Cultivating a Meaningful Life
A servant’s heart sets effective leaders apart. Servanthood, combined with leadership competency, forms the key that enables others to unlock their full potential. It all starts with a capable heart, a servant’s heart, that places others above oneself. For individuals with intellectual or development disabilities (IDD), these winning traits are essential for cultivating a life of service. Capable Minds, Hearts & Hands: The Potter’s House IDD Outreach, serves not only those in the local congregation, but those worldwide within the IDD community diagnosed with autism, Fragile X, Down syndrome, Fetal Alcohol Syndrome (FAS), and brain trauma, among other conditions.
In 2000, First Lady Serita Jakes, a leading voice for the IDD community, founded Gifted Stars to meet the diverse needs of the local church. Recently, The Potter’s House special needs ministry expanded its global impact by rebranding to Capable Minds, Hearts & Hands: The Potter’s House IDD Outreach, enhancing its service within the IDD community and creating more opportunities for IDD individuals and their families to thrive. Through custom programming, training, and community outreach programs, every leader can unlock their true potential and deepen their commitment to serving others.
Mapping a Journey of Empowerment
The Potter’s House IDD Outreach strives to give individuals with IDD the tools to collaborate, problem solve, create, communicate and connect. When given the right tools, it becomes possible for every person to pursue their passions and discover new ways to explore them at home, work, school, and in the community. We work to leverage each person’s strengths to inspire community change leaders, while creating a world where all people are seen in their full humanity and treated fairly.
Encouraging & Promoting Involvement for Everyone
As one of the most influential ministries in the world, The Potter’s House continues to advocate for socialization, education, empowerment, and diversity within the IDD community. We want to ensure that every person within this community has the support and guidance they need to lead a more fulfilling life.
Supporting Individuals & Families
The Potter’s House IDD Outreach offers monthly support groups for families, advocates, and daily care providers of IDD individuals. These support groups are segmented to address the specific needs of mothers, fathers, siblings, and caregivers. Monthly education and development seminars are available for skills training, virtual field trips, arts and culture exploration, book clubs & reading, STEAM activities, music therapy, and business skills & entrepreneurship.
For more information about The Potter’s House IDD Outreach, including programs, meeting information, events, and how you can get involved, contact tphidd@tdjakes.org or call 214-331-0954 ext.1417.
To learn more about individuals with intellectual or developmental disabilities (IDD), or to get specific information on autism, Cerebral Palsy, Down syndrome, or resources, visit the sites below.
Resources:
- Autism Society
- Autism Speaks
- Best Colleges for students with IDD
- Down Syndrome Guild of Dallas
- Down Syndrome Partnership of North Texas
- March of Dimes
- National Down Syndrome Society
- National Fragile X Foundation
- Responding to Autism
- Special Olympics
- Think College
- The Arc
- What is Asperger’s Syndrome?
- UNT Kristin Farmer Autism Center
- UCP.org
- SEEK Camp, Special Needs Youth Camp
- Dallas Boy Scouts Troop 263, Special Needs Boy Scout Troop
- American Association of People with Disabilities (AAPD)
- American Association on Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities
