9:00am, 9am Courtyard, 11:00am
59 Worthen Rd
Lexington, MA 02421
781-862-6499
9:15am, 11:00am
128 West St
Wilmington, MA 01887
781-862-6499
9:15am, 11:00am
525 Main St
Watertown, MA 02472
781-862-6499
SHINE is a ministry that provides children with disabilities or other needs with a 1:1 buddy. Our mission is to support families by loving and guiding children and youth with disabilities in a safe and appropriate environment to learn and grow in their faith and knowledge of Jesus Christ. Our SHINE Ministry serves children in Kidstown and Student Ministries at the Lexington campus.
We know that every child who needs a buddy is valuable, worthy, and uniquely made. Finding the right buddy for every SHINE child takes care and attention to the needs of your child - but also the needs of other children already in the SHINE program, and the volunteers currently on our SHINE team.
To get started, use the contact form below to let us know you're interested in SHINE. We'll send you a SHINE Family Questionnaire; once it's submitted, we'll review the information and follow up as quickly as possible to learn more about your child’s needs by phone, in person, or through email.
Please allow time for our team to place your child with a buddy, and make yourself available for communication. Your SHINE Director may be working with multiple families at a time, and this process requires the cooperation and assistance of parents! We do our best to provide consistency and stability with volunteer support for your family in the long run.
The time varies but the average wait time for a buddy is 2-3 weeks. During this time, we will gather information about your child using a SHINE Family Questionnaire. We may ask you to have a phone call, attend SHINE with your child, or have a meeting or 2 with your child’s buddy on Sunday morning in order to help us get to know and find the best fit for your child.
We try to be as flexible as possible and work hard to accommodate everyone. However, we are a volunteer-driven program that serves over 30 families and 50 volunteers with variable needs. We may not be able to accommodate a request to have a buddy at a specific service.
No. SHINE may not be able to provide support to a child for the following reasons:
SHINE is a ministry of Kidstown and so SHINE families and kids are invited as equal participants in all the special events that Kidstown offers, this includes but is not limited to: Move Up Sunday, Friday Night FX, Child Dedications, Bible Presentations, and Kids Week. We encourage SHINE families to follow the Kidstown Calendar for a list of special events. While we do not offer 1:1 buddies for these programs, we are committed to accessibility and ask you to contact us for any special assistance needs:
