Do you want to take your disability inclusion ministry to the next level? Be like the early church, by not only meeting the need of the moment, but by using the wisdom of those who have gone before to anticipate the needs that will be predictably coming soon.
Making Churches Safe From Abuse
Special Needs Parents are Candles, Burning Between Hope and Despair
Parents of children with special needs are often labeled negatively: ‘troublemakers,’ ‘confrontational,’ ‘needy,’ ‘over-sharing.’ The reason we (as yes, I’m one too) can sometimes pick up some of these negative labels is that we won’t take no for an answer when it comes to our child. Why do we enter into conversations, meetings and appointments with our boxing gloves firmly on? Because the world cannot understand.
25 Encouraging Bible Verses for Disability Ministry Leaders
Tis the season when caring ministry leaders and volunteers typically try to do some regrouping. The Bible has generous reassurance for leaders caring for individuals and families affected by special needs. I pray you know the tremendous value of the work you do and find refreshment in God’s truth here!
An Open Letter to the Church About Chronic Pain
Today was a bad pain day. I never cry from pain. Never, except for today. I have seen God heal people with prayer. God. Is. A. Healer. That’s a part of who He is. But in the midst of my pain, today I saw a flaw in my church, a church that has worked so hard on disability inclusion, and it hit me where it hurts, literally.
Lord, How Can My Child Know You?
On this particular morning, several years ago, my Bible reading for the day took me to Romans 10:9-10, the Scriptures that lay out God’s path to salvation. What wasn’t so clear to me was how my son, who suffered with cognitive disabilities, would be able to meet these requirements. “How, LORD,” I asked, “is Myles gonna be able to receive salvation?”
Five Ways to use AAC for Spiritual Development
Some individuals with limited speech may use AAC (augmentative and alternative communication) speech-generating devices. For roughly 7 years, my own daughter with special needs used a speech-generating device to communicate when she was nonverbal. Here are five ways I used my daughter’s device to aid her spiritual development and increase her participation in our faith.
Five Barriers To Mental Health Services, and Some Ways Churches Can Help
Equipping Teens with SEND for the Transition to Adulthood
Many young people with learning disabilities do not have adequate preparation for adult life. The reason sometimes is that people mistakenly assume that having learning disabilities means not being able to learn. This is not the case. Rather, it means that they have difficulty learning. To help with this needed preparation, I have just published a teaching pack for parents, educators and church leaders.