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People with disabilities can and should serve in every area of the church from leadership on down. Let’s not limit people with disabilities by assuming they don’t want to serve. People with disabilities are an indispensable part of the body (1 Corinthians 12:22), and when they are visible in church ministry, God’s light shines through.
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 MoreLife flourishes when we move to the kitchen, where relationships deepen and communion occurs. I don’t only mean the Lord’s supper, even though that’s a fundamental part of being the Body of Christ. What I mean by communion is a level of intimacy beneath the surface and pure closeness that is only made accessible through the Holy Spirit…
Read MoreAs a young girl with mild cerebral palsy, my heart was broken from the pain of being physically different and trying to make friends at school. My life was consumed with speech therapy, physical therapy, and doing strenuous handwritten homework.
Read MoreThe Merriam-Webster Dictionary defines an advocate as "one who defends or maintains a cause." However, as Christians we have access to the single greatest advocate that stands in on our behalf.
Read MoreIf 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!
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 MoreWith nearly two million veterans possessing a service-connected disability rating 70% or greater, we honor the lives of those who have served our country faithfully. On behalf of The Banquet Network, we remember many veterans, many challenges, and offer many thanks for the service of our loved ones.
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 MoreThe diagnoses we receive in life surely have an impact on us. Though they become a part of us, they can never define our true identity. We hope this article serves as a healthy reminder to why we don’t need to operate out of false strengths in our moments of weakness.
Read MoreAs summer’s curtain comes to a close, our special educators, students, and parents affected by disability are preparing for another year of school. Learn how your church can support and encourage these individuals in your community with these 4 tips.
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 MoreParenting children with disabilities can feel lonely. Katie Matthews reminds parents of the God who sustains creation. When the exhaustively isolating moments feel long and hard, Matthews encourages readers to be still and rely on the Lord’s provision (Psalm 46:10).
Read MoreIn all three synoptic gospels, Jesus miraculously heals a father’s ill son (Matt. 17:14-18, Mk. 9:14-27, and Lk. 9:37-42). When the father meets Jesus and his disciples, he is confronted with unmet expectations, a wounded plea, and an honest confession. Chris Hulshof shares his relation to the father in these passages, as a father to a son who has epilepsy.
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