Monthly Archives: July 2010

A Parent’s Greatest Fear

Posted on July 25, 2010 by Dr. G

I suspect the fear of being told that their parenting strategies, family values or choices are the cause of their child’s emotional or behavioral problems poses a major obstacle to families becoming actively involved with a local church. Continue reading →

Posted in ADHD, Adoption, Anxiety Disorders, Bipolar Disorder, Parents | Tagged , , , , , , | 6 Comments

The Words We Use Matter

Posted on July 25, 2010 by Dr. G

Most parents of a child with a mental health condition wouldn’t conclude a church had anything to offer their family if they were to see a wheelchair symbol on a church website or find a link offering “special needs ministry.” In my experience, the kids who come to a practice like ours desperately want to be seen as normal. Continue reading →

Posted in Inclusion, Key Ministry, Mental Health, Strategies | Tagged , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Disability Ministry in a “Simple Church” World

Posted on July 19, 2010 by Dr. G

While we’re happy to help your church set up a program if your church does programs, our job when we work with churches is to help families of kids with emotional, behavioral or developmental issues participate in the process that church uses to build disciples. Continue reading →

Posted in Inclusion, Key Ministry, Leadership, Strategies | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Rolling out the Red Carpet

Posted on July 18, 2010 by Dr. G

We want to help churches create the kinds of environments that unchurched families (families we seek to serve) want to attend. What do those environments look like for families with kids with sensory processing issues? Families in which a child (or a parent) struggles to overcome social anxiety? Kids who struggle to ignore distractions in their immediate surroundings? Continue reading →

Posted in ADHD, Hidden Disabilities, Key Ministry, Ministry Environments | Tagged , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Church, We’ve Got a Problem

Posted on July 16, 2010 by Dr. G

How will the church serve a generation of families with kids who have issues with emotions or behavior that interfere with their ability to function on a day to day basis?

Kids with “hidden disabilities” like these are gradually becoming the new normal. Check out this study in the current issue of the Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry. To summarize:

22 % of U.S. children entering first grade met criteria for at least one mental disorder. Continue reading →

Posted in ADHD, Anxiety Disorders, Key Ministry, Mental Health | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 10 Comments

Never the twain shall meet

Posted on July 10, 2010 by Dr. G

Once my church friends get a handle on the families in their communities who come to practices like mine, we can problem-solve together just how to welcome them into our environments, include them in the stuff we do so they can come to know Jesus, accept him as Lord, and grow to be more like him. Just like we do. Continue reading →

Posted in Hidden Disabilities, Inclusion, Key Ministry | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 3 Comments