How to be a Champion in the Lives of Special Needs Kids

This week’s episode features a very special conversation with Craig Johnson, author of Champion: How One Boy’s Miraculous Journey Through Autism is Changing the World. I just know you are going to be so encouraged. Be sure to listen in and check out all the show notes below.

I can say pretty confidently, without taking a poll or looking up stats, that most of us know at least one family who has a child who has special needs or disabilities. Maybe your family has a child who has received a diagnosis of some type.

This week’s episode features an amazing interview! You will laugh. You will cry. You will be completely inspired in your parenting! I have Craig Johnson on the show today and he’s sharing his family’s story and all about the impact his son’s autism diagnosis impacted his family — and millions of other people! I love God stories like this.

Craig is a pastor at Lakewood Church in Houston, TX. Yep, he works with Joel Osteen. Craig’s new book Champion: How One Boy’s Miraculous Journey Through Autism Is Changing the World is so good and I can’t wait to give you a little taste of it in this conversation. Craig is so down-to-earth and real, I just know you are going to love this episode. Be sure to share it with a friend!

I hope you are so encouraged by this conversation with Craig Johnson! I know I was!

Get ready for a great interview — get your own Simply Joyful Podcast mug HERE!

Highlights from This Show…

No matter what the challenge, He has a purpose and a plan for it. — Craig Johnson (CLICK TO TWEET)

Your child is not a burden. Your child is a gift. — Craig Johnson (CLICK TO TWEET)

Craig shares a little about his story and how his son’s diagnosis of autism has changed his family’s life. I love the story Craig shares about what a “surprise” their son Conner was — we laughed so much.
Craig explains how 99% of churches do not offer anything for special needs families. There’s a need for churches to step up.
When Craig shares how his son began to speak again after years of not being able to, I had tears streaming down my face! I loved this story — and wait until you hear what his first words were — so powerful!
I was chatting with one of my girlfriends while prepping for this interview. Her family has had two children with autism. She was saying that when they got the diagnosis it was like they entered into a new reality. She went through a low point before coming back to the truth that her child was made in the image of God and her child was created for God’s glory! It’s was so beautiful to hear her say that — and it just happened to go along with the subtitle of Craig’s book — “How One Boy’s Miraculous Journey Through Autism is Changing the World.”
I asked Craig to share a little about what has been happening in his ministry and what he’s hoping to “champion” in other families.
One thing that Craig wrote in his book, that I thought was so good, is how Craig and his wife thought so positively through the whole situation. I loved how Craig talks about how “the enemy wants to give you a shovel and let you dig a hole with pain so deep that you can’t find your way out of it. Our shovel was autism. Your shovel may be a failed marriage, financial struggles, or sickness. But we decided early on that we were not going to let autism dictate Conner’s destiny.” I loved that! This is such a big message in Champion!
Craig has used his son’s story to create a curriculum that is now in use in 70 different countries around the world. These Champion clubs are changing lives all over the world! You can get more information here: championsclub.org/

Be sure to listen to today’s listener questions — Craig had wonderful answers to this two-part question:

What are some of the challenging everyday parts that you encounter?
How can the body of Christ and the church better be a champion for families with special needs?

Scripture Referenced:

“And the King will say, ‘I tell you the truth, when you did it to one of the least of these my brothers and sisters, you were doing it to me!’ (Matthew 25:40)
As Jesus was walking along, he saw a man who had been blind from birth.²“Rabbi,” his disciples asked him, “why was this man born blind? Was it because of his own sins or his parents’ sins?”

“It was not because of his sins or his parents’ sins,”Jesus answered. “This happened so the power of God could be seen in him. (John 9:1-3)

may he equip you with all you need
for doing his will.
May he produce in you,
through the power of Jesus Christ,
every good thing that is pleasing to him.
All glory to him forever and ever! Amen. (Hebrews 13:21)

Please Note…

Be sure to grab your FREE copy of my book, Sanity Savers for Moms, by joining our Simply Joyful community. It’s a great way to keep in touch…and get subscriber only freebies like my book. Click HERE to get the book and join!

A Special Thanks to…

Rend Collective for allowing me to use their incredible song “The Joy of the Lord is My Strength”This song has so much special meaning to me and it highlights the theme verse for my podcast — Nehemiah 8:10. Be sure to check out their music! They are such a fun band to listen to…and to see live.

Connect with Craig Johnson…

Pastor Craig Johnson is currently the Director of Ministries at Lakewood Church in Houston, Texas. He oversees all pastoral ministries and staff and travels throughout the year, speaking to organizations about the reality of special needs families and the hope God has for them. In 2009, Craig launched the Champions Club, a state of the art facility for special needs kids that features a physical therapy room, spiritual therapy room, sensory room, and an educational room. He is the co-creator of Champions Curriculum for special needs families and is the author of the book Lead Vertically. As an enthusiastic advocate for special needs children, Craig firmly believes the best is yet to come. Craig is married to Samantha and they have three children: Cory, Courtney, and Connor.

You can check out Craig’s books HERE on Amazon! Be sure to visit his site as well at www.championsclub.org.

(This podcast is by Kristi Clover. Discovered by Christian Podcast Central and our community — copyright is owned by the publisher, not Christian Podcast Central, and audio is streamed directly from their servers.)