Christmas Eve!
If you know Pause, you may have heard about Center Pointe somewhere along the way. At Pause’s inception, we linked arms with Center Pointe to provide monthly Parent’s Night Out events to give parents of kiddos with differing needs a break. We used several different host sites, but quickly found that Center Pointe was the most popular with families and volunteers and it was the site best suited to serve the most kids!
On July 1, 2021, we deepened our partnership with Center Pointe and gained 8,200 sq ft. of space and expanded their current ministry to allow for flexibility during Sunday morning ministry. CP Unlimited has allowed caregivers to get back into church services, start attending for the first time or be able to have Sunday morning programming available to their children in a way they haven’t had before. Having this hour to dive in spiritually is a break that is different from those provided at Parent’s Night Out, Thrive Night or Respite on Demand.
We focused on building Unlimited after digging through the data compiled from our caregiver survey and from our in-person conversations with families. They shared stories of not being welcome in their church as a special needs family or not having resources available for their kids to engage. Children also struggled keeping up. While they were receiving accommodations and individualized learning plans in their Monday through Friday classrooms, they were expected to attend Sunday morning learning in the same way as their peers without those supports in place. This made learning, retention and growth difficult.
As we head into this Christmas season, Pause and Center Pointe have joined forces to provide a worship experience on Christmas Eve for families with sensory sensitivities. To accommodate ALL sensory needs, the adult service will be streamed into our multi-purpose room which will be equipped with flexible accommodations and activities for kids with differing needs.
What can you expect?
Flexible seating because we know that sitting in the same chair for an hour can be uncomfortable. Kids can choose from nuggets, crash pads, couches, chairs, or mats to sit on.
Lowered lights to help create a calmer environment.
Adjusted sound to allow kids to engage while not being overloaded with sound.
Sensory friendly activities like sensory bins to allow kids to explore with their senses, nativity scene little people, and water drawing mats.
Sensory tools to help kids explore the environment like lap pads, noise cancelling headphones, earplugs, fidgets and more!
Most of all, you can expect a welcoming community of people excited for you to be there!
Do you know of anyone who might be interested in attending this sensory friendly experience? Share the invite below!
We can't wait to celebrate the beautiful story of Jesus’s birth with you! All are invited, all are welcome and all will be invited to engage in whatever way is comfortable for your family.
To let us know you’re coming, register HERE!
This is CAN DO. This is COMMUNITY. This is YOUR SUPPORT.
