In this week’s episode, Catherine Boyle gives five reasons why the Disability and The Church Conference is a unique opportunity for ministry leaders and anyone affected by disability.
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Quick Links:
Disability and the Church Website
Transcript:
Hello, this is Catherine Boyle. On behalf of the Key Ministry team, I am delighted to announce Disability and The Church 2023, our national ministry conference, on Friday, April 28 and Saturday April 29, 2023 in Cleveland, OH. We also have three pre-conference ministry intensives the afternoon of Thursday, April 27. In today’s episode, I’ll share 5 reasons why this conference is so special.
There’s nothing quite like attending a conference with like-minded people to energize, expand and focus your mission or ministry. We’ve experienced this firsthand, and it’s a big part of why Key Ministry began hosting conferences more than 10 years ago.
Formerly called Inclusion Fusion Live, Disability and the Church 2023 features over seventy speakers with a broad range of expertise and experience. In addition to faces who may be familiar, more than half of the speakers are new to this event, including our two featured presenters, Dr. Erik Carter and Kim Botto.
We’re excited about the entire conference, but wanted to point out a few highlights to you today:
1. Pre-conference Ministry Intensives. Our pre-conference ministry intensives are back for the first time since 2019, on Thursday April 27. We’re offering three options this year:
Disability Ministry 101, presented by Stephen “Doc” Hunsley, Executive Director and Founder of SOAR Special Needs.
Helping Your Church and Disability Ministry Become More Trauma Informed, presented by Robert Crosby, PhD and Lori Crosby, MFT/RPT-S. Dr. Crosby is the world’s leading research scholar on children’s ministry, and is Executive Director of Reaching Hurting Kids. The Crosbys recently co-authored Trauma Informed Children’s Ministry: A Practical Guide to Reaching Hurting Kids.
Ideas for Launching and Growing Your Church’s Mental Health Ministry, presented by Dr. Steve Grcevich and Catherine Boyle from Key Ministry.
Please note: Ministry Intensives are optional. Tickets are available for a ministry intensive only, or combine with the DATC2023 conference registration for a discount on the Ministry Intensive ticket.
2. Pastor presentations and panel discussion. Support from church leadership is integral to launch and successfully run disability ministries. We are delighted that more than 15 pastors and church planters are presenting at DATC2023, including senior pastors, youth pastors and children’s ministry pastors. We will also feature a pastor panel discussion on Friday night on ministry topics and challenges from the perspective of pastors.
3. Saturday-only Family Focused ticket. Also for the first time since 2019, we’re offering a Family Focused ticket for a discounted price for Saturday-only, April 29. If you’re a family member impacted by disability, you’ll want to register for sessions that specifically speak to the needs of family caregivers.
4. Deaf Ministries. In IFL2022, we were delighted to introduce our audience to Deaf Millennial project. This year, DATC2023 features presentations from 4 different deaf ministries and leaders in the deaf community. With approximately 98% of the worldwide deaf community having little or no access to the Gospel, ministries to and with individuals with hearing loss and impairment are a vital part of disability ministry.
5. International Ministries and Ministry Leaders. In a recent podcast we shared that Key Ministry experienced an expanded international reach in 2022. We’re delighted that several ministries and ministry leaders working in international locations will be sharing about disability ministry outside the US, and how the local church can be involved with global disability ministry.
Just in case you’re wondering, sprinkled into the conference lineup are many people who live with disabilities, both visible disabilities and hidden ones. The blend of perspectives, expertise, and experiences from the DATC2023 speakers makes this conference a must for anyone with a heart for disability and ministry.
The event website page is live, and early bird registration will be available through the end of February.
To learn more, visit keyministry.org/datc2023.
For the Key Ministry team, I’m Catherine Boyle. Thank you for listening to today’s podcast. Register for Disability and The Church 2023 on the Key Ministry website, and be sure to share this podcast on social media. Thanks so much for your support of Key Ministry!
