• Why Disability Ministry?

    PERPECTIVES ON DISABILITY MINISTRY

     This 2-minute video from Joni & Friends highlights the high-level purpose and importance of Disability Ministries in our churches and broader communities.

    It serves as a great refresher for church leaders, special needs ministry leaders and their volunteers.

    Since 1979, Joni &Friends has been advancing disability ministry and changing the church and communities around the world. 

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  • Ways to Engage

     

    Impact a Life!

     

     SPECIAL LIFE®   

    Community Service & Awareness Initiatives 

     

     At Special Life Network

    Every Life is Special!®

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  • How do I...?

    Research & Learn!

     

    SPECIAL LIFE®

    Training & Education Library

     

    At SPECIAL LIFE NETWORK 

    Every Life is Special!®

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  • Want to Make a Difference?

     

    Make a Donation....Change a Life!

     

    SPECIAL LIFE®

    Charitable Fundraising & Giving Programs

     

    At SPECIAL LIFE NETWORK 

    Every Life is Special!®

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Print

PRIVACY POLICY

SPECIAL LIFE MINISTRY NETWORK INC ("Special Life") recognizes that its customers, visitors, users, and others who use http://www.specaillife.org or other web sites owned or operated by Special Life (the "Special Life Sites") (collectively or individually "Users" or “you”) value their privacy. This Privacy Notice details important information regarding the use and disclosure of User information collected on the Special Life Sites. Special Life provides this Privacy Notice to help you make an informed decision about whether to use or continue using the Special Life Sites.

This Privacy Notice is incorporated into and is subject to the Special Life Terms of Use. Your use of the Special Life Sites and any personal information you provide on the Special Life Sites remains subject to the terms of this Privacy Notice and Special Life’s TERMS OF USE.

Please note that any video, image, or other content posted at the direction of Users onto the Special Life Sites becomes published, publicly available content and is not considered personally identifiable information.

Please read the following to learn more about our privacy policy.

What this Privacy Policy Covers

  • This Privacy Policy covers Special Life's treatment of personally identifiable information that you, your computer, or your ISP provide us when you are on an Special Life site, and when you use Special Life's services. This policy also covers Special Life's treatment of any personally identifiable information that Special Life's business partners share with Special Life. 
  • This policy does not apply to the practices of companies that Special Life does not own or control, or to people that Special Life does not employ or manage.

Information Collection and Use

  • Special Life collects personally identifiable information when you register for an Special Life account, when you use certain Special Life products or services, and when you visit Special Life pages. Special Life may also receive personally identifiable information from our business partners. 
  • When you register with Special Life, you provide various information about yourself and products or services you seek, email address, occupation, industry, and personal interests. Once you register with Special Life and sign in to our services, you are not anonymous to us. 
  • Special Life also automatically receives and records information on our server logs from your browser, which may include, but is not limited to, your IP address, Special Life cookie information, cookies that may uniquely identify your browser, and the page you requested. 
  • Special Life may employ "clear GIFs" and/or Web Beacons, which are used to track online usage patterns. Special Life may also use clear GIFs in HTML-based emails sent to you, which may be used to track which emails are opened.
  • Special Life uses information for four general purposes: to customize the content you see, to fulfill your requests for certain products and services, to allow you to openly share your provided information with others, and to contact you about specials and new products. Special Life may use both your personally identifiable information and non-personally-identifiable information to improve the quality and design of the Special Life Sites and to create new features, promotions, functionality, and services by storing, tracking, and analyzing such data and trends.
  • Special Life may use personally identifiable information and non-personally-identifiable information for any other purpose, such as: to remember information so that you will not have to re-enter it during your visit or the next time you visit the Special Life Sites; to provide custom, personalized content and information; to monitor the effectiveness of our marketing campaigns; to monitor aggregate metrics such as total number of visitors, pages viewed, etc.; and to track your entries, submissions, and status in promotions, sweepstakes, and contests.

Information Sharing and Disclosure

  • Any personal information, including sounds and images and video content (“Recordings”), that you voluntarily disclose online (on discussion boards, in messages and chat areas, within your public profile page, etc.) becomes publicly available and can be collected and used by others. Your personal information is displayed to other Users when you upload Recordings or send messages through the Special Life Sites and other Users can contact you through messages and comments. Any Recordings that you submit to the Special Life Sites may be redistributed through the internet and other media channels, and may be accessed or downloaded by the general public.
  •  Special Life will send personally identifiable information about you to other companies or people when:

·      You request information, products, or services;

·      We respond to subpoenas, court orders or legal process;

·      Required to do so by law, or in the good-faith belief that such action is necessary to comply with state and federal laws (such as U.S. Copyright Law); or

·      We find that your actions on our web sites violate the Special Life Terms of Use or any of our guidelines. 

  • Special Life also reserves the right to disclose personally identifiable information and/or non-personally-identifiable information that Special Life believes, in good faith, is appropriate or necessary to enforce our Terms of Use, take precautions against liability, to investigate and defend itself against any third-party claims or allegations, to assist government enforcement agencies, to protect the security or integrity of our web site, and to protect the rights, property, or personal safety of Special Life, our Users or others.                                                 

Cookies

  • Special Life may set and access Special Life cookies on your computer.
  • Special Life allows other companies that are presenting advertisements on some of our pages to set and access their cookies on your computer. Other companies' use of their cookies is subject to their own privacy policies, not this one. Advertisers or other companies generally do not, but may, have access to Special Life’s cookies.

Your Ability to Edit and Delete Your Account Information and Preferences 

  •  Special Life gives you the ability to edit your Special Life Account Information and preferences at any time, including whether you want Special Life to contact you about specials and new products. 
  • You may request deletion of your Special Life account by sending an email to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

Security 

  • Your Special Life Account Information is password-protected for your privacy and security. 
  • In certain areas Special Life uses industry-standard SSL-encryption to protect data transmissions.

Changes to this Privacy Policy

  • Special Life may amend this policy from time to time. If we make any substantial changes in the way we use your personal information we will notify you by posting a prominent announcement on our pages.  Your continued use of the Special Life Sites constitutes your agreement to this Privacy Notice and any future revisions.

Childrens' Privacy

  • Special Life does not knowingly collect or maintain personally identifiable information or non-personally-identifiable information on the Special Life Sites from persons under 13 years of age, and no part of our website is directed to persons under 13. If you are under 13 years of age, then please do not use or access the Special Life Sites at any time or in any manner. If Special Life learns that personally identifiable information of persons under 13 years of age has been collected on the Special Life Sites without verified parental consent, then Special Life will take the appropriate steps to delete this information.

International Users

  • The Special Life Sites are hosted in the United States and are intended for and directed to Users in the United States. If you are a User accessing the Special Life Sites from the European Union, Asia, or any other region with laws or regulations governing personal data collection, use, and disclosure, that differ from United States laws, please be advised that through your continued use of the Special Life Sites, which are governed by U.S. law, this Privacy Notice, and our Terms of Use, you are transferring your personal information to the United States and you consent to that transfer.

In the Event of Merger, Sale, or Bankruptcy

  • In the event that Special Life is acquired by or merged with a third party entity, we reserve the right, in any of these circumstances, to transfer or assign the information we have collected from our Users as part of such merger, acquisition, sale, or other change of control. In the unlikely event of our bankruptcy, insolvency, reorganization, receivership, or assignment for the benefit of creditors, or the application of laws or equitable principles affecting creditors' rights generally, we may not be able to control how your personal information is treated, transferred, or used.

Questions or Suggestions

  • If you have questions or suggestions email us at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

About Special Life

  • 12 Years Impacting Lives

     How are the mission and goals of Special Life Network implemented?

    Special Life Network is an all-volunteer 501(c)(3) public charity founded and established in The Woodlands. We are governed by a board of directors that have other professional jobs, but are actively involved in the organization, heading up various leadership teams and projects. At Special Life Network, we believe “Every Life is Special®.” This is a message for the heart. To accomplish our purpose of facilitating integration opportunities for individuals with special needs, we incorporate three core strategies;  increasing awareness, providing education and training, and networking resources. In this way, we support needed changes and adaptions, so all can be included and supporting that Every Life is Special!

    Through SPECIAL LIFE® Fun Family Events and Activities, we directly serve special needs individuals and their families and help connect families with each other and with adaptive programs in churches and the broader community. (Examples of these include our SPECIAL LIFE® Fun Family Bowling, Family Skate Nights - wheelchairs included, and Holiday Craft Making, organized groups to attend area events, and we have partnered with area churches and organizations to do combined events such as the teen and adult program, “VBS for VIP’s.”)

     

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  • Fast Facts

    SPECIAL LIFE® Fast Facts

    12 Years Celebrating Every Life is Special!®

      1. What is SPECIAL LIFE NETWORK?
    • A Christian-led 501(c)(3) non-profit public charity organization.
    • Incorporated in April 2005. Founded and headquartered in The Woodlands, Texas.
    • A 100% volunteer organization led by parents, professionals, volunteers and church leaders.
    • As a 501(c)(3) non-profit public charity, we serve the "entire community" with no exclusions.

    For the FULL ARTICLE, click the red READ MORE icon on the right side of this page...

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  • Vision and Mission

    sln heart stamp  SPECIAL LIFE® Vision and Mission

    At SPECIAL LIFE NETWORK, we seek to enrich the life of individuals with disabilities and the families that support them by improving the integration with their local church and broader community. 

    Vision

    • Create a global network of SPECIAL LIFE® communities that are rich in awareness, integration and spiritual growth for children, teens and adults with special needs, and for the families that support them ... Special Needs Families

    Mission

    • Create, within local communities, a resource network of churches, businesses and other community organizations that provide support, encouragement, education, spiritual growth and meaningful integration opportunities for children and adults with special needs and their families.

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  • Goals & Purpose

    sln heart stamp  10 Years Celebrating Every Life is Special!®

    What is the purpose of Special Life Network?

    The purpose of Special Life Network is to facilitate the integration of children, teens and adults with disabilities into the broader community. We do this by implementing a simple 4 point strategy.

    •1.    Increase Awareness

    •2.    Network Community Knowledge, People and Resources

    •3.    Provide Education and Training

    •4.    Transform Lives


    For the FULL ARTICLE, click the red READ MORE icon on the right side of this page...

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  • Why We Care

     

    sln heart stamp SPECIAL LIFE® Awareness

    Disabilities reach far beyond the physical realm of an individual and have emotional, financial, social, and spiritual impact on families, caregivers, communities, and society as a whole. 

    Impact on Families

    • 90% of families that care for a family member with a disability of any age find it difficult to integrate into church and/or community events on a regular basis.
    • Divorce rates are typically higher for families that care for children or adults with disabilities due to the added demands on the family.
    • In many situations the demands on the family are such that siblings must participate with their parents in daily care.
    • Without intervention, these families risk physical and spiritual isolation, living their lives disconnected from their local church, community, and God.

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                                           At SPECIAL LIFE NETWORK Every Life is Special!®

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  • Core Values

    SPECIAL LIFE® Core Value Statement

    Core values create a culture which drives an organization's behavior. The core values of the SPECIAL LIFE NETWORK are:

    • Respect
    • Compassioin
    • Integration
    • Spiritual Growth

    Our SPECIAL LIFE® Core Value Statement:

    To put Christian principles into action by embracing Special Needs families with respect, compassion, and spiritual growth through the love of Christ, and to help better integrate these families into the church and/or broader community.

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