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Category Archives: Strategies
Too much visual stimulation may be bad for most kids…
The research describing the impact of environment upon learning in children offers one of the best examples of how churches can take concrete steps to become more welcoming to all families (especially those with children who struggle with attentional regulation or sensory processing) and more effective during the limited time they have to influence kids without having to develop a stand-alone ministry “program” or requiring families to self-identify their kids with disabilities. Continue reading
Posted in ADHD, Autism, Resources, Strategies
Tagged attention, children, children's ministry, environment, Harmony Hensley, Key Ministry, learning, youth ministry
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Why would they want to come to church?
What would draw a family to church for whom church wasn’t part of their upbringing… especially when they have to overcome the complications of attending church with a child with a disability? Continue reading
Want to be a online worship host?
Worship hosts play a critical role at Front Door. Continue reading
Posted in Key Ministry, Strategies, Training Events
Tagged Disability Ministry, Front Door, Inclusion, Key Ministry, Nils Smith, online church, Training, worship hosts
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Treatment doesn’t eliminate the need for ongoing support…
Clearly, good treatment can help the vast majority of kids and families impacted by mental illness. But treatment doesn’t always work as well as we would hope in the fallen, messed-up world we live in. And families need our support through every step of their journey. Continue reading
Posted in ADHD, Advocacy, Anxiety Disorders, Bipolar Disorder, Depression, Families, Key Ministry, Mental Health, Strategies
Tagged anxiety, Bipolar Disorder, chronic illness, church, Depression, Disability Ministry, Inclusion, Key Ministry, mental illness, Stephen Grcevich MD, support, treatment
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The secret to launching a missional special needs ministry
But BIG is not always better…or most effective for creating a missional movement into the disability community. Continue reading
Common mental health conditions can be MAJOR barriers to church involvement
It’s particularly difficult to understand why parents who might be able to maintain a job and a household or kids who are able to school without one-on-one aides or lots of support services aren’t able to attend church. I’ll try to explain why in today’s post…and give churches a conceptual framework for anticipating the obstacles kids and adults might experience in attending church and addressing them so they no longer remain obstacles.
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Posted in Anxiety Disorders, Autism, Families, Hidden Disabilities, Inclusion, Key Ministry, Mental Health, Ministry Environments, Strategies
Tagged Asperger's Disorder, children's ministry, church, Disability Ministry, Family Ministry, Inclusion, Key Ministry, Mental Health Month, mental illness, youth ministry
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Thinking “Orange”: Things every kids need…with or without disabilities
All of the needs listed above tend to be more acute for kids with disabilities and their siblings, and parents of kids with disabilities have fewer places to go outside of the church where they can receive help in meeting those needs. Continue reading
Thinking Orange…Partnering with parents when kids have disabilities
More so than with parents in the general population, church leaders may need to do more to earn the right to partner with parents from families affected by disabilities. Continue reading
Thinking Orange: Supporting the family’s role in spiritual development when kids have disabilities…
How are the kids in the family supposed to come to know and love Jesus if we’re not prepared to welcome the parents to church…and all the other activities at church we’ve found to be helpful in facilitating spiritual growth?
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