E-mail Disability Ministry

Meeting the Needs of People with Disabilities

Holy Cross is committed to meeting the needs of people with disabilities.  Holy Cross shares the belief of Joni & Friends (www.joniandfriends.org) in the Luke 14 mandate to "Go out quickly into the streets and alleys of the town and bring in the poor, the crippled, the blind and the lame...so that my house will be full."  Holy Cross has successfully integrated a number of people with a variety of disabilities and ages into existing programs at Holy Cross.  This includes a "buddy" system for those with special needs.  Please contact Holy Cross and allow us the opportunity to meet your special needs.

Holy Cross has close ties to Joni and Friends, the Christian outreach to people with disabilities founded by Joni Eareckson Tada.  Holy Cross supports Joni and Friends through Wheels for the World, Family Retreats, and Special Delivery, with volunteers actively participating in these programs.  Holy Cross collects used wheelchairs for refurbishing by Joni and Friends.  (See our Wheels for the World link under the "Ministries" tab)  The wheelchairs are then sent to several countries for distribution by Joni and Friends teams.

The people of Holy Cross want to be a church that is responsive to the needs of people in this community, with able-bodied and disabled people caring for one another.  We want to communicate to everyone that God really cares about the disabled, and He wants us to share His love with those who may be hurting and lonely.

Accessibility of Sanctuary and Grounds

Holy Cross Lutheran Church has made a commitment to making the sanctuary and buildings of the church fully wheelchair accessible and we will do our best to meet the needs of anybody with a disability. Accessibility features include:

• The sanctuary and all buildings of Holy Cross Lutheran Church are fully wheelchair accessible.
• Places for people in wheelchairs to sit are provided in inclusive areas. Multiple disabled parking stalls are available.
• An enhanced sound system has been installed for people who are hard of hearing in the sanctuary.
• Wheelchair accessible restrooms are available.
• Large print bulletins, hymnals, and Bibles are available upon request.

Let us know if we don't meet your needs and we'll work with you to make changes.

Contacts for Disability Ministry Information
Art Larson - Phone 408-265-9539 

Personal Testimonies from Disable Members

The following are personal testimonies of or about three people with disabilities at Holy Cross Lutheran Church. They all show how God has worked in their lives.

Sean Meyer (written by his mother, Maureen Meyer)
Sean was born on May 28, 1990, one day before my 33rd birthday. He was two weeks early weighing in at 3 pounds, 10 ounces. The doctors were not sure he would live. Oh, what the doctors did not know!

Andy, my husband, and I had wanted kids for our life together. I always knew motherhood would be "what I wanted to do when I grew up"! Here was the child I had been waiting for and his chances did not look good. We had him baptized the day he was born. The Lord had a very definite plan for Sean. Sean is still with us proving every day what a miracle he truly is.

Sean had numerous doctor visits and surgeries. At 2 years of age, he was diagnosed with cerebral palsy and failure to thrive. He had a feeding tube for three years and he learned to walk when he was 4 years old. Every milestone in his life was celebrated and he continues to amaze us. Sean was our first child so other than what a baby book would tell us, we did not have another child's milestones to measure against Sean. What a gift that was! Ryan was born 19 months after Sean. They are the best of friends and they also have their brotherly moments!

I believe Sean's life has taught Andy and me much about God's unfailing Love and Grace for us. We prayed constantly for God's help in making the right medical decisions for Sean. We also thanked him for allowing us the chance to raise this wonderful child and giving us Ryan to help complete our earthly family. I believe Sean is a walking testimony to people he encounters at school and in his daily life. He has friends who accept him and teachers and therapists who marvel at his accomplishments. His parents can be put on that list!

Sean has accepted there are things he cannot do because of his cerebral palsy. He has wished that he did not have cerebral palsy and we have cried together. He also knows that God's gifts to us are numerous and varied. Every day brings a learning experience about life and God's unfailing love for us all.

Today, Sean is a freshman in college. What a story!  What a miracle! 

Kelly Anderson
I was born on June l3, l964. I was a pretty normal baby. No one knew there were problems until I started nursery school which was pretty hard for me. Kindergarten was even harder so I repeated it. Then we moved to Los Gatos and I started first grade in Special Education. My teacher suggested vision therapy and tutoring in reading and I learned to read simple things. I still cannot read above second or third grade level or do math. I was in Special Ed all my school years including a two-year program at Foothill College. I now work 2 days a week at Kinko's and volunteer 3 days a week at Saratoga High School, working with the Special Education class and in the office. I feel comfortable working with the three to five-year olds in Sunday School. I love helping with the monthly senior luncheons at church. My mom thinks I have a special talent for helping others, especially kids, seniors and others with developmental disabilities.

Art Larson
I was 18 years old when God decided to change my life. Oh, He had been with me all of my life and had given me Christian parents to teach me His ways. I had already accepted Him as Lord and Savior of my life. I was 18 years old, on my way to college to study mechanical engineering, when a tumor near my spinal cord destroyed my spinal nerves, leaving me completely paralyzed from the chest down.

I have since figured out that four fundamentals have helped me through this life changing experience. The four fundamentals are faith, family, friends, and future. God gave me the faith to trust that this "accident" was part of his plan for me. God gave me a family that has supported me in everything that I have done. God gave me friends to help and encourage me. God gave me not only a future here on earth under His care, but I hold the promise of a future of eternal life with Him close to my heart.

Since my spinal cord injury in 1976, I have gone through undergraduate and graduate school to get a masters degree in mechanical engineering and continue to work as a mechanical engineer. But more important than that, I have kept my faith in God and have seen many good things happen in my life and other people's lives because of my disability. The churches that I have attended since my disability have always received me just as I am and have welcomed me into their congregation. Holy Cross is certainly no exception. I have been involved in all activities from social activities, Bible Study, and church leadership positions.

I currently promote disability awareness at Holy Cross. The need to bring all people into the body of Christ, including those with disabilities, is a need that few churches address. Holy Cross has made that commitment, and I am grateful for that commitment. I am truly blessed to be a member of Holy Cross Lutheran Church, and I know that any person with a disability would be welcome at Holy Cross, and blessed because he or she came into our house of worship.