Category Archives: Key Ministry

How Can I Get Involved and Help?

Posted on May 26, 2011 by Dr. G

I started kicking around the question of how I hope people will respond when they’re exposed to our people, training and ministry resources. Ultimately, I would hope folks would respond by looking for where God might be at work in the unique intersection of their experiences, talents, giftedness and circumstances in providing opportunities to build His Kingdom. Continue reading →

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CDC: One in Six U.S. Children Have Developmental Disabilities

Posted on May 23, 2011 by Dr. G

If this is true of society at large, how much more true should it be of the church? While churches don’t necessarily need to create “programs” to address the spiritual growth of kids with developmental disabilities, the church certainly needs to devote time and energy to acquiring the resources to lend support to parents of kids with developmental disabilities as they function in their role as primary faith trainers of their children. Continue reading →

Posted in Hidden Disabilities, Key Ministry | Tagged , , , , , , , | 8 Comments

Are Parents of Kids With ADHD Stigmatized at Church?

Posted on May 22, 2011 by Dr. G

Earlier this week, Shannon Dingle had a wonderful post on her blog The Works of God Displayed (I’d highly encourage readers of this blog to subscribe to Shannon’s blog) on perceptions of folks in the church about the diagnosis of ADHD. I’d encourage you to read her post, because I’m challenged to express my opinions as eloquently as she did on her blog. I very much appreciate as well the comments on her blog from a pastor (Perry) who was willing to give voice to some of the thoughts and feelings Shannon was seeking to describe in her post.
Continue reading →

Posted in ADHD, Controversies, Families, Hidden Disabilities, Inclusion, Key Ministry | Tagged , , , , , , , | 3 Comments

A Great New Resource for Special Needs Ministry

Posted on May 20, 2011 by Dr. G

Mike Woods from Making Room has launched specialneedsministry.org as a tool to help disseminate free resources from influential leaders in special needs ministry. Continue reading →

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Depression and Comorbidity in Children and Adolescents

Posted on May 18, 2011 by Dr. G

Children and youth who meet criteria for a full-fledged episode of Major Depression are especially prone to comorbid mental health disorders. The slide below illustrates some of the most common comorbidities associated with depression in children and teens. Depending upon the practice setting, as many as 90% of kids with depression have at least one comorbid condition, while 50% experience two or more conditions. Continue reading →

Posted in ADHD, Anxiety Disorders, Hidden Disabilities, Key Ministry, Resources | Tagged , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Join me today on Blog Talk Radio

Posted on May 17, 2011 by Dr. G

I’m honored to have the opportunity to join Mike Woods from Making Room on his blog talk radio program today, Tuesday, May 17th at 10:00 AM EDT. We’ll be discussing the topic of Family-Focused Special Needs Ministry. Continue reading →

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The relationship between ADHD and autism

Posted on May 15, 2011 by Dr. G

The implication of all this for church staff and volunteers is to appreciate the reality that if you’ve seen one kid with autism, you’ve seen one kid with autism. Effective strategies for inclusion at church and the resources families find helpful in promoting the spiritual growth of their child aren’t “one size fits all” for kids with ADHD, autism spectrum disorders, or both. Continue reading →

Posted in ADHD, Autism, Inclusion, Key Ministry, Resources | Tagged , , , , , , | 2 Comments

“Comorbidity”…When Kids Have More Than One Disorder

Posted on May 12, 2011 by Dr. G

The concept of comorbidity is important to understand because it helps to explain why kids who carry the same diagnosis may react very differently to environments or experiences at church, why we very much try to avoid the use of diagnostic labels when working with churches and why it is so important for ministry leaders and parents to view each child as a unique individual.
Continue reading →

Posted in ADHD, Controversies, Hidden Disabilities, Key Ministry, Resources | Tagged , , , , , , | 8 Comments

What Children’s and Family Ministry Can Learn From Child Psychiatry

Posted on May 11, 2011 by Dr. G

Churches appear to give lip service to the concept of viewing parents as partners in the spiritual development of kids, but do their actions match their words? Continue reading →

Posted in Families, Key Ministry, Spiritual Development, Strategies | Tagged , , , | 1 Comment

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.
Continue reading →

Posted in Families, Inclusion, Key Ministry, Parents, Stories | Tagged , , | Leave a comment