unSeminary Podcast Summary

Episode Title: Making Church Work for Every Family: Building an Inclusive Ministry
Host: Rich Birch
Guests: Jason & Nan Britt, Bethlehem Church, GA
Date: February 12, 2026

Episode Overview

This episode focuses on how churches can intentionally build inclusive ministries for families, especially those with special needs. Jason Britt (Lead Pastor) and Nan Britt (Champion of Bethlehem Buddies) of Bethlehem Church share their church’s journey from revitalization to becoming a model of inclusion and offer practical, actionable strategies for churches of any size to create space where all families can belong.

Key Discussion Points and Insights

1. Church Revitalization and Culture Shift

[03:12 – 07:22]

• Bethlehem Church’s Story: Three-campus church in Georgia, all sites are revitalization stories, focused on embracing new possibilities while honoring past legacy.
• Jason’s Initial Questions: On joining, Jason asked, “What's your limiting factor…have you considered your limiting factor?” Recognized a gap between the church’s heart for mission and intentionality.
• Reflection on Community: Bethlehem’s surrounding area is family-centric. The church realized the need to focus intentionally on families and the next generation.
• Culture Shift: “The local church tends to drift toward insider focused. And the gospel is very outsider focused.” – Jason Britt [06:27]

2. Recognizing and Addressing Special Needs

[07:53 – 09:59]

• Nan’s Background: Professional experience in special education led to deep relationships with local families affected by disabilities.
• Ministry Gap: Special needs families are “an unreached group” in many communities.
• Overcoming Intimidation: “Nobody’s against special needs ministry. It just seems overwhelming.” – Jason Britt [09:16]
• First Steps: Started by serving just one child, focusing on inclusion not as a daunting project but as a step-by-step journey.

3. Making Inclusion Cultural, Not Just Tactical

[10:38 – 12:41]

• Embedding Inclusion in Identity:
  • “When it becomes a kingdom of God, everybody’s invited at the table...creating space for everybody was a very, for us, Jesus-centric type thing.” – Jason Britt [10:38]
  • “Bethlehem Church is a church for all people.”
• Unexpected Blessing: “When you begin to serve these families…what it does to the heart of the church…you cannot exchange serving these families.” – Jason Britt [11:46]
• Scaling Impact: Ministry grew from “one kid to serving 300 families a weekend now.”

4. Defining Inclusion vs. Separation

[13:29 – 15:38]

• What Does Inclusion Mean?
  • “Inclusion is honoring and seeing a person for who they are.” – Nan Britt [13:55]
  • Examples: Integrating adults and children with special needs into age-appropriate worship and community environments rather than creating segregated spaces.
• Belonging is the Goal: “Everyone wants to be included, but belonging is really the goal.” – Nan Britt [15:07]

5. Tactics for Inclusive Ministry (Bethlehem Buddies)

[16:10 – 18:53]

• Focus on Sunday Worship: Primary goal is for families to attend worship together—often requires support for kids/adults with disabilities during service.
• Volunteer Model: One-on-one “Buddy” system pairs each individual with special needs with a volunteer classmate or adult for inclusion in regular ministry environments.
• Flexible Structure: Also offer a separate, quieter space for those who need it, but inclusion is prioritized.

6. Volunteer Impact and Recruitment

[19:16 – 26:32]

• Empowering Volunteers:
  • Many volunteers would not otherwise serve in children’s ministry, but are drawn to the Buddy model.
  • “It just opens opportunities for connection…our buddy’s ministry is stronger in recruiting than our kids or student ministry because it’s so unique.” – Jason Britt [20:31]
• Personal Growth: “It’s not filling a hole, it’s empowering.”
• Strategic Recruitment: Early days required personalized ‘shoulder tapping’. Now, culture drives recruitment naturally.

7. Training and Supporting Volunteers

[22:50 – 26:32]

• Individualized Preparation:
  • Use detailed family forms to inform volunteers about each child/adult’s specific needs and preferences.
  • “We are highly prepared as a staff to provide the best experience possible for the volunteer and the child on a Sunday morning.” – Nan Britt [23:29]
• Connection over Compliance: Focus on building relationship and celebrating the individual during worship, not enforcing strict therapeutic or educational goals.
• Diverse Backgrounds: Majority of Buddies are not special education professionals—teenagers, parents, working adults.

8. Addressing Fears and Barriers for Churches

[31:25 – 34:40]

• Common Fears:
  • Worry about encountering needs that are ‘too extreme’
  • Liability concerns
  • Lack of dedicated space
• Reality Check: “The vast majority of needs are not that extreme…you're outthinking it.” – Jason Britt [31:34]
• Start Where You Are: “Back in the day, it was all inclusion and just start where you’re at. You can do something.” – Jason Britt [34:40]
• Ask for Help: Engage staff or volunteers with special education expertise, even contract them as needed.

9. The Buddies Network – Equipping Other Churches

[35:27 – 38:05]

• Resource Sharing:
  • Bethlehem Church shares handbooks, forms, and systems with other churches.
  • Quarterly lunches and ongoing support, aiming to expand resources online for broader access.
• Flexible for Any Church Size: “We have learned so many ways to equip churches...every church is unique, we just want to make this tangible and easy.” – Nan Britt [37:22]

10. First Steps and Practical Advice

[41:09 – 43:45]

• Plan Ahead: Have a conversation, make a plan for what will happen if a family with special needs arrives.
• Start Small: Assign a few on-call volunteers in kids’ ministry to act as Buddies for new families.
• Scale Volunteer Team to One Service: “Pick…a service and build your volunteer team around one service. That is manageable.” – Nan Britt [42:38]
• Use the Family Form: Gather information ahead of time to minimize surprises and increase volunteer confidence.

11. Encouragement to Senior Leaders

[44:30 – 47:15]

• See the Opportunity, Not the Burden:
  • “There are always five things pressing, but I would say: see the opportunity for gospel presence.” – Jason Britt [44:49]
  • Life change stories emerge when churches make room for everyone.
• Bring in Expertise: Don’t hesitate to contract or consult with professionals to get started—just like other areas of ministry.

Notable Quotes (with Timestamps)

• “The local church tends to drift toward insider focused. And the gospel is very outsider focused.”
  – Jason Britt [06:27]

• “Inclusion really speaks to honoring that individual and seeing them, what they can contribute to the body of Christ.”
  – Nan Britt [15:00]

• “It's not filling a hole, it's empowering.”
  – Jason Britt [21:53]

• “Connection over compliance. We’re highly relational, very individualized.”
  – Nan Britt [24:34]

• “It just became a part of our culture.”
  – Jason Britt [30:26]

• “We are for the least of these...but oftentimes unintentionally we haven’t been prepared for [special needs families].”
  – Jason Britt [45:00]

Memorable Moments

• [11:46]: Jason gets emotional describing the joy and blessing that inclusive ministry brings to the entire church body.
• [23:00]: Nan describes the family form and how preparing volunteers “takes away a lot of the nervousness.”
• [32:51]: Discussion of liability fears, with Nan pointing out that in 11 years, such concerns have been rare and manageable.
• [41:09]: Nan encourages churches to simply plan for new families to show up, reducing stress and welcoming them well.

Timestamps for Key Segments

• Bethlehem’s Story & Revitalization: [03:12–07:22]
• Special Needs Ministry’s Genesis: [07:53–09:59]
• Making Inclusion a Core Value: [10:38–12:41]
• Inclusion Explained: [13:29–15:38]
• Tactics & Buddies Model: [16:10–18:53]
• Volunteer Empowerment: [19:16–26:32]
• Training Volunteers: [22:50–26:32]
• Recruitment & Culture: [29:09–30:26]
• Addressing Fears: [31:25–34:40]
• Buddies Network & Resources: [35:27–40:32]
• First Steps for Churches: [41:09–43:45]
• Senior Leader Advice: [44:30–47:15]

How to Connect

• Contact: Nan Britt – nan@bethlehemchurch.us
• Website: Bethlehem Church Buddies
• Resource Sharing: Buddies Volunteer Handbook and family forms available for adaptation

Final Takeaways

Embracing inclusive ministry is not about programmatic complexity, but about intentionally opening church life to every family. Start small, see the people in your community, create a welcoming plan, and draw on available resources—even if you begin by simply supporting one family well. As you do, your church culture—and your volunteers—will be transformed in the process.