Category Archives: Parents

The Gifts I’d Like to Give…Encouragement

Posted on December 29, 2011 by Dr. G

A big reason why we do what we do at Key Ministry is that I want all families, especially families struggling with the challenges of a child with a significant disability, to have a place to go where they’ll experience encouragement.
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Guest Blogger Jolene Philo…Back to the Basics

Posted on November 1, 2011 by Dr. G

As I interviewed parents and compiled their stories, one thing became very clear. The families who coped most successfully were those who had gone from viewing their children’s special needs as burdens to seeing them as blessings. The basics of an effective support system can help lift a family’s burdens and be an integral part of that necessary transformation. Continue reading →

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Guest Blog…Cindi and Joe Ferrini

Posted on October 23, 2011 by Dr. G

Our guest bloggers today are Joe and Cindi Ferrini. Joe and Cindi are the authors of Unexpected Journey: When Special Needs Change Our Course. Their blog post today is on the subject Marriage Matters-and so do other relationships! Continue reading →

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The Importance of the Next Generation

Posted on September 1, 2011 by Dr. G

It’s hard for me to imagine any service we can provide more important or more impactful to the Kingdom than addressing the spiritual development of our kids. And not just our biological or adopted children…all of the children in our sphere of influence.
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Should Christian Parents Only Use Christian Mental Health Professionals?

Posted on July 2, 2011 by Dr. G

I think the critical issue for parents who have a kid in need of mental health care is finding a clinician with a track record of demonstrating excellence in what they do, regardless of that person’s belief system. Continue reading →

Posted in Mental Health, Parents, Strategies, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , , | 7 Comments

Be Not Anxious…What Can Parents Do to Promote Spiritual Growth?

Posted on June 21, 2011 by Dr. G

Today, we’ll examine steps parents can take to help promote spiritual growth among children and teens with anxiety disorders.
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How Dads are Impacted When Kids Have Disabilities

Posted on June 19, 2011 by Dr. G

Examination of contributing factors to the higher rates of depression seen among men with teen or young adult children with autism may help us better appreciate what it’s like to walk in the shoes of a father of a child with a significant disability. Continue reading →

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One Family’s Story

Posted on May 8, 2011 by Dr. G

our family’s experience of a child with a disability has made me aware that the impact of the disability isn’t limited to the nuclear family but affects the extended family as well. Second, while we as the church can offer to do what we can to support families affected by disability, as a psychiatrist and as a brother, I can’t fully comprehend how the 24 hour a day, seven day a week experience of being responsible for a child with a significant disability colors one’s understanding and attitude toward God and experience of trying to be a part of a community of faith through the local church. We can do everything we possibly can to reach out to families of kids with disabilities who aren’t actively involved with church, but we also need to be slow to judge parents who fail to take us up on the offer until we’ve walked in their shoes.
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The Challenges Families Face in Finding the Right Help

Posted on May 4, 2011 by Dr. G

Parents of kids with significant mental health disorders frequently experience great frustration in negotiating the confusing maze that constitutes our system of mental health care in many communities across the U.S., along with the yet more confusing (intentionally?) system of paying for needed care. Quite frequently, pastors and ministry leaders are trusted resources to parents of children or teens in crisis, and my own professional society encourages parents who are looking for help for their kids to seek recommendations from their spiritual leaders. In honor of National Children’s Mental Health Day, I wanted to help ministry leaders better appreciate several challenges families face in finding the proper help for their kids, and offer some resources to share with parents looking to churches for help.
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Posted in Families, Hidden Disabilities, Key Ministry, Parents, Resources | Tagged , , , , | 1 Comment

Thinking “Orange”…Takeaway Points

Posted on April 17, 2011 by Dr. G

When church leaders consider the opportunity to minister to and influence parents and siblings who otherwise miss out on the benefits of a local church, the potential impact of an inclusive family ministry on the surrounding community becomes readily apparent. Continue reading →

Posted in Families, Hidden Disabilities, Inclusion, Key Ministry, Parents, Spiritual Development, Strategies | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 3 Comments