Our team at Key Ministry has been tirelessly working to develop web-based resources and user-friendly social media to advance the cause of connecting families of kids with hidden disabilities to churches. We have a new website, two blogs, a Facebook page, my Twitter feed and an “official” Key Ministry Twitter feed maintained by Rebecca Hamilton, our Executive Director. Since research has suggested that too much time spent staring at a computer screen can contribute to ADHD, I thought I’d share some suggestions to help friends new to Key Ministry quickly find the most relevant content based upon their experiences and interests.

Diving for Pearls is the complementary Key Ministry blog authored by Katie Wetherbee, KM’s Director of Education. Katie’s blog will offer lots of practical, “how-to” information for church staff, volunteers and parents doing the hands-on stuff of ministry for kids with hidden disabilities and their families. Katie places a very high value on relationships, is lighthearted in her style of communicating, and shares freely from her personal experiences with the issues we address, both as an expert in special education methods and strategies and as a parent of a child with a disability.

Church4EveryChild (the blog you’re currently reading) is designed to be the “voice of the movement.” This blog is written for pastors, thought leaders and influencers within the church, with content that will also interest parents and professionals. If Katie’s blog addresses the “how to” component of our ministry, my goal is to help you understand the “what”…the nature of the problems experienced by kids with hidden disabilities when it comes to participating in church and growing in faith, along with the “why” of this ministry…the reason it’s so important for churches to respond to this need when resources are inadequate to respond to all the worthwhile ministry opportunities they’re presented.

Key Ministry’s Facebook page is a tool to help us provide day to day updates on the work of the ministry…notifications of live training, communicating success stories and calling attention to new resources (blog posts, video, downloads) as they are made available. We provide general information about our ministry in a format that makes it easy for our “fans” to pass along stuff that may be of interest to friends. We also use our Facebook page as a tool to draw attention to the resources offered by other like-minded ministries and to spotlight successes of churches we serve.

My personal Twitter feed highlights new research of interest to families of kids with mental disorders and those who serve them. I’ll occasionally feature links to other stuff I’m reading or leaders with interesting perspectives. If you’re a parent or a professional interested in the stuff we address, or you’re not involved with leading or serving in a local church, my Twitter feed will probably be the best way to keep up with Key Ministry. I promise not to Tweet every time I sit down at Panera, one of my kids does something impressive or my wife wears something that looks nice. Warning! If you become my Facebook friend you will be subjected to my venting about the futility of Cleveland sports or the parallels between the descent of our society and Jerusalem pre-Nebuchadnezzar. Key Ministry’s Twitter feed will feature content similar to our Facebook fan page.

Finally, our new website was designed to be a “one-stop shop” offering all of the content and resources provided by Key Ministry in one place. Through the website, pastors, volunteers and parents  will be able to request consultation or live training and access print materials, including our “Key Ring Binder”…representing Version 2.0 of the “toolkit” we previously distributed containing all the necessary resources to launch a ministry outreach at a local church. We’ll also be posting video at the Key Ministry Channel on You Tube in which we’ll share some of the stories of families touched by the churches we serve along with brief training videos developed to answer frequently asked questions from church staff and volunteers. If you’re interested in ministry resources, the website will be the best place for you to start.