Ministry to Adults with Developmental Disabilities “Special Friends”
	The Special Friends Ministry began in 1979 when the church recognized that caring for developmentally disabled children often prevented their parents or caregivers from participating in worship. The church set aside space and trained volunteers to care for the handicapped individuals on Sunday mornings while their parents/caregivers attended the worship service. While this met the needs of parents/caregivers, it quickly became clear that even developmentally disabled individuals could understand God and His love in their own way. The focus of the ministry shifted to meeting the their spiritual needs. The ministry steadily grew and now involves over 40 mentally handicapped individuals and many volunteers. This group meets each Sunday morning at 9:45 a.m. for Bible study, fellowship and activities. They also participate in the morning worship services each Sunday and church supper and prayer time on Wednesday nights.
	Out of this ministry came the development of two residential group homes for developmentally disabled individuals whose parents/caregivers could no longer care for them. The Mary Kelly Group Home and the Howard Cates Group Home are located in Spotsylvania County and are owned by Fredericksburg Baptist Church and operated in partnership with the Developmental Disabilities Ministry of Hopetree Family Services. For more information about the Special Friends Ministry, please Email the church office.
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