As a disability ministry leader, do you ever feel alone? Beth Golik shares about Online Connection for Disability Ministry Leaders in Episode 104 of Key Ministry the Podcast.
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As a disability ministry leader, do you ever feel alone? Maybe you are a volunteer who is having a hard time getting connection and buy-in from your church leadership or staff. Perhaps the ministry you represent is not embraced by your children’s ministry – or instead is relegated to children’s ministry and not considered part of the overall life of the church.
A major theme in the recent Disability & The Church Conference hosted by Key Ministry was that when we gather together, like we did in Orlando last month for DATC2024, we are not alone. At the conference we had the opportunity to support and encourage each other face to face. We learned from each other and most of all, we were lifted up by each other. We were among people who get it and who have the same passion to create places of belonging in our churches so that everyone, including individuals and families with disabilities, can hear and respond to the message of the Gospel. President & Founder of Key Ministry, Dr. Steve Grcevich, even shared about it from the main stage. Here’s what he had to say:
When we get together for this conference each year I sense this is what church is supposed to feel like. A place where we’re able to worship and praise God alongside others who know and value us for who we are and “get” the ministry in which we’re engaged. A place where everyone is recognized as having gifts and talents to be used in fulfilling God’s purposes and actively encouraged in exercising them. We do this ministry because we want families impacted by disability to experience the friendship, encouragement and sense of Christian community we experience here each week in churches in every city, town and neighborhood where the Lord has placed them. I love that we get to do this ministry together with one another. When I’m with you guys, I don’t feel alone.
Dr. Steve Grcevich
If you were at DATC2024, maybe you had the same feeling Steve did. That you were among people who get it and are supporting each other and working towards a common purpose. How can we connect with each other and support each other when we are not together in person at a conference like the ones hosted by Key Ministry?
I’d like to invite you to two opportunities to find connection and community with your fellow disability ministry leaders.
While we can’t gather in person each month, we can still talk face to face as a group through Key Ministry’s disability ministry video roundtables. These Zoom meetings happen twice a month and are open to all. On the first Monday of each month, at Noon eastern, we host the Idea Share. This online gathering started in March of 2020 when pandemic protocols closed our churches and we all were suddenly stuck in our homes saying, “Now what?!?!” Four years later we continue to meet, now on a monthly basis, to provide encouragement to each other and to brainstorm best practices for our churches and ministries.
On the third Wednesday of each month, also at Noon eastern time, we have a video roundtable on a particular ministry topic. We post the topic at keyministry.org/events and the discussion is open to all. Our discussions include:
Practical Ideas for Sensory-Friendly Worship Services (January 2023)
The Words We Use: A Thoughtful Conversation on the Language of Disability Ministry (September 2022)
Navigating Puberty in Disability Ministry (October 2023)
Once a quarter, we focus on a mental health ministry topic. As a matter of fact, if you are listening to this podcast the week it airs, you can join us for a discussion on The Vital Role of Peer Mental Health Leaders taking place on June 19.
In case you are thinking, “Shoot, I missed it!” please know that you can watch replays of any of the roundtables on our Vimeo and YouTube channels. We have links to everything I’ve mentioned in our show notes at keyministry.org/podcast.
The second resource I want to share with you is an online resource. It’s actually a Facebook group called the Special Needs and Disability Ministry Leaders Forum, or SNAD for short. It was founded a little over eleven years ago and for a good chunk of that time has been administered by Key Ministry. Recently, SNAD hit a milestone with admitting its 3,000th member. If you have a question to pose, a resource you are seeking, or an idea you want to flesh out, the SNAD Forum is a great place to go. A variety of perspectives and experiences and geographic regions are represented in its membership.
I’d like to make a quick side note here. We always welcome new members to join us in SNAD, but please follow the rules when requesting to join in order to speed up the process. You’ll be asked three questions, but if you neglect to answer them I’ll have to follow up with you and it slows everything down. So, thank you in advance for following the rules!
As a member of the Key Ministry team, part of what I do is help create opportunities for ministry leaders like you to have community and the ability to collaborate with and support each other. I am grateful to be able to do ministry with all of you in our common mission of making disciples who make disciples. If you are not plugged in with us on a regular basis, consider this your invitation. Start by visiting keyministry.org/podcast to access the links to everything mentioned today.
We release new episodes of Key Ministry: The Podcast each week. Please subscribe on your favorite podcast app so you don’t miss an episode. We would love it if you would recommend this podcast to a friend or colleague who might be feeling alone in ministry, whether they are brand new or a veteran leader. Take care, friends, and let’s connect soon.
