A session from #DATC2023
Disability and the Church 2023 was an unprecedented success. Key Ministry’s national disability ministry conference experienced record attendance this past Spring, reflective of the rapidly expanding growth of our ministry movement. Our 2023 conference featured seventy speakers with talks and training reflective of the breadth and depth of the disability ministry field.
The growth in attendance and spike in applications from prospective speakers left us with some “good problems.” One “problem” was receiving significantly more high-quality speaker proposals than we could host with our space and time limitations—applications to speak in 2023 were up over 70% from 2022. We’ve essentially outgrown the venue where we’ve hosted the live conference in Cleveland since 2018.
Disability and the Church 2024 will take place on May 1-3, 2024 in Orlando, Florida. Why move to Orlando? As if people who spend the winter and early spring in Cleveland need a reason to do anything in Orlando?
First, the move to Orlando will allow us to have the space to welcome everyone who wants to come and expand the number of workshops and breakouts we can offer. The move to Orlando makes the conference accessible to more visitors and speakers. Since we lost our hub airline in Cleveland, flights in and out of town are more expensive and less available. Holding the conference in Orlando in the first week of May will also make it possible for disability ministry leaders to take part the following day in “Make ‘m Smile,” one of America’s largest disability outreach and awareness events, created and hosted by our long-term ministry friends Marie Kuck and her team at Nathaniel’s Hope. We’re working with their team to give folks attending our conference a “behind the scenes” look at how Nathaniel’s Hope prepares to host upwards of 30,000 people in Downtown Orlando, including their “VIP” guests—kids and adults with all types of disabilities, and provide attendees the opportunity to experience Make ‘m Smile firsthand.
Building upon last Spring’s conference, Day One (May 1) will be devoted to an expanded range of ministry intensives, “deep dives” into topics of interest for churches seeking to launch or grow specialized types of ministry. Last year’s intensives focused upon special needs, mental health and trauma-informed ministry. Day Two and Day Three will feature several all-conference gatherings, breakouts reflective of the innovation taking place in disability ministry and the “Quick Takes”—briefer presentations that are broadcast as part of the conference livestream.
Erik Carter presenting his research on disability ministry in churches at #DATC2023
The opportunity to apply to speak is open to any and all mature Christians with important or innovative thoughts or ideas to help grow or advance the disability ministry movement. We encourage leaders doing important work in relative obscurity—lacking the connections or platforms to make their work better known throughout the church to apply. For roughly a quarter of our speakers, last year ’s event represented their first opportunity at a national ministry conference. Ministry leaders with personal experience of significant disabilities are very much encouraged to apply. Approximately 20% of last year’s speakers publicly identify themselves as having a disability.
Brandon Gaskin from the Deaf Millennial Project
We’re continuing to “tweak” how we organize the conference in response to participant feedback. One change for 2024 is building more time in the schedule for conversations with ministry leaders and exhibitors. Another change is the addition of an additional format for breakouts. Here are some changes in format for 2024 for prospective speakers to consider:
Some of the exhibitors at #DATC2023
“Quick Takes” (our version of “TED talks”) will be limited to TEN MINUTES OR LESS in 2024 and will be offered on a more intimate stage than in the past. Quick Takes are succinct presentations on topics of interest to the church related to disability, involving a single presenter. Quick Takes are part of the free livestream made available to those unable to attend the conference in person and are made available following the conference on a variety of Key Ministry online platforms. Quick Takes and talks during the all conference gatherings typically receive the greatest exposure .
We will have TWO options for breakouts in 2024—75 minute and 45 minute breakouts. Breakouts are typically focused on the “how to” of ministry. The 75 minute breakouts will typically consist of topics offered by multiple presenters, sessions incorporating significant audience participation and speakers seeking to impart lots of information. The 45 minute breakouts are more appropriate for single presenters, topics for which interest may be more limited and ministry innovations that haven’t yet been broadly adopted. Breakouts are NOT part of the conference livestream and video will not be available following the conference.
We are specifically interested in proposals that will advance the disability ministry movement through content that is innovative, creative, inspired, and non-programmatic. Topics of interest include, but are not limited to:
Inspired ideas and strategies for outreach
Engaging lead pastors in promotion and implementation of disability ministry
Disability among persons serving in ministry leadership
Innovative community partnerships
Approaches to mental health inclusion/ministry
Ministry with persons impacted by trauma
Disability, gender and Biblical sexuality
New and impactful family support models
Research on ministry “best practices"
Underserved populations in the disability community
Housing and employment ministry
Inclusion in Christian schools, colleges and universities
Ministry with persons experiencing disabilities of aging
Advancing ministry through use of technology and social media.
Some tips from the Program Committee:
We encourage submissions from two or more presenters.
We encourage submissions representing collaborations of two or more ministry organizations.
We encourage submissions describing new areas of ministry or new approaches to established areas of ministry.
We encourage submissions addressing evangelism and outreach with the disability community.
We encourage submissions on approaches/strategies providing opportunity for persons with disabilities to use their gifts and talents in ministry.
If you wish to be considered as a speaker for #DATC2024, please complete the Speaker Proposal Form available here. The deadline for speaker applications is Friday, November 3rd. All speakers will be notified of the status of their applications no later than mid-December. The final speaker lineup will be publicly announced in early January and a complete schedule will be released when “early-bird” registration opens in the second half of January. Speakers will receive free admission to the conference for themselves, an invitation to dinner on Wednesday night, opportunities to have their work featured across Key Ministry’s platforms and additional “perks” to be announced as the conference draws closer.
Our crew is looking forward to seeing lots of old friends in Orlando from May 1-3, 2024. If you’re interested in speaking at a large gathering of disability ministry leaders, we’d love to hear from you. If you’re not interested in speaking but would consider joining us, consider this your “Save the Date” notice for the opening of registration for #DATC2023 in January.
