Kerri-Ann Hayes has been a children’s and family ministry leader in Central Florida since the late 1990s. She has led children’s ministry in both single and multi-site churches. Kerri-Ann has a Disney family heritage, a hospitality management background, and a love for the local church that all shifted nicely into the world of family ministry. During her years of serving families, Kerri-Ann developed a passion for those struggling to find their place in the church due to the special needs of their children. She loves supporting and equipping churches to be accessible to families with special needs or traumatic backgrounds and is the author of The Accessible Church. Kerri-Ann and her husband, Tom, live in Clermont, Florida, where they raised their three children.
Summer is just around the corner which means vacations, beach trips, and, of course, VBS! Some families plan their vacation schedule around this beloved summer tradition. But is your church prepared to welcome all children, including those with special needs? Children with disabilities, exceptionally-abled, or special needs, no matter the term you use, there will…
It’s Sunday morning. Everything is ready. Materials are prepared, worship is cued, and volunteers are in place. Then it happens. One child’s behavior sends your morning off the rails. So much for well-made plans. All children deal with behavioral issues now and then, but what if that behavior tells you something else? What if the…