Hidden Disabilities

A New Series on Sexual Abuse Prevention and Accountability

A New Series on Sexual Abuse Prevention and Accountability

Throughout this fall, we will feature a variety of blog posts and webinars addressing sexual abuse, both for parents of children with disabilities and ministry leaders. We hope you will join us and contribute to the conversations.

Recruiting, Training & Supporting Buddies in Your Church

Recruiting, Training & Supporting Buddies in Your Church

The buddies in our church make the gospel accessible and help our students participate in class with their peers. Like Moses and Aaron, we all need a little help to live out the Christian life and fulfill the calling God has given us! Here’s how to recruit, train, and support buddies in your ministries!

An Open Letter to the Church About Chronic Pain

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?

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?”

The Case for an Impacted Pastor: Four Reasons Why You Need Church Leaders with Disabilities

The Case for an Impacted Pastor: Four Reasons Why You Need Church Leaders with Disabilities

So, you don’t know me, but I’m a pastor. God called me to ministry about five years ago. Like most of us, I never would’ve seen it coming. There are a dozen reasons why nobody would want to use me and those are all the reasons why God chose me.

Practical Tips for Effective Prayer Ministry for Caregivers and their Families

Practical Tips for Effective Prayer Ministry for Caregivers and their Families

Prayer ministry can be intimidating when the recipients of our caring are faced with complicated circumstances. But nothing is too complicated for God. Here are some practical tips for effective prayer ministry, for both small groups and your church.

How Lament Fosters Hope

How Lament Fosters Hope

Let's think about lament for a moment. What pops into your mind? Complaining? Weakness? We were taught as children not to complain. And Christians should be thankful in everything, right?

Yes. But when it comes to God, no. I think lament is an essential part of hope.

The Greater Things of Revolutionary Love

The Greater Things of Revolutionary Love

The Sunday following my son’s autism diagnosis, we ventured out to church. I could never have predicted the way that attempt would go up in flames. What we experienced was not biblical, and all these years later, I’m now a disability inclusion pastor. What if, as we strive to make churches inclusive for people living with disabilities, that the greatest change from inclusion efforts is that the church finally develops revolutionary love?

Creating Belonging: Rethinking Cultural Contexts and Mental Health

Creating Belonging: Rethinking Cultural Contexts and Mental Health

In different cultural settings, the value of an individual’s gifts and the stigma of mental health struggles can vary greatly. What if the Church shifted its methods of interpreting mental health challenges at a pastoral, liturgical and theological level, to a focus on creating belonging?

How Do We Respond to God’s Call to the Marginalized?

How Do We Respond to God’s Call to the Marginalized?

Misty, the beautiful puppy was so willing to learn. But when she matured into her doggy teens, she would decide whether it was important to obey or not. Misty reminded me of how we can respond to the call of God, particularly with ministry to the marginalized.