We currently have two dozen experts and leaders committed to present for this year’s inaugural Inclusion Fusion Special Needs Ministry Web Summit, scheduled for November 3-5. On Monday, we introduced Libby Peterson. Today, I’m delighted to announce that Katie Wetherbee, Key Ministry’s Director of Education will be presenting on the topic of Advocating for Your Child at Church.

Parents of children with special needs spend countless hours advocating for health and educational support. Advocating for a child at church presents a whole new set of challenges…and some parents find that by Sunday, they’re just too worn out…it’s just easier to stay home. In Katie’s session, she’ll examine ways to understand a church’s culture, discuss methods of positive, proactive communication, and identify strategies for making church a successful experience for all involved.

Katie completed her undergraduate work at Vanderbilt University, where she majored in Special Education and Human & Organizational Development. She holds a master’s degree in education from Hood College, where she served on the adjunct faculty for the Reading Specialist program. Katie began her teaching career in the Washington, DC, area working at a public school. She has worked in a variety of settings, including a hospital, a community college, and as the director of a learning center.

In her role with Key Ministry, Katie helps churches learn how to understand and welcome families affected by disabilities. Her own experiences as a teacher and also a mother of a child with a disability provide Katie with a unique perspective that she hopes will help families and churches work togther.

Katie and her husband (Tom) live in Chagrin Falls, OH with their two teenagers, and their quirky mutt named Mitzie. She enjoys travelling, cooking, and reading.

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.