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EQUIPPING THE CHURCH
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Are we, the Church, viewing people who have disabilities as image bearers to our Creator? Chris Hulshof writes about three common errors we see in the Church when ministering to individuals and families who have disabilities. In this blog, you’ll learn about the dangers to these conducts and how you can prevent them from taking place in the Church today.
Read MoreIn 2018, I walked through the hardest year of my life. My son, Kaiden, received an autism diagnosis. Six months later, my husband, Matt, boarded a plane to go halfway around the world to serve our country for a year. So, there I was, trying to navigate the uncharted waters of all things therapy for my son while helping my daughter survive second grade. I felt like it was more than I could handle. But that is when we learn to lean on God’s everlasting arms.
Read More'The most wonderful time of the year’ isn’t wonderful for everyone. Many schools take a brief intermission to celebrate the season and welcome the new year. And for our children who thrive on regularity and routine, Christmas break can feel more like a Christmas breakdown. If you want to have a big impact on your community this Christmas, utilize these five tips to make your Christmas Eve service both inclusive and accessible for individuals and families impacted by disability.
Read MoreEvery Christian parent longs for his or her child to be baptized, but for some families, that's not easy as it sounds, particularly for children impacted by disability. Learn about Kim Stillwell and her daughter Katie’s baptism story when they attended the second annual Every Child Belongs Camp last summer.
Read MoreWhen we look at Jesus’ ministry to disabled people, we see at the heart of it the value a human being has over questions, outcomes, and paradigms. Learn about how a church ministry can shift its focus from these three things by instead looking at the life of Jesus.
Read MoreOn Independence Day, we get to celebrate the freedoms God has granted us. As a country that highly esteems independence, individualism and self-sufficiency, we oftentimes forget the equally beneficial, scripturally-mandated privilege of being in-dependence on God and relying on others within the Body of Christ. Glenda Durano encourages readers to live as a Biblical community, rejoice in our diversity, and support one another as we discover the beauty of in-dependence from our families with disabilities.
Read MoreJohn 5:1-15 recounts Jesus’ awareness of a paralyzed man who was surrounded by crowds of disabled people. In this encounter, Jesus shows us three qualities of disability awareness. Learn more about how we can image Jesus’ heart and awareness throughout this passage in the book of John.
Read MoreIt’s ok to do something small. But everyone needs to do something. At the “Every Child Belongs” special needs conference, Allie McCarty, Communications/Operations Manager at The Banquet Network, led a discussion on equipping children’s ministry leaders to include children affected by disability. Learn a few tips on how you can include children who have disabilities in your church.
Read MoreTom Stolle, CFO at the Baptist Convention of Maryland / Delaware (BCM/D), and avid supporter of The Banquet Network (TBN), recently met with the Baptist Press through the Southern Baptist Convention. This article discusses what Stolle has been doing through the BCM/D and TBN to equip churches to care for individuals and families affected by disabilities.
Read MoreAs a father to a child with a disability, CJ Matthews, Pastor of Bethany Church Columbia, challenges churches to ensure families affected by disability are welcome. This is article is based on the recent “Every Child Belongs” Conference hosted by The Banquet Network, the Baptist Convention of Maryland/Delaware, Cresthill Church, and The Gathering Place.
Read MoreLife is full of obstacles and road blocks, and unfortunately, individuals and families affected by disability face many barriers when it comes to the Church. Chris Hulshof talks about three barriers we see when considering the accessibility of our churches. In this blog, you’ll learn about the theological, body-life, and leadership barriers individuals whose lives are affected by disability experience in the Church.
Read MoreLoneliness kills. In an individualistic society, people who have disabilities are forced to fight against the epidemic of loneliness. Learn about how the Church can invite others out of isolation and into the loving community of Christ in this article by Co-Founder of TBN, Amberle Brown.
Read MoreThe Banquet Network’s (TBN) work in the Dominican Republic (DR) was recently highlighted in an article by the BCMD. Learn about TBN’s new partnerships in the DR through the perspective of a dedicated volunteer, Alisha Williams, and our Executive Director, Katie Matthews.
Read MoreAre we, the Church, viewing people who have disabilities as image bearers to our Creator? Chris Hulshof writes about three common errors we see in the Church when ministering to individuals and families who have disabilities. In this blog, you’ll learn about the dangers to these conducts and how you can prevent them from taking place in the Church today.
Read MoreThe Banquet Network participated in a Night to Shine event through the Tim Tebow Foundation in the Dominican Republic from February 9th-13th! Learn all about our trip here!
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