Author Archives: Shannon

Church, we can’t not know about adoption and special needs!

Our church community didn’t know what we would need, but they said yes with us: yes to loving through the brokenness, yes to being faithful to the ones (me included) who need to learn to trust once again, yes to a bit more chaos in our row during worship, yes to choosing to do good for young ones for whom others hadn’t always chosen good in their recent past. Continue reading

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4 reasons why teens cut to COPE

Because acronyms help facts stick in our head, I’ve created one here: COPE. Teens – or kids or adults – cut for Control, as an Obsessive Behavior, as Punishment, or as an Emotional release. Continue reading

Posted in Controversies, Key Ministry, Mental Health, Resources | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

4 thoughts on being a church leader with alcoholism

Bring your stories of redemption, we say. Your testimonies of sobriety are welcome here. But if you’re in the muck right now, we’d really rather you clean yourself up because we don’t really want to get dirty. Continue reading

Posted in Controversies, Hidden Disabilities, Key Ministry | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Review: Black and White Bible, Black and Blue Wife by Ruth A. Tucker

The book mixes the personal and the theological, serving as both a wife’s narrative of enduring domestic abuse by a pastor husband and a theology professor’s analysis of the biblical, theological, historical, and contemporary issues surrounding abuse in the church. Continue reading

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10 ways to be a safe church for sexual assault survivors

How can our churches be safe places for survivors like me, even those who will never disclose their stories? Continue reading

Posted in Advocacy, Controversies, Hidden Disabilities, Key Ministry, PTSD | Tagged , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Teaching the essentials to reach children of all abilities at church

If children and students at our church only grasp one thing today, what should it be? Continue reading

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Partnering with parents to display the works of God in special needs ministry

Because every child’s disability is unique, it’s vital to talk with each family to figure out the best ways to include their child in your church. Continue reading

Posted in Families, Key Ministry, Parents, Special Needs Ministry, Strategies | Tagged , , , , , , , | Leave a comment