Monthly Archives: April 2014

Who knew? Guest blogger Denise Schamens

I asked him if he wanted to talk about God. He spelled out “yes.” I asked if he understood what it means to be baptized? He spelled out “it means to accept Jesus into your heart.” Continue reading

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Today’s worship schedule at The Front Door…

Here’s the schedule for worship on Sunday April 27th at The Front Door, Key Ministry’s Online Church for families of kids with disabilities who are otherwise unable to attend church. Continue reading

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The experiment…

In helping local churches to make their worship services, Christian education, small groups and service activities available online, we’re providing them the opportunity to introduce the church to families in an environment that works best for that family. Continue reading

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

Reflections on our first weekend of online church….

Her son was having a rough week with brain stem seizures. She was so grateful to attend that Easter service online! At the end of the service, she told me her son’s seizures had stopped and he had fallen peacefully asleep. Glory to God! Continue reading

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Experiencing the God of hope in the prison of spiritual autism…Dave Lynden

Being the parent of a special needs child is often a journey of constant despair. You ache for the many things your child will probably never enjoy or experience. With autism, you pine for some kind of deeper connection that you know will always be impaired. Sometimes, it can feel like a kind of prison. But, in this small moment, I suddenly realized that God was taking my routines and trying to break through to connect with me. With this little crack in the wall, I could feel God burrowing through the walls of hopelessness with a small glimmer of a promised world renewed; of a deep blue Pacific Ocean, of a place where the bars and cement block walls that kept me away from my son and kept me away from my God would one day crumble to dust. Continue reading

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The Front Door…Online Church For Families Impacted By Disabilities

We believe The Front Door represents a new expression of Christian community…an online extension of the local church through which children and families may be introduced to Jesus Christ via technology in environments chosen by their parents and caregivers at times of the day when families impacted by disability may be more receptive to teaching and discipleship. Continue reading

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The Whispers of Hope…Dave Lynden

It seems as though God uses my own routines to insert little opportunities for me to break free from my spiritual autism and see true hope. I caught one of these moments while putting Micah to bed one evening. I caught another moment sitting in the living room just after tucking him and his siblings in for the night and watching one of my favorite movies…for the twelfth time. Continue reading

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Ten truths for parents of kids with autism…Colleen Swindoll-Thompson

Yet, in it all, I have more freedom, more joy, more hope because it is birthed and grown by the grace of my sovereign, faithful, good, unlimited God and Heavenly Father. Dear friend or parent, if I may offer you some rays of hope in the dark tunnel of autism, may our Lord be honored and your soul be filled with hope. Continue reading

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Mike Woods: So I Send You…Missional Special Needs Ministry

The first phase of a missional special needs ministry must be a willingness for us to move out—to simply make a decision to go to the people that we want to serve, wherever that might be. For most of us, what is required to engage in missional special needs ministry is to rely on the Holy Spirit to give us the desire to reach out to others, to take a risk and get involved in what God is already doing in our disability communities. Continue reading

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The power of stories…Dave Lynden

So here was my little guy, Micah, standing in front of the TV, wrapped in his royal blue fleece blanket jumping up and down, clapping and laughing as he watched his favorite stories over and over again, reminding me of what I do, what we do, how we strive to fill in the puzzle pieces and reach for something that brings all of the stories together into a coherent whole. Continue reading

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