About Snappin' Ministries
In 2002, the Dittrich family sought to connect with other parents who were facing the trials of raising a child with special needs. Having a two-year-old son with severe hemophilia, they found incredible support in the secular world, but craved a more faith-based approach to coping with the challenges of daily living. After seeking out another couple who had a more visibly disabled son, it quickly became apparent to the Dittrichs that God was not calling others, but THEM to serve this community. The original meeting, a potluck with six couples, began at their home and then moved to regular meetings at Crosspoint Community Church in Oconomowoc, WI.
Snappin' Ministries was incorporated outside the church October 23, 2007, receiving full 501(c)(3) non-profit status January 29, 2009. Besides serving families locally, the organization seeks to establish this outreach in churches and communities nationwide.
At Snappin' Ministries, our mission is to provide compassion, support, help and resources for the parents of children with special needs.
Learn more about Snappin' Ministries:
What We're About
Bearing one another's burdens.
Offering hope when things seem hopeless.
Realizing two are better than one...if one falls down, his friend can help him up...a cord of three strands is not quickly broken.
Offering compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience.
Rejoicing with those who rejoice; mourning with those who mourn.
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Mission Statement
Our pursuit is to continuously support and encourage those living with the challenge of parenting a special needs child, so that the genuine love and hope of Jesus will be experienced and shared in their every day lives.
Statement of Faith
We Believe:
- The Bible is the inspired Word of God, with no error in its original writings. It is to be the final authority for our faith and manner of living.
- There is one God, eternally existing in perfection and revealed in three persons, Father, Son and Holy Spirit.
- Jesus Christ is God, who came to earth as a sinless man born of the Virgin Mary; that his death on the cross was in our place to provide complete payment for our sins; that He rose from the grave, bodily ascended to heaven and will one day return as King of Kings and Lord of Lords.
- All people sin and fall short of the gloryof God and will face eternal separation from God unless they come into a saving relationship with Jesus Christ. Salvation is a free gift fromGod that can be received by faith in Jesus Christ.
- Through the work of God’s Spirit, manhas the capability of being in a right and healthy relationship withhis Creator, his fellow man, and with himself.
The above is our statement of faith. All presentations, chapter meetings and use of Snappin’ materials must adhere to operating within this statement of faith.
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Our Story
Back when genetic testing was imperfect, we were informed that the results we got were inconclusive and there may be a chance that we could be the parents of a child with hemophilia. We went about thinking, “Not us! We’ve been through enough trials already.” You see, our children had not come easily to us and besides going through miscarriage and extensive infertility treatment, we had also faced other large hurdles in our lives. Foolishly, we believed we had reached our “trauma quotient” for the next 20 years!
The shock of our son Charlie’s diagnosis hit us like a ton of bricks the day after he was born. “There’s no easy way to say this. Charlie has hemophilia.” Having had 2 nephews with the disorder, we had a vague idea of the expense and struggle we all faced in our future. Nevertheless, through tears and disbelief we whispered in prayer together, “Thank you, God, for hemophilia. We’re not sure why we’re thanking you, but we thank you anyway.”
In the days ahead we struggled with countless visits to the hospital, financial burdens and a lack of support. All that we read or sought help with was so lacking in Godly influence. We knew that He had to be part of the mix if we were going to survive life with this child. Another couple at church had a wheelchair-bound son several years older than ours and we sought to connect with them. We thought other parents of special needs kids could really help one another through this difficult journey. Nevertheless, we were reminded in a Biblestudy that “The Son of Man came to serve, not to be served and to give His life as a ransom for many.” The premise of the study was that we should observe where God is working and join Him in that work. We felt heavily the call to serve, even as inexperienced vessels and begin this fellowship of struggling, special needs parents who are seeking God’s face in their daily walk.
In our personal lives, we have seen God working mightily, giving us joy and confidence as we walk through never-ending trials. We have lived through joblessness 5 times in 6 years and other major struggles. But we want to share with others the blessing we have found in our lives: God IS the strength of our hearts and a VERY present help in times of trouble!
In our ministry, we have seen God’s love – one family, often one person at a time. It may be the meal that someone brings to the family whose child just had surgery. It may be in the woman who selflessly gives a mom some time off so she can refill her well. It may be in the teenager that accompanies a special child to Sunday school so that they get the individual attention and inclusion that they need. We have grown almost 10 times in size in our brief existence.
Yes, thank you God for hemophilia because, in our struggles, others may find hope!
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