Welcome to Champions Club!
Champions Club is a special needs ministry, specialized in ministering to and designing developmental areas for kids, teens, and adults with special needs and the medically fragile. We have developed a program that meets the developmental needs of individuals with special needs in four important ways: SPIRITUALLY, INTELLECTUALLY, MENTALLY, and PHYSICALLY. Our focus is on spiritual growth through God’s Word, developing the intellect of each participant through the five senses, educationally through various learning tools, as well as engaging the child physically during active gross motor fun. Our hope is to point those with extraordinary needs to their destiny and help them navigate how to get there. Champions Clubs can be adapted to a school or public facility environment. Now there are Champions Clubs in schools, churches, and facilities all across America and around the world. It would be our honor to help you start your Champions Club or special needs ministry!
Watch this inspirational video of how Champions Clubs began and find out more about Champions Club.
Join our free Champions Family Membership created for parents with children with special needs!
Join the Champions Membership Program for Churches and take your ministry to the next level!
About Champions Club
There are over 30 million kids and teens in America alone with special needs. That means millions of families cannot take their children to church because they don’t have adequate programs for their needs. In other countries around the world the need can be even greater. As more families with special needs children came in to Lakewood Church, we began to recognize that God wanted us to do something. These families were feeling rejected in society and feeling rejection from the church. We knew we needed to extend God’s love and acceptance to these amazing families. In 2005, upon moving into our new facility, Champions Club became the dream and desire of Lakewood Church to help families with special needs children. In March 2008, Champions Club became a reality for Lakewood Church. As Champions Clubs have expanded throughout the United States and in countries around the world our team offers help through consultation, training, fundraising, and speaking to help churches, schools and organizations launch their own special needs program. If you would like more information contact us at info@championsclub.org
https://youtu.be/cKhwB9p37pk
News
Shop Champions Club Merchandise!
So many of you love the CHAMPION shirt we released last year and you’ve seen them in our online Champions Curriculum videos every week. And now you can purchase them online!
read moreChampions Curriculum Lesson for Special Needs: When I Am Anxious, I Can Ask God To Give Me Wisdom
This week, your Champion (and their siblings) will learn more about how to deal with anxiety. The Champions Club lessons are specifically designed for individuals with special needs, and our curriculum works for ALL age groups.
read moreChampions Club Special Needs Curriculum Lesson: No More Sadness
In our new Champions Club lesson for this week, we will learn that we can turn our sadness into comfort by controlling our thoughts.
read moreChampions Club Special Needs Curriculum Lesson: Sharing Brings Happiness
Online church services for individuals with special needs
read moreThere Is Hope For Your Family!
If you haven't heard, yet, the Champions Family Facebook Group is the place to go to find life-giving encouragement and helpful information for families with special needs. Inside you'll find: Daily Devotions & Declarations, Hope For Your Marriage, Group Counseling,...
read moreStarting Or Improving Your Special Needs Ministry Has Never Been Easier
In just a few days, the Champions Membership for churches will launch! Find out more at www.investinchampions.com or continue reading this article. This online membership will have all the tools you need to enhance your current special needs ministry and train your...
read moreLocations
The locations below already use the Champions Club model. Join us in serving special needs children. We would love to add you to this list!
Get Started with Champions Club
In order to get started with Champions Club, follow these 10 simple steps:
STEP 1: WE ARE INTERESTED
Determine your need. Answer these questions:
1. How many children with special needs do you currently have?
2. How many inquiries have you had from parents with children with special needs?
3. How much space do you have?
4. Do you have someone to oversee your special needs ministry?
STEP 2: CONTACT
Email us info@championsclub.org with the information from ‘Step 1’ to set up conference call.
If desired, set up a site visit with our flagship Champions Club in Houston, TX or set up a visit with a Champions Club near you.
STEP 3: GAMEPLAN
- Secure Sr. Pastor approval to move forward
- Secure proposed room(s)
- Get dimensions/CAD drawings of proposed Champions Club Room(s)
STEP 4: EXECUTE PLAN
- Contact Equipment Provider (provided by Champions Club) to have Master Plan for your room(s) developed. This is at no cost to you or your church!
STEP 5: PROPOSAL
- Receive the proposed Master Plan from Equipment Provider.
- Email us at info@championsclub.org for assistance in dividing up your Master plan into phases.
STEP 6: VISION CAST
- At this point you should have all the information you need to present the vision to your pastoral team or committee to help secure appropriate funding for the different stages.
- Schedule your meeting.
STEP 7: MOVING FORWARD
- Contact your Equipment Provider to place your initial order, installation, and training.
- Sign up for our Church Membership Program www.investinchampions.com to access all our training, manuals, toolkits and resources.
- Draft an initial service order for your Champions Club.
- Schedule initial training for volunteer leaders.
STEP 8: MARKETING
- Establish a look and feel for your church’s Champions Club.
- Create a flyer or a web design to begin the momentum of your new ministry.
- Create or add to your existing volunteer application to include Champions Club.
STEP 9: WELCOME
- Schedule an open house for your entire church to come in and visit your new ministry area.
- Have volunteer applications available for people wanting to join the cause.
- Create an application for families with special needs children to fill out so you can begin their process for entry into the Champions Club services… this should be about 3-4 weeks after your Open House.
STEP 10: LAUNCH
- Decide on the launch date for your Champions Club.
In You Are Extraordinary, Craig and Samantha Johnson use fun rhymes and colorful pictures to celebrate kids who have unique challenges and gifts.
Every page in this book focuses on a different ability or diverse circumstance, such as autism , different ethnicities, unique sizes and body types, physical limitations, cancer, adoptions, and more. You Are Extraordinary is an inspiring reminder to treat others with kindness and live out the truth that you are loved!
As the parents of a child with special needs, Craig and Samantha Johnson understand that kids who are a bit different from others sometimes need extra reassurance that God has an amazing purpose for them—not just despite their differences but because of them! The authors are the founders of Champions Club, an international ministry of Lakewood Church in Houston, Texas, for kids, teens, and adults with special needs.
With its fun and uplifting message, You Are Extraordinary reminds children and adults alike that the world is a beautiful place when we treat everyone as the exceptional people they are!
Until two years of age, Craig and Samantha’s son Connor was just like other kids—playful, verbal, and affectionate. Then everything changed. He stopped talking, displayed behavioral problems, and withdrew into his own world. The official diagnosis—autism. Faced with seemingly insurmountable odds, Craig and Samantha refused to believe a meaningful life for Connor was impossible. God confirmed their faith by revealing to Craig that Connor would one day touch the lives of thousands of people around the world. Craig and Samantha held that unlikely promise in their hearts during the agonizing years ahead. Champion is a spellbinding chronicle of the twists and turns of Connor’s journey—guided by his parent’s steadfast hope in God’s promises. Through the unexpected breaking of their spirits, The Holy Spirit was poured out, culminating in a miracle that has launched a global ministry to the disabled.