We’re honored to have Nick Palermo…a founding father of the disability ministry movement join us as a speaker for Inclusion Fusion 2012.

Nick was born and raised in San Jose California and met Christ in high school through the ministry of Young Life. Nick volunteered as a Young Life leader for 11 years and has served on the full time staff of Young Life for 29 years. Nick founded Young Life Capernaum in 1986…Young Life’s outreach to young people with physical and/or intellectual disabilities. Nick has a degree in sociology from San Jose State University and a Masters degree in theology from Fuller Seminary. Nick has been married to his wife (Sumarah) for 22 years…They have three boys (Joel, Zack and Sam). Nick’s Inclusion Fusion topic will be Including Kids With Special Needs in Your Youth Ministry. Here’s a summary of Nick’s talk…

What is the culture of kids with disabilities? What are their unique needs? The family’s unique needs? Why has the church been so hesitant to respond? And specifically when 20 % of the teen population has some form of a disability why don’t we see them represented in our youth ministries? How could they fit in to our communities? What it would like? What would be the outcome for typical kids in our youth ministries? We will discuss the concept of a “withness” ministry where typical kids and kids with special needs encounter Christ mutually. We will look at the long range benefits for the church at large as we include young people with special needs into our faith communities.

Join Nick and 35 other leaders serving as faculty for Inclusion Fusion, Key Ministry’s second annual Special Needs Ministry Web Summit is made available FREE OF CHARGE to pastors, church staff, volunteers and families everywhere from November 12th-16th, 2012. For an up to date list of speakers, topics, links to speaker blogs and a link for free registration, click here.