Monthly Archives: January 2013

Redefining disability…and what it means for the church

Posted on January 31, 2013 by Dr. G

But the newer thinking is that it’s not your body that disables you, it’s the environment around you.” For example, an environment full of stairs is actually what disables a person in a wheelchair. “That’s a much more interesting way to look at disability,” Continue reading →

Posted in Families, Hidden Disabilities, Inclusion, Key Ministry, Ministry Environments | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Church…A Hostile Environment? Harmony Hensley

Posted on January 30, 2013 by Dr. G

For families and children impacted by disability church is all too often viewed as a “hostile” environment in which they feel judged or unwelcome. Sadly, I’ve met a number of families who would summarize their church experience this way. Continue reading →

Posted in Families, Inclusion, Ministry Environments, Strategies | Tagged , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Depression…Challenges in serving kids with an episodic disability

Posted on January 30, 2013 by Dr. G

The first people in a church likely to suspect a problem will be the youth pastor or a small group leader when they notice an often abrupt change in the pattern of involvement of a teen suffering from depression. Unlike the other conditions we’ve discussed since launching the blog, in the absence of another mental health condition or a parent with a disability, I’d hypothesize kids with depression wouldn’t be any less likely to start attending church…they’ll have difficulty staying involved with church once symptomatic. Continue reading →

Posted in Controversies, Depression, Hidden Disabilities, Inclusion, Key Ministry, Mental Health | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Are they really depressed, or do they have something else?

Posted on January 27, 2013 by Dr. G

One of the challenges I face as a clinician when a family comes to our practice because they suspect their child is depressed is teasing out all of the other possible explanations for why their child might appear depressed. Continue reading →

Posted in ADHD, Anxiety Disorders, Bipolar Disorder, Depression, Hidden Disabilities, Key Ministry, Mental Health | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Understanding Depression and Comorbidity in Children and Teens

Posted on January 24, 2013 by Dr. G

This is Part Four in our Winter 2013 blog series Understanding Depression in Kids and Teens…A Primer for Pastors, Church Staff and Christian Parents. Today, we’ll look at the phenomena we refer to as “comorbidity”… the propensity for other mental health disorders … Continue reading →

Posted in ADHD, Anxiety Disorders, Depression, Hidden Disabilities, Key Ministry, Resources | Tagged , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Kids and Depression…What Does the Data Say?

Posted on January 21, 2013 by Dr. G

Suicidal thinking and behavior is very common among youth with depression. Approximately 60% of teens diagnosed with depression will experience thoughts of suicide…30% have made one or more suicide attempts. Continue reading →

Posted in Depression, Key Ministry, Mental Health, Resources | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

What do kids and teens with depression look like?

Posted on January 17, 2013 by Dr. G

Today, we’ll help readers develop a mental picture of what they might notice in a child or teen experiencing an episode of Major Depression. Continue reading →

Posted in Depression, Families, Key Ministry, Mental Health, Resources | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Depression…Definitions matter

Posted on January 16, 2013 by Dr. G

The purpose of this series will be to help pastors, church staff, volunteers and Christian parents improve their ability to recognize the signs and symptoms of depression and children and teens and help them to most effectively support kids with depression and their families. Here’s a tentative outline of some of the topics we’ll be covering in the series… Continue reading →

Posted in Depression, Families, Resources | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

What we have in store for 2013…

Posted on January 13, 2013 by Dr. G

One of my goals when we launched the blog in 2010 was to develop a comprehensive library of resources for church staff and volunteers working with kids with the full range of common emotional, behavioral and developmental disorders I see among kids served in our practice. We hope to complete that goal by the end of 2013.
Continue reading →

Posted in Key Ministry | Tagged , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Road Trip…to the 2013 McLean Bible Church Accessibility Summit

Posted on January 11, 2013 by Dr. G

On Friday evening, Katie Wetherbee will be teaming up with Amy Kendall, Disability Coordinator from Saddleback Church in California to present Comfort and Joy: Creating a Classroom Culture That Could Change the Kingdom.

Also on Friday evening, Harmony Hensley will be presenting on the topic of Volunteer Recruitment and Retention.

On Saturday, I’ll have the opportunity to share on the topic of Supporting Children and Teens who Struggle With Anxiety. Rebecca Hamilton will be participating as part of the panel in a discussion…Respite-The Gift of Time, led by Jackie Mills-Fernald and including Sib Nafziger Charles and Cameron Doolittle. Continue reading →

Posted in Anxiety Disorders, Key Ministry, Resources, Training Events | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment