As of March 2021, we are now at the year mark of the disruption from the pandemic. As a Church, community, and individuals, we have a lot we can do to support each other. Here are some tips to help each other, one year into the pandemic.
Tips to Change Good Intentions into Culture-Changing Connectedness
The global pandemic increased society’s awareness about the feelings and implications of being isolated. The question remains, what will be the lasting impact of that new awareness? Lisa Jamieson offers some observations and tips for churches and ministries to deepen connection with special needs families.
A Personal Look at the Mental Health Impacts of Quarantine
Trusting the Lord in the Struggle
I’m willing to guess that everyone on the planet has experienced life off kilter in some way this year. Wow! 2020! A year we won’t easily forget. Life right now is hard for so many, feeling messy and downright immobilizing. There’s much confusion and unrest in the world today. What do we do? What do we believe?
An Open Letter to a Disability-Friendly Church Leader
Dear leader in a disability-friendly church: I am the parent of a child with special needs who appreciates you so much. I understand this is a complicated season to serve in ministry. May God keep you brave and persistent. I am also praying God will help us all work together in finding solutions that fit our family and our church.
Six Reasons Why Pastors are Really Hurting, and How You Can Help
Depression and anxiety are real challenges for many people; pastors are no different. The reality that most people will never know is that the calling to be a pastor comes with a hefty price tag. I cannot speak for all pastors, so I will speak for myself and for those whom I personally know who struggle, while watching over the souls of others. Maybe by sharing this way, we can get to the heart of why many pastors are hurting, especially during this difficult time.
The Church Must Choose To Change
One of the challenges I constantly face is change. Change means that the old way is no longer working. Change means that a new way is begging for opportunity. I can’t but help to think that with all the changes we are being forced into making in our churches, the way that we worship God must be at the very top of the list of changes that we are seeking to make.
Ministry Leader Insights From 2020 - So Far
Just a handful of weeks into the pandemic quarantine, I was already starting to take stock of lessons God was teaching me. In the course of time and in the newly emerging chaos of rushing back to “normal” life, I’m already struggling to remember, let alone walk out, the lessons I was so certain would not leave me! How about you? During meetings with disability leaders and a recent check-in call with a group of pastors who are navigating ministry in these times, I have heard valuable insights from varied fronts.
Leveraging What We've Learned from COVID-19 to Serve the Disability Community
Since March churches and church leaders have had to find ways to creatively navigate the storm caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. All across the globe, churches have been using ingenuity to engage their congregants that are unable to attend worship gatherings in a centralized physical location. This pandemic is the perfect opportunity for the Church to take inventory of its efforts to include a population of people who have been missing from our weekly gatherings: the disability community.
