I’m encouraged by all the positive comments and feedback our team received after the first day of this year’s Special Needs Ministry Web Summit. I think it’s also safe to say that the church can’t use the excuse anymore that there’s no one or no resources to help them understand how to effectively serve and minister to families impacted by disabilities.

If you find the number of speakers and video presentations a bit overwhelming, allow me to make a few suggestions…I’ll focus today on several videos from first-time Inclusion Fusion speakers addressing our conference theme of “Why” from different angles…

Beth Guckenberger shared an incredible video in which she communicates her passion for orphans and kids in foster care and makes an undeniably compelling case for why churches need to prioritize caring for them from a Gospel perspective. Check out her presentation…Holistically Serving the Adopted/Foster Child.

Amy Jacober of Youth Ministry Architects and Young Life Capernaum shared a very touching story of her experience as a member of the first grade choir at her church in her video presentation…Good for All: How Serving in Ministry With People With Disabilities Strengthens Your Faith.

Finally, John Knight from Desiring God made a brief, but very powerful video explaining “Why” your church would want to seek out and include families like his in his presentation…For the Sake of Your Own Joy! Why Your Church Should Want Families Like Mine.

We shared yesterday afternoon that the Inclusion Fusion 2012 Special Needs Ministry Web Summit Magazine is now available for download. The magazine is 51 pages long, and contains schedules for live chat sessions and Tweetchats, instructions for participating in interactive sessions, biographies of all of our faculty, and in-depth interviews with Mike Beates, Ben Conner, Barb Dittrich, Ann and John Holmes, Bryan Roe, Rhett Smithand Mike Woods.  The magazine contains contact information for all of our speakers and is a useful resource for connecting with others in the disability ministry community. Forward the magazine to pastors, church staff members, volunteers, parents and caregivers who you’d like to be part of Inclusion Fusion this year!

We made some additions to the video library during the day yesterday. Videos from Marie Kuck, Rhett Smith and Barb Dittrich are now available, along with the download to accompany Ryan Wolfe’s “If You Build It, They Will Come” video.

Today’s live chat schedule…

9:00 AM-10:00 AM: Matthew Stanford

10:00 AM-11:00 AM: Bryan Roe

11:00 AM-12:00 PM: Rhett Smith

12:00 PM-1:00 PM: Katie Wetherbee

1:00 PM-2:00 PM: Aaron Scheffler

2:00 PM-3:00 PM: Amy Jacober

4:00 PM-5:00 PM: Jeff Davidson

Shannon Dingle and her husband recently adopted their daughter Zoe…Shannon wasn’t able to submit a video, but will be joining us for an hour of chat Wednesday at 5:00 PM Eastern.

If you like hanging out in a chat room with a lot of our faculty, join us tonight at 9:00 PM Eastern for our Inclusion Fusion Tweetchat, hosted by Barb Dittrich. Here are directions for those who would like to join…

Finally, help us “grow the movement.” Invite at least one person today to join the conference who might have a heart for helping the church welcome more kids with disabilities and their families.

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INCLUSION FUSION IS HERE! Join over 30 leaders from children’s, family, youth and disability ministry serving as faculty for Inclusion Fusion, Key Ministry’s second annual Special Needs Ministry Web Summit. Inclusion Fusion 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.