Church Support

How Great the Struggle!

How Great the Struggle!

Disability ministry can be a fear-laden minefield. Families, volunteers, and congregations all carry the personal burdens of fear. In Colossians 2:1-2, Paul shares his hope for the congregation to become knit together in love. When the hearts of the people of God are knit together in love, we function as well as a World Series champion baseball team.

Indispensable Interdependence, for the Health of the Church

Indispensable Interdependence, for the Health of the Church

A profound affirmation from a friend revealed to Joanna French that all members of the body of Christ need each other—and yes, that includes people with disabilities and mental illness.

Stable and Steadfast: Not Shifting from the Hope of the Gospel

Stable and Steadfast: Not Shifting from the Hope of the Gospel

One fateful day when I was a kid, my Dad adjusted my bicycle handlebars, forgetting to fully tighten the bolts. A few minutes later, I had knees and elbows full of gravel. Handlebars on a bike are designed to be inherently stable. What are the aspects of the Christian faith that can break loose if we don’t fasten them firmly?

Caregivers, Mental Health, and Mobilizing Church Support: An Interview with Jess Ronne Part 2

 Caregivers, Mental Health, and Mobilizing Church Support: An Interview with Jess Ronne Part 2

Unseen: How We’re Failing Parent Caregivers and Why It Matters made its global online premiere May 20. This is part 2 of the in-depth questions we posed to Jess Ronne to help our readers better understand the issues raised in the documentary and how churches can be supportive of caregiving families. Read part 1 here.

Caregivers, Mental Health, and Mobilizing Church Support: An Interview with Jess Ronne Part 1

 Caregivers, Mental Health, and Mobilizing Church Support: An Interview with Jess Ronne Part 1

Unseen: How We’re Failing Parent Caregivers and Why It Matters made its global online premiere May 20. We caught up with Jess Ronne to ask some in-depth questions to help our readers better understand the issues raised in the documentary and how churches can be supportive of caregiving families.

Dispensable Lives? Part Two

Dispensable Lives? Part Two

In part two of his blog post, Tony D’Orazio from Jacob’s Ladder Fitness continues with this important question: what has humanity missed out on without all those people with Down syndrome in the world?

Dispensable Lives? Part One

Dispensable Lives? Part One

Tony D’Orazio from Jacob’s Ladder Fitness asks an important question: what has humanity missed out on without all those people with Down syndrome in the world?

Part 3: How Churches Can Accommodate Adopted Children and Teens with Disabilities

Part 3: How Churches Can Accommodate Adopted Children and Teens with Disabilities

In the final part of this 3-part series, Sandra Peoples shares age group-specific strategies for churches to welcome, include, and create a place of belonging for adoptive children and teens with disabilities and traumatic backgrounds.

Part 2: How Churches Can Provide Long-Term Support for Adoptive Families

Part 2: How Churches Can Provide Long-Term Support for Adoptive Families

God's directive for adoptive families is the same as it is for every family. But adoptive, special-needs families experience extra challenges to meet this calling. In part 2 of this 3-part series, Sandra Peoples shares practical tips for churches to provide places of inclusion and belonging for families.

Deciding When to Push Through or Pull Back in Special Needs Ministry

Deciding When to Push Through or Pull Back in Special Needs Ministry

Sometimes things go great in your special needs ministry or class. Then there are other days when things do not go as planned. What do you do when things go wrong? Here are some principles that guide our ministry decisions.