We believe the Church is disabled when it doesn’t include people with disabilities, including the disabilities that we cannot see. Katie Matthews, Executive Director of The Banquet Network, was selected to give a QuickTake at Key Ministry’s Inclusion Fusion Live Conference. Learn about Matthew’s discussion on, “Opening our Eyes to Invisible Disabilities.”
John 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.
Executive Director of The Banquet Network vulnerably unfolds her feelings of defeat as a mom to a child who is affected by disability. Learn about some of the raw emotions mothers of children who have disabilities feel and how the church can offer support.
It’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.
Tom 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.
What do we mean when we ask for prayer for a healthy baby? How does this statement impact our view of disability? As a mother to an adult child with a disability, Glenda Durano unpacks how the church can process what God’s Word says about disability and apply it to our lives.
As 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.
Life 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.
If a gingerbread house can be accessible, why can’t the Church? Learn how the church can take practical steps towards disability inclusion and how The Banquet Network can help!
Loneliness 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.
The 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.
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.
Unfortunately, many individuals and families affected by disability have been told by the Church that they do not have enough faith to experience full healing from the Lord and are therefore likely under a spirit of demonic oppression. Executive Director of TBN, Katie Matthews, has experienced comments such as these first hand. In this blog, Matthews writes in response to a pastor's sermon discussion titled, “Desperate for Deliverance,” and unpacks how we, the Church, can open our eyes to the idea of disability being a blessing and in turn bringing glory to God.
The 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!
Paul’s letter to the Galatians provides essential insights to the history of the Reformers. Learn about how disability played a pivotal role in Paul's relationship with the church of Galatia and the Reformation era.
