Fenland Community Church

Worship ideas for people with a learning disability

We realise that styles of worship vary enormously! None is "right" or "better" than any other!

Here are a few ideas that I will add to as and when! Do make contact if you have any other ideas!

Instruments etc.

For some people who can neither read or write, instruments, flags, signing, movement etc. are, perhaps, their only way of expressing love to God. Go with it!!

• Percussion instruments - bangers and shakers, rain sticks, bells etc.! Very popular.
• Flags - a variety of shapes, sizes and colours.
• We encourage dance, movement and signing.

Signing

We use the Makaton signs a lot. We are not experts, and regularly get in a muddle! However, this is very popular, and one or two of our less vocal people find it a real help to be able to sign a bit here and there.

Songs

The problem we find is that many songs from all kinds of backgrounds are hard for our folk to understand. Long words, jargon, imagery etc. all go to make them fairly inaccessible. We still use them, but they often need interpreting.

For example.... we were singing a song that made reference to "The Lamb.." I was asked why were we singing about a sheep? A logical question!

• Songs from Causeway PROSPECTS are the only songs that we know of written especially for this group. They are excellent.
• Do not be afraid of using so-called 'children's songs'. Some of these are excellent. We find that their exuberance and fun is well received. Watch out for childish things in them
• Some of the Taize chants are popular. (We have not tried any Latin ones yet!) "Oh Lord hear my prayer.." being especially good
• Main stream songs can also be easily used. Be aware of the problems stated above!

Ideas:

Take the song, "Lets go up to Zion.."

We asked people to think of all the ways we could worship God. We came up with:

• Standing,
• Singing,
• Waving flags
• Listening
• Smiling
• Laughing
• Signing
• Shaking our shakers
• Dancing
• etc. etc.

We had previously prepared a set of cards with the symbols on to represent a range of these. We handed them out - making sure that recipients got a card of something they could do!

Then one by one the people contributed what was on their card, and we fitted the words to the tune

"I will stand to worship
I will stand to worship
I will stand to worship
'Cos Jesus is my King"

I will wave my flag to worship
Wave my flag to worship
I will wave my flag to worship
'Cos Jesus is my king"