Jesus Cares celebrates five years of sharing God’s love in Door County

Marketing April 28, 2023

The Jesus Cares Ministries (JCM) program at St. Peter’s Lutheran Church in Sturgeon Bay, Wis. celebrated its fifth anniversary in April. When the program began, Pastor Carl Schroeder saw a need for a religious program for individuals with special needs in Door County. 

“There were activities for those who have special needs but no opportunities to learn about Jesus,” explained Pastor Schroeder. “We had a few members who would do their best during a service. They didn’t have a specific service or Bible study that catered to their needs, so I knew this was a prime opportunity.”   

And that’s exactly what Jesus Cares provides, a place for individuals with special needs to be themselves while praising God. During a recent program, Pastor Schroeder was sharing a message and a JCM participant asked him to pause.   

“Imagine doing that in a church service where someone’s like ‘wait, stop, Pastor, can you say that again?’ and taking a photo,” said Pastor Schroeder. “But at Jesus Cares, we love to see such a childlike faith.” 

There is a lot of making of memories in this program including JCM attendees participating in the town’s annual Christmas parade, dog visits to the church, singing favorite hymns like no one is listening, different activities to grow in God’s Word, and more.   

“I think that every congregation should have a program just for the joy of doing it,” said Pastor Schroeder. “If you ever want to just truly see super wonderful childlike faith, you should get involved in JCM.”   

Looking ahead, Pastor Schroeder hopes to expand the program to meet a second time each month on a weeknight. 

There are currently more than 160 JCM programs working to share God’s Word with individuals with special needs. To find a program near you, visit myjcm.com.