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Emerge

About Special Needs Ministry

In Emerge, our mission is to make sure every person with special needs has an opportunity to hear the gospel and feel the love of Christ. Our goal is to meet each individual where they are and provide them with the services they need to
understand the gospel at their level. We started this ministry to give the special needs community a purposeful experience with Jesus and time for parents and guardians to truly rest in God’s presence, knowing their child/student/adult is in a safe and loving
environment.

Kids

6 Weeks to 5th Grade

Students

Middle & High School Students

Adults

18 & Up

Our Buddy System for Kids & Students

In Emerge, we provide a one-on-one buddy system. Each child is matched with a volunteer buddy that stays with them throughout the entire service. We train our volunteers to fully love and meet the unique needs of their buddy to the best of their ability. Our volunteers attend to each child’s needs, whether that be in the classroom or in one of our sensory rooms. We provide accommodated lessons according to each child’s learning needs. We hope that by having a buddy system in Emerge, we are able to foster loving relationships between our volunteers and families. This is done by making sure our volunteers are showing their buddy the love of Jesus Christ throughout their time together.

Emerge Rooms

In Emerge, we have one sensory room and one classroom to provide a safe and comforting space for the child when needed. Some children may be sensitive to lights or loud noises or may just need a break from the crowd, and the Emerge rooms are a safe place for these children to regulate their sensory needs. We use these rooms in a thoughtful manner to give each child a space where they feel safe and comfortable while they are at church.

Emerge Kids

Weekend Emerge

Emerge Kids is available at all four weekend services. We provide one-on-one buddies for kids in the nursery, preschool, and elementary classes. If you are interested in getting your child involved with Emerge on the weekends, view our application process by clicking the “Register My Child” tab.

Weeknight Emerge

If you are interested in attending a development event (Next Class, Following Jesus, Authentic Discipleship, etc.) and would need childcare available for your child with special needs, Emerge volunteers can sometimes be provided with enough preparation and planning time. Please reach out to the Emerge director before attending these events to ensure that we are able to provide an Emerge volunteer for your child.

How to Apply for an Emerge Buddy

Because Emerge is a one-on-one ministry, our Emerge team must know when your child will be attending service before the weekend. If you are a new family, please take the time to fill out an Emerge Child Application below. Once you fill out the initial application, someone from the Emerge team will contact you. The Emerge team will give you more information about how to get plugged in and how to communicate which service you will be attending each week to ensure that your child has an Emerge buddy. Please wait to be contacted by the Emerge team before attending for the first time to make sure they are fully prepared for your child and can support them to the best of their ability.

This process is designed to ensure that your child has the best support and care possible while they are at church. We want you, as the parent, to have peace of mind when you leave your child with Emerge. We want to provide an opportunity where you can attend service, receive rest and respite while getting filled up through worship and teaching, knowing your child is being shown the love of Christ and being cared for intentionally by a volunteer. The goal of Emerge is full inclusion, and we will advocate this for your child as we see what classroom environment is most beneficial for them. If you have any questions about how to get your child plugged in with Emerge, please email emerge@experiencecc.com.

Murfreesboro | Emerge Child Application
Cannon County | Emerge Child Application
Shelbyville | Emerge Child Application
Tullahoma | Emerge Child Application

Frequently Asked Questions

Emerge Kids

The first step in receiving an Emerge buddy for your child is to fill out an application found on the “Register My Child” tab. Once you have filled out an application, someone from the Emerge team will contact you about receiving a buddy. Please wait to hear from the team before coming to church to ensure that we are equipped to care for your child.

We use a notification system each week to schedule which kids will be attending Emerge each weekend. Because Emerge uses one-on-one buddies, it is extremely important to know when families are attending church. Once your child receives a buddy, you will receive weekly requests to confirm your weekend attendance time.

Our goal in Emerge is to provide full inclusion for each child to whatever degree is most beneficial for them. We provide many tools and resources for kids to help them participate in class with their peers. Their Emerge buddy is there to provide whatever support they need in class. Each child will have an opportunity to worship, hear a Bible lesson, and complete activities that help them apply biblical truths to their lives. Emerge kids are actively included in class, but are also given the option to use sensory rooms when necessary.

We have two Emerge rooms – one sensory room and one classroom – that provide
breaks and sensory-friendly activities for kids whenever they need them. We also have
resources, such as visual schedules, reward charts, etc., to help kids succeed in class.
We work with each volunteer to provide the best support possible for each child. We
support families by allowing them to receive rest and respite while attending service,
knowing their child is being loved and cared for.

Emerge Students

In Emerge, we provide a one-on-one buddy system. Each student is matched with a volunteer buddy that stays with them throughout the entire service. We train our volunteers to fully love and meet the unique needs of their buddy to the best of their ability. Our volunteers attend to each student’s needs, whether that be in the classroom or in one of our sensory rooms. We hope that by having a buddy system in Emerge, we are able to foster loving relationships between our volunteers and families. This is done by making sure our volunteers are showing their buddy the love of Jesus Christ throughout their time together.

Emerge provides buddies for students on a case-by-case basis. If you are interested in your student attending one of our student ministries (EON, Encounter, Evident), please fill out an Emerge application by clicking the “Register my student” tab. From there, someone from the Emerge team will reach out to provide a buddy for your student, depending on what student ministry they will be attending. 

If your student is in high school or older, we provide Emerge Teens and Adults on Saturday nights at the 7:00 pm service and on Sunday mornings at the 11:00 am service in the Fox Room. This ministry exists to provide a church service for teens and adults with special needs where they can worship, learn the Bible, and participate in small group discussions with their peers. Please view the “Emerge Adults” section below to see more information about this ministry.

How to Apply for an Emerge Buddy

Because Emerge is a one-on-one ministry, our Emerge team must know when your student will be attending service. If you are a new family, please take the time to fill out an Emerge Student Application by clicking the link below. Once you fill out the initial application, someone from the Emerge team will contact you. The Emerge team will give you more information about how to get plugged in and how to communicate which service you will be attending each week to ensure that your student has an Emerge buddy. Please wait to be contacted by the Emerge team before attending for the first time to make sure they are fully prepared for your student and can support them to the best of their ability.  

This process is designed to ensure that your student has the best support and care possible while they are at church. We want you, as the parent, to have peace of mind when you leave your student with Emerge. We want to provide an opportunity where you can attend service, receive rest and respite while getting filled up through worship and teaching, knowing your student is being shown the love of Christ, and being cared for intentionally by a volunteer. The goal of Emerge is full inclusion, and we will advocate this for your student as we see what classroom environment is most beneficial for them. If you have any questions about how to get your student plugged in with Emerge, please email emerge@experiencecc.com. 

Murfreesboro | Emerge Child Application
Cannon County | Emerge Child Application
Shelbyville | Emerge Child Application

Frequently Asked Questions

Emerge Students

The first step in receiving an Emerge buddy for your student is to fill out an application found on the “Register Your Student” tab. Once you have filled out an application, someone from the Emerge team will contact you about receiving a buddy. Please wait to hear from the team before coming to church to ensure that we are equipped to care for your student.

Our goal in Emerge is to provide full inclusion for each student, to whatever degree is most beneficial for them. We provide many tools and resources for students to help them participate with their peers. Their Emerge buddy is there to provide whatever support they need. Each student will have an opportunity to worship, hear a Bible lesson, and participate in small group discussions.

We have 3 sensory rooms that provide breaks and sensory-friendly activities for students whenever they need it. We also have resources such as visual schedules, reward charts, etc. to help students succeed in class. We work with each volunteer to provide the best support possible for each student. We support families by allowing them to receive rest and respite while attending service, knowing their student is being loved and cared for.

Emerge Adults

Our Emerge service for teens and adults currently meets on Saturday nights at the 7:00 pm service and on Sunday mornings at the 11:00 am service in the Fox Room. Teens and Adults may check-in at 6:40 pm/10:40 am and then return to the sanctuary to participate in corporate worship with the congregation. After worship, the teens and adults come back to the Fox Room for their lesson which includes scripture reading, small group discussion, and prayer time. Once the service concludes, the teens and adults return to the sanctuary to meet with their parents/guardians. Emerge leaders are present throughout the entire course of the night/morning to make sure each teen and adult has what they need to participate in each part of the service. If you are interested in getting a teen/adult with special needs involved, please view the following section.

How to Register your Teen/Adult

Before your teenager/adult attends Emerge, please take the time to fill out this All About Me form below. This gives the Emerge team an idea about what we can do to meet each individual in a personal way, providing what they need to have a safe experience at church. Once you fill out the All About Me form, you will receive an email with further information and instructions about having your teen/adult attend.

Murfreesboro | Emerge All About Me Form

Frequently Asked Questions

Emerge Adults

The first step to take to get a teen/adult plugged in with Emerge is to register them by filling out our All About Me page. This can be found on the “Register your teen/adult” tab. Once you fill out a registration form for them, you will receive further instructions and information about what it looks like for them to attend our Emerge service. We do ask that you wait to bring your teen/adult to church until you have heard from the Emerge team to confirm whether or not we are prepared for their attendance.

Our goal in Emerge is to provide a space for every teenager and adult with special needs to experience church in a meaningful way. If they are able, each teen/adult will attend corporate worship in the sanctuary. Once worship is over, they will come back to the Fox room to meet the Emerge leaders to complete their lesson. The Emerge lesson involves scripture reading and teaching, followed by small group time and prayer. Once service is over, the teens/adults are welcome to return to the sanctuary to meet with their parents/guardians.

We ask that all parents and guardians are present at the church while their teenager/adult attends Emerge. We want to make sure that if an emergency were to occur, we are able to contact you immediately. We also hope that this ministry provides an opportunity for you as a parent to attend a worship service knowing your child is being loved and cared for in a discipleship environment.

We ask that those who are participating in Emerge sit on the outer rows of seats in the sanctuary so they are able to get up and move to the Fox Room easily after worship without causing any major distractions. These seats are highlighted on the seating map.

Seating Map

Volunteer

Emerge would not be possible without our team of volunteers. If you are interested in serving with this ministry, please fill out our volunteer application.

Volunteer at Murfreesboro
Volunteer at Cannon County
Volunteer at Shelbyville
Volunteer at Tullahoma

Still Have Question?

Email Us!

Want to know more about what your student is doing during their time at Emerge or want to find out more about the ministry?

AVAILABLE AT THESE CAMPUSES