Category Archives: Advocacy

An unexpected plot twist…”Movie with Max”

Posted on March 20, 2014 by Dr. G

“I had a lot of parents, hundreds of parents that contacted me and said thank you for sharing this story, because this happens in my family, it happens in the community, it might look different but it even happens in our church that we can’t find our way in and people feel like you’re disrupting us.” Continue reading →

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Special Needs Ministry: Salt Block or Salt Shaker?

Posted on March 8, 2014 by Dr. G

The challenge is that Sunday morning success, or church-event success, can end up becoming the dominant strategy to share with others the love of Christ: a salt block approach. This is the way it is in a lot of church-based special needs ministries. We operate primarily, almost exclusively, as salt blocks. Paid staff and/or volunteers knock themselves out, week to week, trying to offer the best ministry possible to get both Christian and non-Christian to attend. And that’s a good thing. It’s a needed thing.

But…is it the only thing? Continue reading →

Posted in Advocacy, Inclusion, Intellectual Disabilities, Strategies | Tagged , , , , , , , | 4 Comments

Online Church for families impacted by disability…TODAY at 1:00 Eastern

Posted on March 6, 2014 by Dr. G

UPDATE: Nils Smith will be joining us at 1:00 PM Eastern and 9:00 PM Eastern for an interactive chat! Continue reading →

Posted in Advocacy, Hidden Disabilities, Inclusion, Inclusion Fusion, Key Ministry, Mental Health, Resources, Strategies | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

One Family’s Journey in the Bible Belt…guest post from Stephanie Prosser

Posted on February 27, 2014 by Dr. G

Stephanie offered to share her family’s story with our readers. It serves as a stark reminder that while great strides are being made in opening more churches to families of kids with special medical, behavioral, emotional and developmental needs, there continue to be cities of substantial size here in the U.S. where families impacted by disability have nowhere to go on Sunday mornings if they wish to worship as a family. Here’s Stephanie… Continue reading →

Posted in Advocacy, Autism, Families, Inclusion, Key Ministry, Stories | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 4 Comments

Casseroles, church, and the stigma of kids with mental illness

Posted on January 29, 2014 by Dr. G

We, as church, also have a remarkable opportunity to share the love of Christ with many families who, because of stigma, may be too embarrassed to let us know when they are in need. Continue reading →

Posted in Advocacy, Families, Key Ministry, Mental Health, Stories | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 4 Comments

Mike Pitts…Hidden Disabilities in Middle School Ministry

Posted on January 26, 2014 by Dr. G

Somewhere along the line we have unintentionally and unknowing catered our ministries to the “typical” students. Continue reading →

Posted in Advocacy, Hidden Disabilities, Inclusion, Key Ministry | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

One family’s Christmas at the movies…and our culture?

Posted on January 5, 2014 by Dr. G

I would hope and pray God would see fit to use the Colson’s experience to open the eyes and hearts of many in our culture to the needs of families impacted by autism and other disabilities. I’m sure Emily and Max would be honored if everyone who hears of their story would demonstrate Christ’s love to someone experiencing the effects of disability at their next opportunity. Continue reading →

Posted in Advocacy, Autism, Families, Inclusion, Stories | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | 3 Comments

Key Ministry 2013…by the numbers

Posted on December 22, 2013 by Dr. G

A look back at the 2013 ministry year from a statistical perspective Continue reading →

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Drug company marketing ISN’T the cause of the ADHD epidemic

Posted on December 19, 2013 by Dr. G

Is the ADHD epidemic really a product of drug company marketing, or is it a result of our culture and our educational system imposing expectations upon a large segment of our child and teen population that they’re not developmentally prepared to meet? Continue reading →

Posted in ADHD, Advocacy, Controversies, Families, Key Ministry | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 3 Comments