Shaping Special Hearts: What Parents Really Need From Ministry Leaders

Join us live on Tuesday, April 14th at 12pm ET!

A child’s special needs diagnosis affects the whole family. Parents find themselves struggling with grief, anxiety, depression, exhaustion, and even an unexpected sense of relief. This gamut of emotions can be confusing for ministry leaders as they work with families; it can be difficult to know what to do and how to help.

Join host Katie Wetherbee as she interviews Barb Dittrich, Executive Director of Snappin’ Ministries. Barb will share information from her experiences working with parents—and from her own journey as a mom. You’ll come away with practical ideas for supporting parents, as well as clear insight on the process of parenting a child with disabilities. She will illuminate listeners about the effect of disabilities on marriages and sibling relationships as well.

Katie is an educational consultant for Hope Educational Consulting who works with churches, families, and schools. She is also a writer; her articles have been featured on the MOPS and Power of Moms blogs as well as the Huffington Post and in KidzMatter Magazine. Katie is currently the special needs columnist for Children’s Ministry Magazine. In addition, she and author Jolene Philo are currently writing a book called Every Child Welcome, which will be published in April 2015. Katie and her husband, Tom, live in Chagrin Falls, Ohio, with their teenagers and a quirky mutt named Mitzie.