Monthly Archives: August 2014

How one good deed turned into the Heart of Rock and Roll…Shane Geisheimer

Posted on August 28, 2014 by Dr. G

We share their team’s story to illustrate that special events like a Prom aren’t limited to megachurches with vast facilities and thousands of potential volunteers…the vision for this event came from five young adults in a small church located in an economically disadvantaged area of the region. Continue reading →

Posted in Advocacy, Intellectual Disabilities, Key Ministry, Stories, Strategies | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

What families of teens and young adults with developmental disabilities need from church…

Posted on August 26, 2014 by Dr. G

Nearly 500 parents of adolescents or young adults with developmental disabilities were asked two questions about fourteen supports that churches could provide to their family… Continue reading →

Posted in Advocacy, Autism, Families, Intellectual Disabilities, Resources, Strategies | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

AWANA Conference Presentations on Slideshare…

Posted on August 24, 2014 by Dr. G

The most common message communicated to me during and after the conference was…”You’ve really made me think.” Please join me in praying that every leader in attendance yesterday will welcome one kid and one family to their Awana ministry as an outcome of our conference.
Continue reading →

Posted in ADHD, Anxiety Disorders, Families, Hidden Disabilities, Inclusion, Key Ministry, Resources, Training Events | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Kimberlie Zakarian…When an invisible disability meets pediatric bipolar disorder

Posted on August 21, 2014 by Dr. G

During those times, not one person from the church we were at came to visit or pray with me. My guess is that they perhaps did not know how to handle mental illness. Walking those early years alone as a parent of a child with bipolarity led to depression and trauma on my part. This is the trauma many parents of children with hidden disabilities endure. Continue reading →

Posted in Advocacy, Bipolar Disorder, Families, Key Ministry, Mental Health, Stories | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 6 Comments

Who’s your ONE?

Posted on August 19, 2014 by Dr. G

Today’s blog post is authored by Mike Woods, Church Consultant with Key Ministry. One of the potential issues with starting special-needs ministry outreach is that the scope of the disability-related problems in your community can seem so big that it … Continue reading →

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Cleveland rocks!

Posted on August 17, 2014 by Dr. G

The Heart of Rock and Roll Prom is a wonderful example of how churches without limitless resources can come together to provide a great experience for individuals with disabilities while promoting awareness of their needs in the communities they serve.
Continue reading →

Posted in Intellectual Disabilities, Key Ministry, Stories, Strategies | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Why I’m a little unsettled by the blowback against Matt Walsh…

Posted on August 14, 2014 by Dr. G

It’s impossible for any of us to judge whether what Matt Walsh said without walking in Robin Williams’ shoes was accurate…and his words were certainly insensitive. But I also sense a frightening trend in society to shame or silence people (or organizations) with views that are unpopular in the moment. Continue reading →

Posted in Controversies, Depression, Inclusion, Key Ministry | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 5 Comments

Any parents of kids with disabilities interested in an online small group?

Posted on August 12, 2014 by Dr. G

Dr. Steve Grcevich recently contacted me with the idea of offering an online format for parent support via videoconferencing. This is a great opportunity to offer a community of support to parents who otherwise would not have access via a more traditional face to face group Continue reading →

Posted in Advocacy, Families, Key Ministry, Strategies | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | 4 Comments

The relationship between depressed mood and church attendance

Posted on August 10, 2014 by Dr. G

While many experts in the mental health or Christian counseling fields acknowledge the mental health benefits of a vital faith, this data appears to represent a signal that self-reported symptoms associated with anxiety or depression may be significant barriers to church attendance. Continue reading →

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The relationship between anxiety and church attendance…

Posted on August 7, 2014 by Dr. G

Is it possible…or even likely that an important reason people attending church report less anxiety is that the regular experience of anxiety causes people to have more difficulty in attending church? Continue reading →

Posted in Anxiety Disorders, Hidden Disabilities, Key Ministry, Mental Health | Tagged , , , , , , , | 5 Comments