We’ll be introducing you to some of the outstanding speakers and leaders taking part in this year’s inaugural Inclusion Fusion in the weeks leading up to the Special Needs Ministry Web Summit. Today, it’s my pleasure to introduce Libby Peterson, Director of Family Ministries at Bay Presbyterian Church in Bay Village, Ohio.

Libby received both her BS and MS degrees in Speech Pathology from Miami University in Oxford, Ohio. She spent the early part of her career as a speech pathologist practicing with a pediatric population and providing oversight in geriatric settings. The Lord called her to a role in ministry and Libby has served as the Director of Family Ministries at Bay Presbyterian Church in Bay Village OH for over 20 years. Together with other BPC volunteers and staff, she was instrumental in helping the church begin its Special Needs Ministry, Circle of Friends, which now serves over 30 children and their families. Libby and her husband Eric have been married for 30 years and are blessed by twin daughters who now work in Washington, DC and Michigan.

Libby’s presentation  is titled Relational Respite – a “go to them” approach. Here’s a description:

Building relationship should be a central goal of all we do in ministry because ministry typically travels along relational lines. God works through relationships!

Many churches are considering or currently offering respite events at significant manpower and resource cost. What if our focus shifted from event to relationship, from program to people? What if volunteers began to personally invest in building relationship with families with children with special needs – offering help on their turf where they need it most? We’ll explore ministry to kids and families offered in ways that maximize the potential for life changing relationships! 

Libby authored one of our most popular blog posts of the past year as part of our “Thinking Orange” series on family-based ministry approaches for kids with disabilities on the topic of Partnering with Parents.

We’re delighted that Libby will be part of Inclusion Fusion!

Interested in joining a bunch of folks who are passionate about families of kids with special needs coming to know and love Jesus Christ?  An event in which any church leader, volunteer or parent anywhere in the world who shares the same passion and has access to the Internet through a computer, tablet or smart phone can join in? That’s Inclusion Fusion, Key Ministry’s First Annual Special Needs Ministry Web Summit, featuring this year’s Keynote Speaker, Chuck Swindoll. And it’s all available to you for free! Register here for the Special Needs Ministry Web Summit, coming this November 3rd-5th.