Ministry Operations Center on the Verge of Becoming Reality
THE VISION:
A National Special Touch Ministry Operations Center designed to house…
- Individual and Family Support Services
- Disability Ministry Training Center
- Special Needs Adult Day Care
- Residential Housing for People with Developmental Disabilities
- Retreat Center
- Crisis Intervention Support Teams
- Weekly Chapel Services and Spiritual Support
- National Disability Counseling Center
- Assisted Living Facilities for People with Physical Disabilities
- Administrative Offices
- Master Plan for Future Growth
THE OPPORTUNITY:
The potential purchase of an existing facility well suited to meet these needs, including…
- 9 accessibility buildings…new in the year 2000!
- Student housing facilities
- Commercial kitchen and dining facility
- Beautiful woodland chapel
- 28 wooded acres providing future sites for residential and assisted living facilities
- Ample room to grow
- All surrounded by 3400 feet of pristine, spring fed lake frontage!
GOD HAS GIVEN US AN INCREDIBLE OPPORTUNITY TO PURCHASE
THIS BREATHTAKING SITE AT A BREATHTAKING VALUE!
We can’t afford to let this opportunity slip through our fingers! Your financial support
is needed and genuinely appreciated in making the vision a reality.
Please join us in creating a bright and fulfilled future for people with disabilities and their families.
Follow Special Touch Ministry on Twitter
Looking to stay up-to-date on the latest news and announcements for Special Touch Ministry? One way to do so is to follow the Special Touch news feed on Twitter at http://twitter.com/specialtouch
Twitter is an online application that is part blog, part social networking site, and part cell phone/IM tool. It is designed to let users describe what they are doing or thinking at a given moment in 140 characters or less. Twitter has also become a great way for providing real-time information updates, either online or to mobile devices.
Notices from Twitter, also referred to as tweets, can be viewed either online by logging in at twitter.com or can be delivered automatically by instant message (IM) or text message (SMS).
Here is a three-minute introduction to Twitter:
Click here to follow Special Touch Ministry on Twitter! And, if you are a Facebook user, you can find us on Facebook as well.
Helping Others in Crisis
Did you ever wonder what you could do to help your friend who is in the middle of a crisis? Recently, a couple who have a child with Autism, emotionally shared their horrors with me. Since my experience working with people with Autism is limited, I felt inadequate and wasn’t sure how to respond. Perhaps, you have neighbors or friends with disabilities and don’t know how to reach out to them effectively.
Jesus told a story about a man who was severely beaten by a gang as he traveled from Jerusalem to Jericho. Fortunately, a priest came his way and looked but failed to reach out. Another religious man came along later and decided the cost was too great to truly make a difference in another’s life. These two men were content just to look as this man laid on the verge of death.
A Samaritan came by the man who was attacked, and was moved with compassion. He began doing something by disinfecting and bandaging the victim’s wounds. The Samaritan took him to a hospital and paid his bills. This act of courage saved the man’s life. At Special Touch, we enthusiastically get involved in situations that look hopeless and watch God do amazing things.
My friends told me how, like the Samaritan, some Christian ladies came over to watch their child with Autism, giving them a much needed break. Providing respite care is a wonderful blessing to young parents. In coming over, these ladies also reminded this couple of their value and how much God loves them.
After a recent surgery, while I was still recovering, a group of people came over to do some spring cleaning around my house. They did many things like change storm windows, change light bulbs, fix closet doors, and lay carpet on my ramp. The only problem was that they cleaned all of my sweets! However, they were there helping me in my time of need.
People facing the possibility of spending their lives in a wheelchair, due to an accident, need your help with obstacles such as home improvements. They often can’t go home from the hospital until a ramp is built and they can navigate their house. If a doorway is too narrow for their wheelchair to maneuver, it will need to be widened. Closets and cabinets will likely need to be adjusted. They may now require bars in the bathroom to assist them in using the commode or bathtub. These are a few things you can do as an expression of God’s love.
Like the Good Samaritan, we open the door to the supernatural when we do the natural and God does the super. In connection with your local Special Touch Chapter, look for others .in your neighborhoods that need help from a Good Samaritan like you.
- Bradley A Mattrisch
Prayer Request for Carl Hespe’s Mother
Rev. Carl Hespe’s mother is having a heart cath on Wednesday, March 11th and open heart surgery on Monday, March 16th. She is having the procedures at St. Luke’s Hospital in Milwaukee, WI. Carl and Angie ask everyone to pray.
2009 Sonshine Festival
Don’t think you can "camp out" with a disability?
Special Touch Ministry partners with Sonshine Music Festival to provide Disability Camping & Support Services July 15-19, 2009 in Willmar, Minnesota.
Free tickets for people with permanent disabilities
- If you have a Physical Disability: A free ticket to the entire 3 days of the festival is available to you and one attendant ONLY if necessary for your care.
- If you have a mild cognitive disability, and require no supportive care: You may be eligible to receive a free ticket.
- To receive this free offer, you MUST register through Special Touch Ministry.
- Person with disability and attendant receiving free ticket MUST check in together.
- Tickets are non-transferrable
Disability Camping Suggested Donation: $20 per reservation
These monies will help offset expenses incurred by Special Touch Ministry to provide Disability Camping Support Services at Sonshine Festival. Click here to make suggested donation online.
Disability Camping Includes:
- A reserved prime location and parking for one vehicle
- Adjacent accessible toilet
- Reservable on-site accessible shower
- Equipment support (ie: wheelchairs, hoyer lifts, bedside commodes, shower chairs)
- Limited wheelchair recharging
- On-site 24 hour Special Touch staff
Disability Camping Details
- Bring your own tent, van, or motor home for sleeping.
- Maximum 6 people per site, must include one person with a permanent disability.
- Each site will fit one camping unit (tent, camper, and motor home) and a vehicle. Limit 1 vehicle per site.
- Your reservation for camping will only be held for 24 hours past your requested date of arrival.
- No campfires permitted. Temporary campsites do not have electricity, running water, or picnic tables. Bring what you need.
- No tobacco, no drugs, no alcohol, no torches or fireworks, no glass bottles, no pets (service animals only).
Alternative Accommodations
If this doesn’t work for you, there are permanent campgrounds and hotels nearby. Communicate with them directly to reserve a room. They are filling up fast! See the Sonshine website at www.sonshinefestival.com.
Reservation Deadline
To reserve your place in the disability camping area or to obtain free tickets, reservations must arrive at the Special Touch Ministry office no later than July 3. No reservations will be taken at the Special Touch Ministry office after this date.
- Click here for DISABILITY CAMPING REGISTRATION with FREE TICKET
- Click here for FREE TICKETS ONLY
- Click here to DOWNLOAD PRINTABLE REGISTRATION (PDF)
Further registration for disability camping and free tickets will be handled at the event and available on a first come, first served basis.
Cancellation Policy
As space is limited, if you need to cancel your reservation, please do so before July 3, so we don’t turn others away.
Disability Parking
Disability parking will be available. Disability sticker/tag must be visible from outside vehicle.
- From Hwy 12 east or west: county road 9 north about four miles. Run right into it!
- From Hwy 71 north or south: Hwy 71/23 bypass to civic center exit. Right there!
- Best option for directions: stop at any gas station in the area, you are only five minutes away!
- The address is 2707 Arena Dr. in Willmar, MN 56201. Click here for an enlarged map.
Additional Information
For more information on festival events, nearby hotels, food, bands, or to purchase tickets for other people, check out the Sonshine Festival website at www.sonshinefestival.com or call 1-800-965-9324.
