Category Archives: Hidden Disabilities

Who’s Missing?

After you get home from church, I want to challenge you to ponder something beyond which family at church won the fashion show. (Don’t ask me how I know about that one…let he who is without sin cast the first stone.) Consider this…Who wasn’t there? Do you have friends and neighbors who couldn’t come to church because their kids have emotional, behavioral or developmental issues that make church attendance and participation nearly impossible. Continue reading

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Thinking “Orange”…Takeaway Points

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

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Thinking “Orange”…Kids With Disabilities Present the Church With a Unique Opportunity

One of the reasons churches shy away from serving kids with disabilities is the concern that large numbers of volunteers may be needed for a ministry that can be labor-intensive. But what if churches could reach a large, underserved population of families in their immediate communities while offering students the opportunity to engage in meaningful ministry experiences? Continue reading

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Thinking “Orange”: Catalysts for Spiritual Growth For Kids With…and Without Disabilities

What if a kid has a significant emotional, behavioral or developmental disorder that makes it more difficult to participate in the program or stick with the program? Here are ten suggestions…some are demonstrably effective, some are still working hypotheses based upon 25 years of experience as a clinician and many years of active involvement in churches. All of these suggestions are applicable to any kid or family being served by your church, and are applicable to kids with and without identified disabilities: Continue reading

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Autism Awareness Day: Guest Blogger Colleen Swindoll

Insight for Living is among the most prominent Christian organizations to champion the cause of kids with special needs and their families. Chuck Swindoll has dedicated broadcasts to addressing the spiritual needs of parents raising kids with emotional, behavioral, developmental or physical disabilities. His family has had firsthand experience with the topic. His youngest daughter (Colleen) is raising a son who has been diagnosed with autism. Continue reading

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“Thinking Orange”…Helping Parents of Kids With Disabilities Do A Little Bit More

For our friends in children’s ministry, I’d echo the question Reggie Joiner posed at the beginning of the chapter: Do you really believe in the potential of parents? Including parents of kids who don’t think and react and behave like other kids? I do. Continue reading

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“Thinking Orange”…A Parent’s Perspective-Mike Woods from Making Room

You are God’s gift to families who have a child with autism. God calls people just like you to Himself, and then blesses you with the purpose of becoming part of a community of Christ-followers focused on helping “the least of these” (Matt. 25:40). In Scripture God calls his people to live out the gospel pattern of welcome and generosity. “Therefore, “ Paul says, “welcome one another as Christ has welcomed you, for the glory of God” (Ro.15:7). Continue reading

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Defining Brokenness

Brokenness is the experience of pain, suffering and despair used by God to remove our sense of self-sufficiency, deepen our dependency upon Him and prepare us for meaningful service in His Kingdom. Continue reading

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JAM Session Rewind

I’ve had the opportunity to present at major international medical conferences, as well as regional and national ministry conferences. I’ll personally attest to the quality of the training and resources distributed during the JAM Session in Cincinnati and the JAM Sessions to come. Not only will you receive the opportunity to interact with some top-flight people, but you’ll benefit from the ongoing relationships you’ll develop with our trainers and your fellow participants. Continue reading

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Thinking “Orange”…Communicating the Message

Kids (and not infrequently, parents) with hidden disabilities often have difficulty filtering out extraneous information to the point that they miss out on what’s important. One of the top two or three complaints I get from moms about their kids when they first come to our office is that they need constant reminders to do chores or complete homework because other things around the house (TV, the computer, the dog, their little brother) intrude upon their consciousness. Church leaders and volunteers are faced with the challenge of cutting through the information overload that characterizes modern American society with kids and parents with conditions that make prioritizing more difficult. Continue reading

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