We have some great speakers available for Live Chat sessions throughout the day today, but I fear folks have been missing out because the directions to participate haven’t been clear…let’s address that because I don’t want anyone to miss out on the opportunity to connect with our faculty.

To join us in our live chat room throughout the day…

When you log onto the Inclusion Fusion site and click on one of the video presentations, you’ll see on the bottom bar of the computer window a small box labeled “Shout Box Pro”…when you click on the box, you’ll be prompted to enter your user name and gender. Click Login…you’ll be in the chat room. That’s all you have to do for the live chat.

Here’s today’s Live Chat schedule…

9:00 AM-10:00 AM: Marie Kuck

11:00 AM-12:00 PM: Amy Dolan

12:00 PM-1:00 PM: Nella Uitvlugt

1:00 PM-2:00 PM: Libby Peterson

2:00 PM-3:00 PM: Cara Daily

4:00 PM-5:00 PM: John Knight

5:00 PM-6:00 PM: Shannon Dingle

Join us tonight at 9:00 for our nightly Tweetchat…we’re going to to send out a special invite for leaders outside the disability ministry community to enter the conversation. Discussion during the Tweetchats often centers around strategies for growing the number of churches seeking to welcome kids and adults with disabilities and their families. Here’s how to join us…

For our “Chairman’s Choices” today, I want to call your attention to four videos of special interest to our friends in the world of children’s and family ministry…

Gillian Marchenko shared an amazing video in which she describes both her emotional reactions and the impact upon her spiritual life from her experience as the mother of two daughters with special needs (Polly and Evangeline)… Loss and Grief in Parenting Children With Special Needs. Her story provides insight to those seeking to minister to families with struggles similar to those experienced by the Marchenko’s.

Amy Dolan is a very prominent figure in the world of Children’s Ministry who experienced a call to serving kids with special needs during a church consulting assignment. Amy’s presentation…The Intersection of Calling and Opportunity…is very much recommended to those participating in this year’s Web Summit with an inkling that God might be calling them to use their gifts and talents to help include families impacted by disabilities at church.

Katie Wetherbee and Rebecca Hamilton from our Key Ministry team made a wonderful video for children’s and youth ministry pastors and volunteers on the topic of bullying that occurs at church…Sticks and Stones, Clicks and Phones: Solutions for Preventing Bullying at Church. Katie shares some great advice on helping church to be a great experience for all kids and teens and creating a ministry culture that results in all kids feeling welcomed.

Finally, Dr. Cara Daily is a pediatric psychologist who has developed evidence-based social skills training incorporating Biblically-based principles for kids and teens with autism spectrum disorders. Cara’s presentation…Do I Have to Have Surgery to Open My Heart to Jesus? offers practical advice to church staff, volunteers and parents seeking to communicate important faith concepts to kids and teens who often struggle with abstract concepts.

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!

Enjoy the Web Summit today. And spread the word about Inclusion Fusion to friends and colleagues who need to join the discussion!

***********************************************************************************************************

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.