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EQUIPPING THE CHURCH
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Most times, adults who have disabilities do not receive the same treatment that children who have disabilities do. Why do you think this is? How can the Church respond? Allison Fournier dives into this discussion in her recent article, “He Counts Too.”
Read MoreChris Hulshof writes about how churches can reach individuals and families affected by special needs because for disability ministry to be effective it needs to be shaped by a verbal, visual, and vulnerable witness.
Read MoreJesus restored people with physical, mental, and spiritual ailments; he welcomed the judged, misunderstood, and excluded. Sadly, the hospitable embrace of Christ is often absent in the modern American church and frequently reserved for those who look and think and act just like us.
Read MoreI have spent so much of my time living with a disability trying to avoid “being a burden” to others. I have answered, “I’m fine” when my soul was screaming, “I’m not sure I can make it another moment;” I have tried to manage my own accessibility concerns instead of inconveniencing others; and I have been ashamed when I haven’t been able to achieve that all-important 21st century ideal of independence.
Read MoreGod gave us Jesus, the light of the world, so we can be that light to others. Who needs His light this Christmas season? Who needs to feel the love of Jesus through you?
Read MoreThree years ago, my son Kaiden received his official diagnosis of Autism. If you don’t know what it feels like to have some sort of diagnosis given to your child, let me enlighten you. It’s like someone punches you in the stomach, takes every hope and dream you have, throws it out the window, and proceeds to light it on fire. At least, that’s how I felt.
Read MoreIn the same way a plant will not survive without water, we also will never experience true life apart from Christ. As a plant needs its water, we desperately need our Lord and Savior (John 4:14). God is our rest and assurance amidst the trials of this world, and if we believe this to be true, why aren’t we sharing the open invitation to experience the fullness of joy found in Christ with others? Are we, like it says in Isaiah, pouring ourselves out for the hungry and satisfying the desires of the afflicted? Are we sharing our bread with those who are hungry and inviting the homeless or poor into our homes? The Lord cares deeply for these human beings, and, as his followers, so should we.
Read MoreGod has designed the church to value and prize the rejected, marginalized people with disabilities as a way to protect against disunity and division. Could it be that one of the reasons we face so much division in our churches today is the lack of people with disabilities and particularly people with disabilities in leadership roles?
Read MoreI remember the first time we took my daughter to church after she became disabled. She was a young adult and regularly attended another church in a different city, but our congregation was well aware of the situation and had been praying for our daughter’s recovery. Our friends did their best to pretend everything was normal—although nothing could’ve been further from the truth. When they met her, instead of inquiring about her well-being, they simply said, “We’ve been praying for you.”
Read MoreI sat in that office in Kennedy Krieger. I had probably taken way too long to get ready that day because I wanted to look like I had it all together. I sat across from a woman who had probably been in school much longer than I, given the two letters before her name. Although I was sharing the room with someone, I was alone. My husband was serving his country on the other side of the world. I sat there and tears fell down my face as this woman confirmed exactly what I hoped she wouldn’t. “Kaiden has Autism.”
Read MoreI have found myself hurting for my fellow church shoppers. I think of families affected by disability and wonder how hard finding a church must be. Some of the families with children who have special needs have told me that when their family was searching for a church, they chose the church that best welcomed their son who has a disability. After the service, a member of the church took this family on a tour of the building and asked how their church could make his family feel welcome—and that’s what made them decide to stay.
Read MoreThis week, I celebrated my 9th anniversary of being blind. Some may read that sentence and wonder why I said “celebrated.” But in fact, I celebrate the day that I was admitted to the ER with a rare autoimmune condition (TENS) that eventually led to my vision impairment every year. Most of the time, my “TENS-iversary” celebration includes a fancy dinner, enjoying the warm glow of sunset, reflecting on what God has done through the years as we scroll through pictures and journal entries, and creating an “ebenezer” to commemorate what God has done.
Read MoreOn my last day as a Kids’ Leader, I sat on the floor and stacked colorful solo cups in towers with a fourth grader named Jordyn. Jordyn always comes to Church in a fancy dress with matching jewelry and shoes. She’s the oldest of three. Her younger brother and sister are twins. My friend Jordyn is affected by special needs and stacking solo cups during Kids Ministry is her absolute favorite thing to do.
Read MoreI met Tom several years ago through the Baptist Convention of Maryland and Delaware. I knew he had a son named Jimmy with autism, and I knew he cared about disabilities. However, I didn’t know how greatly it impacted him until I heard him speak at a conference. Although he wasn’t a pastor, the man knew how to preach! I left amazed that there were other people in the world that cared about Jesus and people with disabilities. These are my people I thought after leaving the conference.
Read MoreIf you’re a parent, you’ve done it. Your child asks you for the umpteenth time, “Why?” You’ve tried to rationalize, explain, and use every manner possible to answer the question, but the child refuses to accept it. Finally, in exasperation, you reply, “Because I said so.”
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