Elaina sits down and talks with Lisa Jamieson from Walk Right In Ministries about family caregivers, the holidays, and ways the church can better support them.
The training, content, gatherings and experiences that we’ve created for pastors, church staff and ministry volunteers produced with the assistance of like-minded colleagues serving in disability ministry have become our principal service. So much of what we’re able do to help churches welcome and support families, we accomplish by bringing together experts from other ministry organizations.
November is Caregiver Awareness Month. As someone who became one of my dad’s caregivers before I started school, I grew up thinking everyone in the world was aware of caregivers and caregiving. As a young adult my husband and I cared for a son born with a life-threatening medical condition, and his typical sibling. As members of the sandwich generation, my brother, sister, and I cared for our mother for 15 years after she was diagnosed with dementia. This explains why, when I first heard that November is Caregiver Awareness Month, I was incredulous, and I still am.
In this episode, Lauren Hickman shares her personal journey and calling to disability ministry, describing how God has guided her every step of the way to serve families impacted by disability.
In today’s episode, Sandra talks about the challenges small to normative-sized churches face in disability ministry and shares how the churches she’s been a part of have overcome these challenges.
Life is a juggling act, and sometimes I have too many balls in the air. Sometimes, no matter how hard I try, one or more of the balls drop. By identifying which balls you can let fall, you can prioritize the breakable ones, like relationships with your spouse and kids, growing your faith, and even your mental health.
Guest bloggers Gail Averette and Sheila Sullivan share helpful tips and approaches for parents of teens and adult children with disabilities to help prevent sexual abuse. Join us on October 27 as Gail and Sheila will share tips and strategies for ministry leaders to prevent sexual abuse.
My children have autism. The children at our church are great with our kids: patient, kind, accepting and open to them. I am thankful, but—that is not enough. I want them to have authentic, organic friendships with people their own age. Here are four questions to help churches be places where the neurotypical and neurodivergent can grow together.
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.
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?”
Families affected by disabilities and other special needs live with a certain amount of chronic stress and uncertainty. Due to the unforeseen challenges of 2020, my typical capacity for coping with pressures is compromised these days. This is true for every family caregiver I know. Here are fourteen faith-anchoring reassurances from Scripture you can offer those who are ready to be reminded of God’s truth.
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.
