HOUSTON – Sunday mornings weren't always peaceful for Stacy Siebert and her mother Linda. Church -- had become an uncomfortable experience.
Sunday mornings weren’t always peaceful for Stacy Siebert and her mother. Their traditional trip to church had become stressful and uncomfortable.
"Most people would always give us these looks like we shouldn't be there, and so we just stopped trying to (go),” Linda Siebert said.
Linda said her daughter is intellectually disabled, doesn’t speak and also suffers violent seizures, which have confined her to a wheelchair. Linda knew sitting quietly in church for an hour wasn’t easy for her daughter, but she didn’t feel comfortable sending Stacy off with the other children to attend Sunday school.
Linda told her friend Peggy Lockhart about their struggles.
"That's just so sad for a family to not be able to go to church and be part of the family of God because there's no class for them," Lockhart said.
So Lockhart began a Sunday school class dedicated to teaching children and adults with disabilities about the Bible and the Christian faith.
In 2002, Lockhart formed the “Open Arms Ministry” at Kingwood Baptist Church.
"I challenge them to forgive others or be kind to others or to share the story of Jesus with others,” Lockhart said.
Her pupils range in age from 12 to 65. Some have cerebral palsy, some have autism, and others cope with physical disabilities that can make learning in a traditional setting a challenge.
Lockhart is a retired special needs instructor, and welcomes everyone to her class with open arms -- much like her organization’s name suggests.
The classes have become a refuge for Stacy and her mother Linda.
"Stacy looks forward to this all week long, talks about Sunday school all week long--mainly because she gets coffee when we come. But she has all of her friends here. It's kind of a place when she comes she feels very comfortable,” Linda Siebert said.
The class spends time reading from the Bible, acting out stories from the Old Testament, singing and praying.
"They just like to be together, and do activities together and learn together,” Lockhart said.
Open Arms Ministry meets at Kingwood First Baptist Church (KFBC) at 3500 Woodland Hills Dr. (at Tree Lane) from 10:45 a.m. to 11:50 a.m. on Sundays.
For more information, visit their website:
https://www.kingwoodfirst.org/connect/open-arms-ministry
