Pastor Smith

A church that opened its heart

Pastor Smith and the people of Faith Church Denton have lovingly opened their hearts and their church to create a safe place where families with special needs can worship and gather for fellowship. Their volunteers and Pastor Smith are eager to learn how they can best accommodate so each family feels safe, valued, and loved.

What the Bible Says About People With Disabilities

Equal Value in the Community

1 Corinthians 12:22: Teaches that "the parts of the body that seem to be weaker are indispensable."

Purpose and Usefulness

Exodus 4:10-11: When Moses protested that he was "slow of speech and tongue," God reminded him that He is the Creator of human speech and equipped Moses to lead Israel.

2 Corinthians 12:7-9: The Apostle Paul wrote about a persistent "thorn in the flesh," highlighting God's reassurance that "my grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness."

Healing and Future Restoration

Isaiah 35:5-6: Promises that in the eternal kingdom, disabilities and pain will be no more.

Protection and Inclusion

Leviticus 19:14: Commands, "You shall not curse the deaf or put a stumbling block before the blind."

Luke 14:13-14: Jesus directs that when hosting a banquet, believers should invite "the poor, the crippled, the lame, the blind," rather than those who can repay them.

Not a Result of Sin

John 9:3: Jesus directly confronted the societal assumption that a disability was a punishment for wrongdoing. When asked about a man born blind, Jesus answered, "It was not that this man sinned, or his parents, but that the works of God might be displayed in him."