Deaconess Jana Peters talks about Jesus' love to a resident at Little Angels in Elgin, Illinois.

Pastor Carlos Catalan sings and prays with residents in Spanish.

One thing that was missing, however, – as it often is at such facilities – was a program to meet the residents' spiritual needs. Thanks to Voice of Care, along with two LCMS pastors and congregations, that need to know the love of Jesus Christ is now being met.

Deaconess Jana Peters works closely with Rev. Don Kretzschmar, chaplain of Voice of Care, an agency that proclaims the saving Gospel message of Jesus Christ to the developmentally challenged and those who care for them within congregations, homes, residential facilities and in communities.

“Little Angels is a children's home, but they are licensed beyond that, so the residents never have to leave,” Peters explains. “They are severely disabled; very few can talk beyond a few words, at the level of maybe a one-year-old. They are all in wheelchairs; many have tracheas to help them breathe and some have feeding tubes."

“I contacted them and told them about Voice of Care,” she continues. “I went and interviewed with them, told them how we set things up and what we do. We've now been going to Little Angels every Wednesday for more than a year.”

Peters called all the Lutheran churches in Elgin to let them know about this new outreach effort and hopefully enlist their interest and aid. One of the two pastors who immediately responded was Rev. Keith Perry from King of Glory Lutheran Church.

“Pastor Perry was very excited,” Peters says. “He said, ‘I don't know how to completely explain it to my congregation, so why don't I come out and then I can explain it better?' So he started coming, and he never left! He's here every Wednesday.”

The nature of the program is very hands-on, which means many volunteers are needed to assist the residents one-on-one, due to the severity of their disabilities. Both King of Glory and San Juan provide a rotating group of volunteers. Each visit includes lessons, singing and many tactile activities, such as simple crafts and games -- all to teach one simple lesson, that Jesus loves them and has a home for them in heaven.

It's likely that this weekly spiritual exercise is the only time the residents hear the Gospel. Despite being a secular facility, Little Angels welcomed Voice of Care with open arms.

“They had no objections to the spiritual element,” Peters says. “They did have to ask permission from the parents, and certain parents not only agreed, but were very excited about it. Some parents or guardians have said, ‘make sure they are involved in that.'

Voice of Care currently offers outreach such as this at 18 homes, all of them secular. Sometimes Voice of Care seeks them out, and sometimes the homes find them. All of them incorporate volunteers from local churches where available.

“Some people say, ‘Why do you teach them? What can they learn? They have such low IQs.'” Peters notes. “Well, we believe we can understand God's word and love only because of the Holy Spirit, and it's the same with persons who have developmental disabilities.”

One stunning example involved Chris Bishop.

“After we do the lesson, we are one-on-one and retell it,” Peters explains. “Usually we have a picture that we might point to or describe. Chris was sitting with a little girl with cerebral palsy, who, because of her condition, couldn't control her arms; they were always moving. She also didn't make eye contact very well.