'Challenge' is not a Bad Word

Because Elim's philosophy is that God has a purpose and a plan for each person He's put on this earth, this belief causes us to examine how we do 'special needs services.'

If we felt that life was not given by God, and that it was not endowed with the capacity to reflect God's love and grace, and yes - even perfection, then we would not feel compelled to do much more than simply "take care" of people with disabilities.

However, because Elim's philosophy is the exact opposite, that God's image is reflected in the lives of all His people, we know that He has a purpose, a potential, for each life, including lives disabled or touched with a special need or even (this is a naughty word for some people) weakness.

Now, there's a lot of philosophy to discuss here, but I'm not going to do that. You can read some of my other posts to get 'philosophied up' if you so desire. What I'm aiming at is pretty simple:

The reason you can come to Elim and see adults with disabilities who are more actively engaged in the world than at many other facilities for adults with disabilities is precisely becaue of this philosophy. They are worthwhile. More than that, they reflect the image of God.

That's why Elim stands where it stands, and that's why Elim has, for so long, sought challenging and meaningful work opportunities for the adults we serve. And that's why I'm so excited about what we have to unveil here in the next few weeks.