​Local church launches new worship service with the disability community in mind

Despite thunderstorms and a tornado watch, 70 people gathered at the Good People Café on Saturday, April 27th for the launch of a new type of worship service in Grain Valley.  Good People Worship is designed to be accessible and inclusive of people with all different abilities.

“Over half of families of individuals with disabilities report that they have refrained from participating in religious activities because they felt unsupported and unincluded,” Mike Cassidy, pastor of Faith UMC, the church behind Good People Worship said. 

“Often churches that do provide support offer separate ministries for the disability population.  We created Good People Worship not as a ministry for people with disabilities, but rather a ministry that includes and is led by all people, with and without disabilities.”

This was evident throughout the night.  Bella West, a local “super senior” in Grain Valley High School’s SPED program, opened the evening with prayer.  Sam Laws, another “super senior” who will be attending UCM’s Thrive program in the fall, served as the acolyte, lighting the worship candles on the altar.  One of the highlights of the service was Blanca Garcia, a young woman with Down Syndrome, who tap danced to Luke Bryan’s Country Girl during the offering time. 

A portion of the offering collected at each service will go toward opening and operating the Good People Café.  Like the worship service, the café will intentionally employ people of all abilities, providing a place for many in the area disability community to work with dignity and purpose.  Good People Café will open for breakfast and lunch in mid-May 2024.

The theme of Saturday night was loving our community.  “When we love one another,” said Pastor Mike, “our hearts get a little bigger, and the world gets a little smaller.”  The world did seem smaller on Saturday.  People from multiple surrounding communities were in attendance, the worship band included musicians from three different denominations, and members of five different United Methodist congregations helped make this night happen.

​Good People Worship meets every Saturday night at 6pm at the Good People Café, located at 101 SW Eagles Parkway, Grain Valley, MO inside the former public library.

Grain Valley High School senior Sam Laws lighting the worship candles at the beginning of the service. Photo credit: Good People Worship