The Exceptional Adults Ministry, founded by Kay Powell, in Fall 2023, seeks to bring inclusion to individuals of differing intellectual and developmental abilities and challenges within their parish community by offering opportunities for faith enrichment, fellowship, and service.  And they are successfully achieving this goal. 

The active ministry meets every four to seven weeks, developing a community for the 24 participantsand their parents, guardians, and caregivers. It also fosters leadership among the ministry committee members and the adult mentors as the ministry grows as each gathering takes careful planning to matchall special need participants with a mentor. The goal is to never match a participant with somebody they have been matched with before to broaden interaction.

Hugs, conversation, and fellowship abounded as all entered the last event of 2024, and the mentors enthusiastically greeted their match for the evening, highlighting how vital this ministry has become to all involved. The evening continued with leader-led prayer and music ministry, followed by dinnerprovided by volunteers. Throughout the evening, the paired participant and mentor stay together as they finish with faith enrichment, group games, and more music.

“The interaction is so important. My grandson is autistic, and was able to go to Edge, and to Atlanta and Steubenville conferences while in high school,” said Powell. “But then he graduated, and it all stopped. At 25, he begged me to let him go to Christ the King Youth Ministry, but while he may be emotionally at the same place, age wise, no.”

The new ministry gives Powell’s grandson as well as the other participants, sharing sessions and special speakers, community service opportunities, and faith formation while parents and caregivers meet separately. It also shows the parish community how actively involved the members can be in parish life. 

While the mentor group changes, the participants have come and stayed. The founding members dedicate time to sharing about the group through the bulletin and in Mass. 

“When a mentor is unable to make it, I say a prayer and trust God will provide,” shared Kay Powell. “This week, one of our mentors let me know she had a family emergency. And sure enough, the name of a new volunteer was sent to me within a couple of hours. God is working here.”

The Exceptional Adults Ministry is made possible through a Community Impact Grant awarded by the Catholic Foundation. The group has received another grant this Fall to continue growing their ministry.