Unlimited — Making Jesus Accessible

Lonnie and Janet Nance both have core memories playing key roles in the ministry calling they are walking out today — but not perhaps in the way that would be expected.

As teenagers, both Lonnie and Janet had experiences with persons with disabilities that they say forever changed them. One memory in particular revealed to them the precious hearts within many who are often overlooked.

“When I was young,” Janet begins, “I had a friend at church who was 10-15 years older than me. She had special needs, and I remember feeling as a teenager that she was a burden. I eventually left home and got married, returning to visit years later with our newborn son. My friend came running, yelling across the sanctuary, ‘My friend has a baby!’”

Janet let her friend hold her baby, recalling that the beauty of the moment overwhelmed her. She and Lonnie went on to have two more children, with their middle child, a daughter named Beth, being born with disabilities.

This memory lingered in their spirits and resurfaced following Lonnie’s retirement from 30 years as a deputy marshal.

As he prepared to retire, Lonnie felt the Lord leading him into full-time ministry. He earned his ministerial credentials through the AG Southern Missouri Ministry Network, simultaneously asking God how he and his wife should serve. He felt God respond that he should be ministering to persons with disabilities.

UNLIMITED

The word Lonnie— now an ordained AG minister and an endorsed U.S. Missions chaplain — received from the Lord came as an answer to a prayer Janet had privately breathed to Jesus.

“God had laid such a burden on me for those with disabilities,” she says. One night, she had a vivid dream in which she felt the Lord confirm a calling to minister to persons with disabilities. “I woke up shaking, asking God to show Lonnie, and He did.”

The Nances connected with U.S. missionary to persons with disabilities Joe Trementozzi, who in turn referred them to the late Charlie Chivers, another U.S. missionary who with his wife Debbie founded Special Touch Ministry, Inc.

They met with Chivers and served with Special Touch ministries for more than three years before being invited by Ted Cederblom — lead pastor of their home church, Life360 in Springfield, MO, to share their burden with him. From that meeting, Unlimited Ministries was born.

“This ministry is about making Jesus understandable for those with special needs,” Lonnie says.

Unlimited’s first service, held at a pizza restaurant in 2022, was attended by eight people — a combination of individuals with disabilities and their family members or workers. Following a simple gospel message, the first person to raise their hand for salvation was a worker. He later told Lonnie, “I’ve been to so many churches and didn’t understand what the pastors were talking about. You made it simple for me to understand, so I gave my heart to God.”

Today people ages four to 52 are among Unlimited’s regular attendees, up to 76 attend the monthly meetings, and many more attend special meals and events, including annual attendance at Special Touch Ministry’s summer camp. Each Sunday, anyone from the group who wants to can sit together in Life360’s main auditorium, where the Nances rejoice at the love and acceptance they receive from fellow churchgoers.

Cederblom says, “As a pastor, I initially harbored concerns regarding the potential challenges of integrating individuals with special needs into our church services. However, recognizing Jesus’ profound love and care for these individuals, I made the decision to welcome them into our community, anticipating some sacrifice but believing it to be a worthy endeavor. What I did not foresee was the transformative and uplifting influence the special needs community would bring to our congregation and services.”

AN UNDERREPRESENTED POPULATION

The warm welcome Unlimited members receive in Life360 services is one way the church is being intentional in serving this underrepresented population.

Lonnie states that of the total U.S. population (ages 5-65), 28.7 percent have some form of disability. “And less than 20 percent of that enormous number go to church,” he says. “Many do not feel needed or wanted and some have even been asked to leave.”

The Nances themselves felt the pain of such betrayal after discovering that at one of their previous churches, a deacon had asked the pastor to make them leave due to Beth’s special circumstances. The pastor defended the Nance family, telling the deacon that Scripturally, the “least of these” are the most important and are to be treated with special honor.

This passage, found in Matthew 25:40, also has special meeting to Damaris* and her 13-year-old son Troy*, who began attending Life360 after meeting the Nances and beginning to attend Unlimited events.

“At six weeks old, Troy became a shaken baby survivor,” Damaris says. “This terrible thing left him with developmental and health problems. Even people who claimed to be Christians told me it would have been better had he not survived. I lost faith and hope in churches. We were looked down on and shamed there.”

Eventually Damaris became hungry to be close to the Lord again. When a coworker told her about an event happening at the Nances’ home, it sounded too good to be true. Upon entering, both Damaris and Troy felt happy and secure. She remembers being able to connect with other parents who understood, and how each attendee was made to feel like there was something special they could do and enjoy. They then decided to attend Life360, where she says, “It was scary, yet when we arrived, there was no judgement, no necks breaking to turn and stare. Various other people with special needs even came to hug my son.”

She shares that Troy is now excited to go to church, and that Lonnie’s ability to teach Scripture at a level persons with disabilities of all ages can understand has been especially key in helping Troy understand the importance of water baptism.

TRAINED TO DO MORE

In response to the ongoing need of further inclusion for persons with disabilities in church congregations, the Nances developed a training manual to teach churches to better serve persons with disabilities and their families, aiming to create environments that are accessible, approachable, and accepting. It challenges pastors to gauge whether they are ready to properly respond to basic realities of engaging persons with disabilities with Christlike openness.

Even as Unlimited continues to take shape, growth continues and the Nances have many dreams of expanding with new programs and support groups.

As the vision grows, Lonnie, Janet, and Life360 leadership celebrate the miracles already taking place, including the eight new families that have come to the church because of Unlimited’s ministry.

*(names changed for privacy)