We’re thankful to the Swindoll family and the folks at Insight for Living for making Key Ministry their featured resource for the month of December!
Colleen Swindoll-Thompson has built a wonderful Special Needs Ministry at Insight. She does a weekly blog and maintains one of the most popular disability ministry-related pages on Facebook. Colleen is gifted in providing comfort and encouragement to mothers of children with a wide range of disabilities and has demonstrated how technology can be used to support a very relational ministry on the Internet.
In addition to her blog and Facebook page, Colleen has been conducting a series of in-depth video interviews with leaders who have firsthand experience with the struggles families experience when kids have disabilities. She’s interviewed a number of leaders familiar to readers of our blog, including Cindi Ferrini, David Glover, Emily Colson and Joni Earickson Tada. I’m honored to be the subject of her interview for December.
Our interview was focused on the theme The Mission Field Next Door…Serving Kids with Mental Health Disorders and Their Families. In our interview, Colleen and I had the opportunity to discuss the challenges families face in attending church when kids have mental illnesses from their struggles to navigate the ministry environments in which other kids and teens are able to thrive. We explored some strategies for churches seeking to radically expand their disability outreach beyond the traditional “special needs” population, and considered why families impacted by mental illness may not view existing special needs ministries as useful. Here’s a link to Colleen’s blog post on the interview…you can watch the interview in its’ entirety there.
Insight has had a long history of supporting disability-related ministry. Stonebriar Church published one of the early manuals for churches seeking to establish special needs ministries. Chuck Swindoll has authored a short book, When God’s Gift Comes Specially Wrapped (available here in appreciation for a donation to IFL) in which he draws upon the teaching of Scripture and his own personal experience to discuss children with special needs children and their place in God’s kingdom.
Chuck was very gracious in agreeing to serve as our keynote speaker for our inaugural Inclusion Fusion Web Summit. Here’s his brief talk on the challenges families, church staff and volunteers face in demonstrating the love of Christ to persons with special needs.
While you’re over at the Insight for Living site, please check out their recommended resources. They have some fabulous books, CDs and .mp3 resources to provide encouragement and hope to families struggling with the unique burdens that often occur in the course of raising a child with a disability.
In Part Six of our current blog series Key Ministry 2.0 we’ll look at four ministry initiatives that will shape our work in the months and years to come.
Inclusion Fusion will be coming back next year as an ongoing monthly symposium featuring topics of interest to pastors, church staff, volunteers and families pertaining to disability ministry.
We’re building an online platform to allow as many churches as possible to participate in Key Ministry training events…and will be making the platform available to other like-minded ministries so their training can be more accessible as well.
We’ll be launching an online church platform in 2014 to allow families impacted by disabilities to experience church in the environments where they are most comfortable, promoting connections with local churches for the purpose of working toward the goal of kids and families worshiping on a regular basis in the physical presence of other Christ-followers. MUCH more on this later.
Key Initiative #2…The Free Respite Network
The software is finished…we need churches to beta-test our website to help families of kids in need of a break to find churches in their home areas offering high-quality, free respite care. We hope to build and expand our network through training available on our online platform. FREERespite.com should be up and running early in 2014.
Key Initiative #3…Promoting Advocacy for Ministry Among Senior Pastors
We’ll be actively seeking out opportunities to influence influence senior pastors and other church leaders to become champions of disability ministry. We’re reaching out to seminaries for opportunities to train future pastors and church leaders…not just leaders in children’s ministry. We’ll be establishing a presence at the conferences where senior pastors regularly attend. We’re fortunate to have a highly respected senior pastor in Hu Auburn heading up this effort as our Staff Director in 2014.
If we bring to the table knowledge, innovation and experience for churches seeking to serve kids with mental illness, trauma or developmental disabilities, it’s obvious we can’t have an impact without working with others. We’ll be looking to team up with publishers, conference organizers, other like-minded parachurch organizations, foundations and sponsors to optimize our capacity for influencing churches.
Interested in joining us? We’re going to need the gifts and talents of lots of Christ-followers if we’re going to pull this off. Are you…
Serving at a church that currently offers respite care in search of additional training or access to a safe and secure website to help families in your community register for respite events?
Interested in connecting families impacted by disabilities in your community/region to your church through online worship services?
Serving with an organization interested in partnering with Key Ministry to advance the cause of families impacted by disability throughout the worldwide church?
Our Key Ministry website is a resource through which church staff, volunteers, family members and caregivers can register for upcoming training events, request access to our library of downloadable ministry resources, contact our staff with training or consultation requests, access the content of our official ministry blog, or contribute their time, talent and treasure to the expansion of God’s Kingdom through the work of Key Ministry. In addition to our downloadable resources, those who register for our resource kit can view any presentation from our Inclusion Fusion Disability Ministry Web Summits “on-demand”. All of these resources are made available free of charge. Check out our website today!
Bryan Roe is a successful youth pastor who experienced firsthand the emotions of a teen with a significant disability growing up with Tourette’s Disorder. Bryan joined us for Inclusion Fusion 2012, presenting on the topic The Greater Miracle.
Bryan is a graduate of Judson University in Chicago IL and currently serves as Pastor of Student and Young Adult Ministries at Crosspoint Community Church in Oconomowoc, WI. He and his wife Briana partner together to bring the next generation of young people into passionate relationships with Jesus Christ. They have two young sons named Stellan and Caedman, and they take their boys on small adventures whenever they get the chance. This past Tuesday, Bryan and his wife were blessed with the arrival of their first daughter, Brighton.
It’s inevitable. At some point, every parent of a child with special needs is going to wonder why. Why was our family afflicted with this? Why would God allow this transpire? Why can’t God just take it away? Throughout his deep struggle with Tourette’s Syndrome, Bryan has wrestled with these questions and found comfort through one crucial truth in the Scriptures: God can use everyone-even those with special needs-to make his love known to the world.
Here’s Bryan…
Bryan took the time recently to answer a few questions about growing up with Tourette’s Disorder and ministry with teens with special needs….
IF: In your Inclusion Fusion presentation, you talk about your experiences growing up with Tourette’s Syndrome. How did your experience with Tourette’s as a child and a teen impact your spiritual development?
BR: When I reached middle school, my tics were so bad so overmedicated that I began to wonder, If God is so loving, why would he give me this? I also began to wonder if he could possibly have a plan for a person like me. This caused a massive cloud of depression and doubt to set in until one night, contemplating suicide, I prayed an honest prayer of surrender. From there, everything changed. Through a series of experiences shortly thereafter, God answered that prayer by showing me the miracle of redemption; God’s ability to save and use a broken kid with Tourette’s like me.
IF: What did you learn from your experience with Tourette’s that most impacts your ongoing ministry with youth?
BR: Simply that there are kids everywhere struggling with similar issues, looking in the mirror and seeing someone who is “less than” enough. The point is, God can use anyone and everyone. In fact, his typical bend tends to be toward the kids who don’t think they’ll amount to anything. If my story communicates anything, it communicates the fact that God can use you in spite of – and often times in light of – your weaknesses.
IF: What suggestions would you share with other youth pastors seeking to welcome and include teens and young adults with outwardly apparent or more “hidden” disabilities who don’t feel comfortable about becoming actively involved with church?
BR: These are the primary points I’m hitting in my message, but here they are in response to this question…
1. Regularly feature testimonies from adult leaders who have seen God use them in ways that he used me. Additionally, make sure that the leaders who are giving their testimonies make themselves available to talk to (and pray with) students who are impacted by their stories.
2. Create positions for serving in the church that can be filled by individuals with special needs. Invest in them this way and you add value to them. Be creative and don’t be afraid to experiment.
3. Communicate stories about how Jesus interacted with people who were on the margins of culture. Through this, build a case to the rest of your youth (or overall church) population about how we should be intentionally and genuinely reaching out to these kids rather than ostracizing them.
Our Key Ministry website is a resource through which church staff, volunteers, family members and caregivers can register for upcoming training events, request access to our library of downloadable ministry resources, contact our staff with training or consultation requests, access the content of our official ministry blog, or contribute their time, talent and treasure to the expansion of God’s Kingdom through the work of Key Ministry. In addition to our downloadable resources, those who register for our resource kit can view any presentation from our Inclusion Fusion Disability Ministry Web Summits “on-demand”. All of these resources are made available free of charge. Check out our website today!
The opportunity to be involved in work with lasting significance. Have you ever considered how we’ve not simply been given the incredible opportunity to have a relationship with God through His Son…Jesus Christ, but the privilege to serve as a member of God’s team as He re-establishes His Kingdom here on Earth? In my day job as a physician, I have the opportunity to do work of significance. The work we get to do through Key Ministry will have eternal significance. It’s not too hard to get out of bed in the morning with an opportunity such as this. I’m looking forward to taking on a significant ministry staff position (unpaid) in the coming year. More on that ahead…
The privilege of belonging to a great church. I’m grateful to attend a church that views ministry as a privilege and a responsibility owned by all of the people and continually affirms the willingness to devote the church’s “best and brightest” in support of the idea that families of kids with disabilities represent an enormous outreach opportunity for churches everywhere. We have lots of Bay Presbyterian chromosomes contained in our DNA!
I’m surrounded by wise leaders. We have a great leadership group. I’m grateful that my former pastor, Hu Auburn has agreed to step forward and direct our staff in the coming year. Working alongside a senior pastor with 30+ years of experience leading a large and thriving church is invaluable as we transition into a period of very rapid growth. Our Board of Directors (Libby Peterson, Dave McKee, Carrie Lupoli, Rhonda Martin, Stephen Burks and Joe Sontich) are extraordinarily generous with their time, talent, treasure and wisdom.
Without counsel plans fail, but with many advisers they succeed. Proverbs 15:22 (ESV)
The generosity of our donors. We’ll be able to pursue some incredible plans in 2014 thanks to the gifts of many faithful people who’ve embraced the vision of what churches can do to minister to families of kids impacted by mental illness, trauma or developmental disabilities.
The inspiration of ministry colleagues who serve with excellence while living with the challenges of raising a child with a disability. At the risk of leaving lots of people out, you guys are inspiring. Here are some heroes of the church…
Barb Dittrich…Blogging faithfully (and prolifically) through a year in which she spent WAY too much time at Milwaukee Children’s Hospital caring for her son with hemophilia.
Mike Woods…serving faithfully at First Baptist Orlando while raising triplet sons, all of whom are on the autism spectrum. Mike launched Not Aloneto support parents in faith as they raise kids with special needs.
Colleen Swindoll-Thompson…Colleen has dealt with all manner of adversity while building a ministry to thousands of families of kids with special needs.
Shannon Dingle…Shannon and her husband Lee have been willing to go overseas in response to God’s call to pursue kids He loves who are medically fragile and embrace them into their family.
Gillian Marchenko…Gillian is a tireless advocate for kids with Down Syndrome while remaining transparent about her personal struggles with depression.
An incredibly supportive family. My wife and girls sacrifice much in terms of my time and availability to afford me the time and energy to do what I do for Key Ministry. Within this past year, my wife returned to paid employment, allowing me more latitude to volunteer for Key Ministry. Our girls make me proud. They honor God, make good decisions, work very hard, and care for other people.
Thanks for coming alongside us for our ministry adventure! Best Wishes to all of our ministry supporters everywhere for a Happy Thanksgiving!
Our Key Ministry website is a resource through which church staff, volunteers, family members and caregivers can register for upcoming training events, request access to our library of downloadable ministry resources, contact our staff with training or consultation requests, access the content of our official ministry blog, or contribute their time, talent and treasure to the expansion of God’s Kingdom through the work of Key Ministry. In addition to our downloadable resources, those who register for our resource kit can view any presentation from our Inclusion Fusion Disability Ministry Web Summits “on-demand”. All of these resources are made available free of charge. Check out our website today!
In Part Five of our current blog series Key Ministry 2.0 we’ll look at some of the gifts we offer to the church for the purpose of advancing ministry to and with families of kids with mental illness, trauma and developmental disabilities.
This past August, one of our Board members put us through a little exercise as part of our planning process for Key Ministry. She grabbed a marker, proceeded to the whiteboard, and shared that the gifts of an organization are generally found in one of four areas…
Knowledge
Services
Products
Relationships
She then asked a couple of questions…
How do you think we’re perceived by others?
Where do you think we can make our greatest contribution?
While our team has significant contributions to make in all four areas, we concluded that our greatest giftedness lies in the area of knowledge.
Here’s an observation about the church…not meant as a criticism-just an observation. At times, we in the church tend to devalue the importance of knowledge and experience while placing high value on calling and supernatural giftedness. Knowledge and experience compliment calling and giftedness.
We’ve been very intentional while building our ministry team in pursuing wise, mature Christians with great experience in serving kids with mental illness, trauma or developmental disabilities, along with leaders with many years of experience working in churches. Here’s why…
If a pastor, a volunteer or a parent are called to pursue intentional ministry to include kids with disabilities and their families within their home churches, they frequently experience two major impediments specifically related to a lack of knowledge or understanding…
1. With mental illness representing by far and away the most common disabling condition among children and teens in the U.S., lack of understanding about mental illness among clergy and laypeople in the local church represents a major obstacle to effective ministry. People tend to fear what they don’t understand. If we’re to help the church to overcome this fear, we need leaders with unimpeachable credibility who can effectively communicate the needs of families of kids with mental illness in a manner that empowers church leaders to develop effective strategies for outreach and inclusion. Going forward, Key Ministry has a big role to play in educating the church (and our colleagues in disability ministry) about the impact of mental illness on children and families. We’re building a team capable of fulfilling that role.
2. Church leaders need to feel understood before they can seek to understand how they might minister effectively to kids with disabilities within the context of their unique church cultures. We’ll talk more in a subsequent post about the struggles local church leaders wrestle with on a daily basis, but without the ability to demonstrate to churches that we can help them “do ministry” with families impacted by disability without compromising other ministry opportunities and help them to overcome obstacles to change, we’ll have lots of churches with unfulfilled good intentions. There’s a reason why we have a ministry team leader with 33 years of experience as a senior pastor in a “megachurch”, a highly-involved Board member with 20 years of church staff experience in children’s and family ministry and a long-time worship pastor with extensive experience in the use of media in the church as members of our team.
A brief word on innovation…we’ve mentioned before the idea that “to reach people no one else is reaching, we have to try stuff no one else is trying“. In doing some background reading, I discovered that the word “innovate” is derived from a middle French word that can be translated as renewal. Our team has the ability to translate a reasonably deep understanding of mental illnesses, the impact of trauma and/or neglect, and differences in capacity for social relatedness and information processing and apply that understanding in helping kids and families to thrive in the environment of the local church.
In my world, when presented with a problem for which effective treatments (solutions) are lacking, after considerable observation, one draws from experience in forming hypotheses about possible solutions, tests those solutions, and disseminates the results so that others can improve upon those solutions. I think we’re called to apply a similar process in seeking better ways to help the church more effectively serve, welcome and include the the kids and families who are the focus of our ministry.
We’re embracing our calling. And in doing so, we’re hoping to help the church embrace many with gifts and talents intended to help the church change the world…
“Here’s to the crazy ones. The misfits. The rebels. The troublemakers. The round pegs in the square holes. The ones who see things differently. They’re not fond of rules. And they have no respect for the status quo. You can quote them, disagree with them, glorify or vilify them. About the only thing you can’t do is ignore them. Because they change things. They push the human race forward. And while some may see them as the crazy ones, we see genius. Because the people who are crazy enough to think they can change the world, are the ones who do.”
Editor’s note: David Glover is an outstanding Christian man and visionary leader of PURE Ministries. PURE Ministries has developed some resources to help network church staff and volunteers leading disability ministries in individual churches, along with resources to help families of a child with a disability to find a church offering supports that address their family’s needs. We at Key Ministry support their efforts, and invited David to share their resources with our readers and supporters as part of our “Faces of the Movement” series. Here’s David:
As the meeting with a wonderful group of people at the fictitious “Second Church” came to end, I was once again perplexed as all of the eyes in the room focused on me with a singular question: “Well, what do we do now – how do we start a PURE (or disability ministry) here in our church?”
Since we began PURE Ministries (originally, we were Zachariah’s Way) 10 years ago, I have found myself in this situation too many times. Given the various parameters of a given church (e.g. belief that God is calling them to this ministry, level of commitment, involvement of staff, the passion of leaders, sense of urgency, etc.) that would ultimately determine if a newly launched special needs ministry would be “successful”, I can normally talk people through the process: we can come and “inspire” the church congregation with Biblical truth about why Jesus made this a priority in His earthly ministry. We can come “train” the volunteers as to how they can come alongside and build relationships with PURE people and their families. However, over the years it has become more obvious to me that often the most helpful suggestion I can make in this situation is to simply ask the “Second Church” ministry leader(s) to talk with “Mary Jones” at “First Church” who has led a growing PURE ministry effort at her very similar church. Then go see “Joe Smith” at “Third Church” who is leading their ministry and at almost the same point in the process.
It became obvious to me: though we can and do share different experiences, both good and bad, of the churches with whom we have worked, we are not the ones who actually prayed, planned, and overcame unique challenges to begin a PURE ministry in their church. We are considered “experts” (incorrectly, I might add for there really are no experts) as we share information and experiences, but most people beginning special needs want to talk directly to their peers in another church. They want to find out what worked and what didn’t work…beginning something so new, they want answers for a whole host of questions, some they don’t even know enough to ask. They want encouragement and affirmation from those at other churches that have gone through what they are about to experience. But, the question remains: how do we find those “similar” churches with which to collaborate?
This need to collaborate, though obvious at ministry inception, actually grows as ministry grows. As ministry grows, the “inexperienced” become the “experienced” and share their experiences as the cycle grows. As a solution to this problem, PURE Ministries has launched “The PURE Ministry Network”.
Having been good friends and ministry partners with all the great folks at Key Ministry since both our ministries began; we are making a special appeal to all of you in some way connected to Key to join the Network. The PURE Ministry Network, launched earlier this year, is the “hub” of all things pertaining to any and all disability ministry and is intended to be that single place to go to find out what’s happening in your neighborhood and around the country as well. To become part of this, we simply are asking that as a member of your church, register your church on the Network. There are no membership requirements, other than members must be Christian churches, ministries, or organizations. There are no fees, no dues, no obligations, and no cost. We want all churches on the network regardless of whether your church is currently offering, planning, or just “dreaming about doing” PURE ministry!
Again, regardless of the “status” of the PURE ministry at your church, the Network will provide value. Anyone will be able to search the Network for churches and organizations for specific members. The search capabilities include geographic range (national, regional, state down to zip code), services provided (e.g. respite, Sunday morning, etc.), and ministry stage (“active”, “in process”, “planning”, or “hoping and dreaming”. Once desired churches are identified, specific contact information, ministry description, directions to the church are clearly displayed and collaboration can begin! Additionally, once your church is registered and information profile is entered, it will appear in the PURE Ministry Network where PURE families can find churches in their communities providing special needs ministry. A user forum will allow communication between members as desired on a wide range of related ministry topics. Also, an event calendar will be available for members to promote special events to other churches on the network.
As a Network member, you and your church will receive premium resources and materials (e.g. “QuickStart Respite Guide”, church ministry profiles, themed respite materials, etc,) developed by PURE Ministries at no cost. Finally, as an extra incentive to join before the end of November, PURE Ministries will be giving away 2 free iPads. You can win in one of two ways: 1 iPad will be given away randomly to one person registering their church and 1 iPad will be given away to the person who refers the most other churches that join the PURE Ministry Network!
Remember, if you are a church member, you can register your church! Joining the network is easy: 1. Go to the PURE Ministries website (www.PURE-Ministries.com) and click “Join the network” graphic 2. On the PURE Ministry Network page returned, click on “Create a Profile” 3. Provide us the information for your church or organization (be sure to tell us who referred you) 4. And you will be found on our map! We ask that you prayerfully consider joining us in this effort as we seek to awaken the Body of Christ to the needs and blessing of PURE people and their families. Register your church today and begin taking advantage of the PURE Ministry Network.
John and Ann Holmes have planted a church in Pittsburgh… A Restoration Church… focused on intentional, inclusive, embracing worship and community for families and individuals with special needs. Their presentation title “Broken Needs Fixed”is a tribute to their adopted hometown and a synopsis of the presentation from Inclusion Fusion 2012 we’re sharing today.
John and Ann are a ministry team. They have served churches in SC, AL, VA and PA. John has an MDiv. from Columbia Theological Seminary (Atlanta, GA) and a DMin. from Westminster Seminary (Philadelphia, PA). John and Ann have two married sons and seven grandchildren.
Here’s a summary of their presentation…
Intentional outreach and ministry that includes kids and adults with special needs and their families is not just a good idea. It is a mandate from Scripture (Luke 14:12-14). Churches must explore and implement ways to reach out to and provide a welcoming, safe worship community for these families. This is both a foundational principle and a practical necessity for the health of the entire church family.
John and Ann are truly awesome people who serve the Lord faithfully outside the limelight of the conference circuit. Here’s an interview with John and Ann from last year’s Web Summit magazine about their ministry in Pittsburgh…
IF: What led the two of you to start a church specifically to welcome persons with special needs and their families?
AH: There were two startling “watershed” experiences during the last 30+ years in ministry that God used to draw our hearts toward this mission. John briefly describes both in our interview with Katie. In a nutshell, these two experiences (and others less dramatic) brought us to the realization that there is a significant “sub-group” in our culture that has been largely ignored by the institutional church – individuals with special needs and their families.
In addition, we have personally experienced “hidden disability” through a number of personal medical issues that seriously impacted us as a couple and as a family. Our own pain gives us a unique perspective into the world of special needs.
JH: I was not aware of any other churches – going back 6-8 years when this vision really began to crystallize – planting churches or being a church with a core value of being welcoming and discipling (mentoring) to special needs individuals and their families. It just seemed like both a call from God and a huge need in the Body of Christ!
We were already in the process of planting A Restoration Church when our son met and fell in love with the mother of a daughter with Down syndrome. God gave us a granddaughter with DS. What a wonderful “hug from God”! She blesses us and gives us a special window into the lives of families with special needs.
We have a new understanding of the Biblical mandate for this kind of ministry. Luke 14:12-14 and other passages make it plain that this is God’s priority for His forever family. It is the primary focus of Jesus’ years in ministry prior to the cross. Scripture is clear that it is not an option to reach out to the special needs community. It is an imperative!
IF: How is pastoring a church composed primarily of persons with special needs different from pastoring a more “typical” church?
AH/JH: There are so many people needs that it is almost overwhelming at times- especially when there are many more needs than there are willing hands and hearts prepared to step up to support those needs. There isn’t a defined template for this kind of ministry. There is support and there are resources available to encourage such a ministry as A Restoration Church. Finding them is the challenge. One way to find resources is Twitter and other social media. The number of friends connected to special needs ministries we have found on Twitter and Facebook is so supportive and such a blessing! One reason we are so excited about Key Ministry is the encouragement we are receiving. Walking with others on this particular ministry path is invaluable! Thanks so much!
We are still figuring out how to “market” this vision to build a church committed to ministry to special needs individuals and their families. We have done some of this right as we are finding our way. We have made mistakes. There is a two-pronged focus of welcoming special needs individuals and their families while also reaching out to more “typical” individuals and families. In our culture it is difficult to sell more “typical” parents with more “typical” children on what a huge blessing participating in a church with this vision can and will be. Just being part of a church like A Restoration Church has great value for more “typical” families in teaching their children and youth to love unconditionally and sacrificially. This isn’t just a ministry we do. It’s a mutual ministry of serving and receiving encouragement! Like Paul says in 1 Corinthians 12:14-27 it takes inclusion to be the REAL Body of Christ before the watching world!
There is a fear factor both for leadership and for individuals and families who catch the significance of this type of ministry. Getting past that barrier is very much a difficult challenge. We can all be entirely too wrapped up in both image and what we perceive success to look like. “Selling” the vision for planting and building churches with a core value of including special needs individuals and their families is both daunting and challenging as well as incredibly rewarding!
The fact that many of our people do have special needs also means that their commitment to consistency in attendance and contribution of energy and resources fluctuates rather dramatically. It helps to always keep in view that this is God’s work and that He just chooses to use us to build His Kingdom. The temptation to measure “success” by nickels and is a false standard. Only God can build this kind of ministry. It is amazing to watch what He does with “broken” people, including us. He loves to take “the weak” and to be strong for them/us.
There are many adaptations to a more “typical” ministry style when the focus is being welcoming and supporting to special needs families, such as issues with music. Traditional components of worship like prayers, creeds and even the sermon (tho’ the more relaxed atmosphere accepted in many churches makes this particular challenge easier to address). Sermon length and presentation needs processing through a different spectrum, as do many other aspects of a more traditional church.
All the accommodations to special needs…like hearing assistance. We have hearing devices of several different kinds available in our welcome area, large print bulletins, access issues and even language adaptations. One example of a language adaptation… when there are people who present in wheelchairs it is a barrier to say, “Stand.” Reconditioning the worship leader’s expression to “Rise with me in your hearts as we sing………… is a retooling challenge. Another challenge is signing for the hearing impaired – finding the right person to fit our people.
On the other hand, one HUGE blessing in this ministry focus is the opportunity to participate in people’s lives in the midst of their personal pain, developing deep relationships and making a difference. The memories and life impact are amazing! The stories are compelling and provide a wonderful backdrop for us at A Restoration Church as we promote and live out this vision.
In the area of practical considerations there are some wonderful stories as well. One example is putting our Internet skills together with the need for an accessible van for one individual.
“We found” a van advertised for an amazing price. It was a fluke, because the headline for the ad said nothing about the van being accessible. In the eBay bidding process we were able to secure the van for less than $4,000, including licenses and registrations. The van was located in another city. When we were making arrangements to pick up the van and introduced ourselves on the phone as the person who bought the accessible van, the seller said, “You mean the person who stole my van?” We got the van for the price we bid and God was so obviously in the details!
Pastoring A Restoration Church has both huge challenges and huge blessing. The main thing is walking closely with God, depending on His strength, spending a lot of time on our knees and trusting Him to do “His thing”!
IF: How have you seen God at work through the ministry of A Restoration Church?
AH/JH: God works through simple and practical ways – like an accessible van at an unbelievable price making it possible for a person – who would be confined to her small apartment otherwise – to get out and to build relationships and participate in the ministry of A Restoration Church. She even allows her van to be used by and for others with accessibility issues from time to time.
God works through even mistakes and difficulties to stretch and challenge us in the process of planting A Restoration Church. One example is that we were able to begin this mission with some significant funds that came from the sale of two properties. Those funds are mostly depleted now so we are both working for separate paychecks (sales for John and teaching Latin for Ann) so our personal finances and needs aren’t a hindrance to the ministry of A Restoration Church. Actually, this difficulty is a blessing in forcing us to rely on God’s provision rather than what we can actually see in the bank. Having other resources for our finances also allows us to participate significantly with stewardship of our own finances. Then there are the contacts we make at both jobs that either make people aware of A Restoration Church or draw them into A Restoration Church. Both of these results happen.
God builds relationships in surprising and unexpected ways. At A Restoration Church there is more of a spirit of acceptance, forgiveness and grace than we have seen in any of the other pastorates we have had in our years in ministry (even tho’ that includes some pretty wonderful people and churches). The mentality of being success driven or image driven just doesn’t exist at A Restoration Church. When the people you spend most of your time with and who are your closest friends have special needs, there isn’t the same level of expectations/demands that we have encountered in more “typical” ministry venues.
Because we know very well how broken we are, our hearts are tenderized toward others who share our brokenness both in obvious and hidden ways.
There are so many wonderful people stories. We have produced a booklet with some of those and it’s time to do a sequel. We just desperately need willing hands and hearts to come alongside so we can do more.
We have opportunities to reach out to other churches in Pittsburgh to encourage them as they develop their own special needs ministries.
IF: What advice would you give to someone else experiencing a call to plant a church like A Restoration Church?
AH/JH: Be sure your calling is from God, as you will need His approval, blessing and strength! There will be delays and discouragements along the way. It is HUGE to know that this is God working to build His Kingdom! This is a team effort – God and His servants working in tandem. There is no place for personal kingdom building in this kind of ministry focus.
Don’t try to reinvent the wheel. Make use of resources available in special needs ministry. There are increasing resources as more and more churches participate in this Kingdom-building movement.
It is essential to build a strong core group of like-minded people who understand the vision to be a church for and to individuals with special needs and their families.
It would be very helpful to have a supporting parent church or denomination willing to undergird a ministry like A Restoration Church. We have found a lot of fear in the institutional church about nickels and noses related to this kind of ministry. It is a very different model that requires people with commitment and vision to participate in this wonderful, life-changing opportunity
To contact John and Ann or to learn more about their church:
Our Key Ministry website is a resource through which church staff, volunteers, family members and caregivers can register for upcoming training events, request access to our library of downloadable ministry resources, contact our staff with training or consultation requests, access the content of our official ministry blog, or contribute their time, talent and treasure to the expansion of God’s Kingdom through the work of Key Ministry. In addition to our downloadable resources, those who register for our resource kit can view any presentation from our Inclusion Fusion Disability Ministry Web Summits “on-demand”. All of these resources are made available free of charge. Check out our website today!
In Part Four of our current blog series Key Ministry 2.0 we’ll look at some key trends impacting the culture, the family and the church that will shape the ways in which we will carry out our ministry in the months and years to come.
When our Board and staff sat down together at the beginning of this ministry year to coalesce around a vision for our future work, we considered how the culture in which we work is radically different now as opposed to the beginning of our ministry adventures. Today, we’ll introduce three overarching trends that will shape our approach to ministry in the years ahead, along with some additional factors we’ll be taking into consideration as we form our strategy. In my next few posts, I’ll share how these trends are likely to shape the nature of our ministry going forward.
The first overarching trend involves the explosion in prominence of social media in our lives…and the lives of the families we seek to connect to the church. Social media is truly a double-edged sword. We’re able to share in a conversation about the needs of kids with disabilities because social media allowed us to connect. We have well in excess of 1,000 ministry leaders registered to access the free resources available through our website, over 2,000 “fans” who connect with our ministry through Facebook and nearly 700 people who receive our blog posts on a daily basis. We’re not able to have anywhere near the impact we have without our friends “tweeting” and sharing our content. At the same time, I see kids everyday who struggle in school because of their addiction to social media, are exposed to cyberbullying, and have firsthand experience with families in which online chat led to the end of marriages.
The second trend involves the perception that more and more families (especially families in which one or more children are impacted by disabilities) are overwhelmed by the ever-increasing demands of day to day life. Just yesterday, I was attending a meeting at an independent school serving kids with learning disabilities and ADHD where the director described the relief families experience when parents no longer have to spend hours in the evening fighting to complete homework with their child. Parents fear for the future of their kids and often struggle with guilt as to whether they’re providing their kids with the right life experiences to prepare them for future success. They work long hours so they can attend the right schools, wear the right clothes, have the right technology and participate in the right activities. Parents…and their kids struggle with a lack of margin in life. All too often, the end result is that our kids become, in the words of Reggie Joiner “experience-rich and relationship-poor”.
The third overarching trend involves the ways in which the local church is in a period of transition. Many churches are experiencing diminishing attendance at weekend worship…in some instances, decreased attendance may not reflect a reduction in the number of families who identify with the church, but competing demands on Sunday mornings (especially youth sports) may result in families attending worship services less frequently. Diminishing attendance in a less than robust economy leads to smaller collections and reductions in church budgets. Ministry staff and volunteers are constantly asked to make do with less…the strain I see among families involved in ministry is tangible. Ministry strategies considered to be “tried and true” are no longer working. While much of the church is embracing the missional movement, volunteer recruitment is becoming more difficult as people in general become busier. “Theological diversity” is becoming a more visible source of divisiveness and tension within the church as denominations and congregations struggle with issues related to the authority of Scripture and our faith’s claims to exclusivity.
Here are a few more trends we’re considering specific to disability ministry…
The disability ministry movement has made great advances since we got our start…there are far more churches-and organizations serving kids with disabilities and their families compared to ten years ago.
The demand our organization experiences for training from churches is larger than our staff or budget can currently support in our existing model.
Our culture has become dramatically more aware of the prevalence of autism spectrum disorders in recent years, along with the need for support experienced by families of kids with autism.
Despite current efforts to reform the healthcare system, far too many families of kids with mental illness lack access to effective services from competent professionals, and families of kids with mental illness, learning disabilities and developmental disabilities all too often encounter great difficulty in accessing educational and support services to which their children are entitled through their local schools.
So readers…what do you think? Do you agree with our selections regarding the three overarching trends likely to affect ministry in the coming years? What trends should leaders involved in disability ministry consider that we didn’t list here?
In Part Three of our current blog series Key Ministry 2.0 we’ll talk about the values that have shaped…and will continue to shape the way in which we will continue to approach our ministry calling in the months and years ahead.
Through our first eleven years of ministry, some of our leaders have come and gone, our resources and our strategies have changed, but our values have stayed…and will stay the same, because they are rooted in Scripture. Here are the values that will shape our ministry in the years to come…
Christ-centered…God has made clear the truth. Jesus is the fulfillment of the plans and promises of God, the hopes and dreams of the prophets, and the longings of His people. The Christian faith stands-or falls-upon the person of Jesus Christ.
Champions of the local church…The unified gathering of the people of God is foundational to Christianity. We were meant to live the Christian life in community with one another. We serve churches because the church is the primary means established through which people come to faith in Christ and grow in their faith.
Family-based ministry…We believe that parents bear the primary responsibility for shepherding the spiritual development of their children and the role of the church is to come alongside the family as a valued partner and source of support. Our ‘win” occurs whenever a child with mental illness, a history of trauma or a developmental disability or any member of their family experiences a meaningful connection with their larger family in Christ through a local church.
Ministry that is redemptive, relational and restorative…The world as we know it is not the way God meant it to be. Jesus is referred to as Redeemer…at Key Ministry, our job is to come alongside churches as they point families impacted by disabilities to the One with the power to offer everlasting redemption. As a part the Body of Christ, our privilege (through the power of the Holy Spirit) is to be about Jesus’ work of restoring life as it was meant to be. We seek to help build relationships between families of kids with disabilities and their larger family in Christ.
Inclusive…Our default position is to include kids with disabilities and their families to as great a degree as possible into the experiences and activities promoting faith development and Christian community in the life of the local church. For some kids, the “least restrictive environment” may not be the most inclusive environment at various points in their faith journeys, but our goal is for kids with mental illness, trauma and developmental disabilities and their families is for them to “do life” in the physical presence of other Christ-followers.
Generous…We see our ability to provide as many of our services as possible free of charge as an opportunity to model an object lesson in grace. After all, Jesus paid the price for our salvation. We can’t do anything to earn salvation…we simply have to accept Christ’s gift, freely given. If “free” worked for Jesus, it should work for us.
Innovative…We’re living through the early stages of a technologic revolution that will transform the way we communicate and interact with one another. We have a unique call and gifting to discern how the tools available to us may be used for the purpose of sharing the love of Jesus with families impacted by disabilities in our generation.
Collaborative…Relationships with other leaders and ministries allow us to cast much greater influence than our talent set and circumstances would otherwise allow. We were created to work together for the purpose of honoring God and giving Him glory. No one has a monopoly on gifts and talents in God’s Kingdom. Promoting the work of other leaders and organizations runs counter to conventional wisdom and human nature, but reflects upon the nature of God’s Kingdom. Collaboration is also a wise strategy. Working together allows us to focus our efforts on developing resources and services that address unmet needs among the churches we serve.
Affirming of everyone’s ministry gifts…Scripture teaches that ALL of us who are part of the church have unique gifts and talents to contribute to God’s Kingdom…including those with disabilities and their families. No one sits on the bench on God’s team-everyone is expected to get into the game!
Photo courtesy of Gary Halvorson, Oregon State Archives
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Confused about all the changes in diagnostic terminology for kids with mental heath disorders? Key Ministry has a resource page summarizing our recent blog series examining the impact of the DSM-5 on kids with mental health disorders. Click this link for summary articles describing the changes in diagnostic criteria for conditions common among children and teens, along with links to other helpful resources!
John Knight is a passionate advocate for the value and dignity of human life, a disability ministry champion and the father of a son with special medical needs.
John serves as Director of Donor Partnerships at Desiring God. He is married to Dianne and together they parent their four children: Paul, Hannah, Daniel, and Johnny. Paul lives with multiple disabilities including blindness, autism, cognitive impairments and a seizure disorder. John blogs on issues of disability, the Bible, and the church at The Works of God.
We’re sharing John’s presentation from Inclusion Fusion 2012…For the Sake of Your Own Joy! Why Your Church Should Want Families Like Mine. John’s presentation is specifically targeted to pastors and other church leaders. He presents a succinct and passionate argument (filled with references to Scripture) for leaders who know they should ‘do something’ to reach out to and serve people with disabilities. John argues that through serving families impacted by disability, we pursue our own joy in God!
Here’s John:
John also composed a fabulous video promoting his Inclusion Fusion appearance on the topic of “Why” inclusive ministry to families impacted by disabilities is so important. You can view it here…
Our Key Ministry website is a resource through which church staff, volunteers, family members and caregivers can register for upcoming training events, request access to our library of downloadable ministry resources, contact our staff with training or consultation requests, access the content of our official ministry blog, or contribute their time, talent and treasure to the expansion of God’s Kingdom through the work of Key Ministry. In addition to our downloadable resources, those who register for our resource kit can view any presentation from our Inclusion Fusion Disability Ministry Web Summits “on-demand”. All of these resources are made available free of charge. Check out our website today!
We’re thankful to the Swindoll family and the folks at Insight for Living for making Key Ministry their featured resource for the month of December!
Insight has had a long history of supporting disability-related ministry. Stonebriar Church published one of the early manuals for churches seeking to establish special needs ministries. Chuck Swindoll has authored a short book, When God’s Gift Comes Specially Wrapped (available here in appreciation for a donation to IFL) in which he draws upon the teaching of Scripture and his own personal experience to discuss children with special needs children and their place in God’s kingdom.
While you’re over at the Insight for Living site, please check out their recommended resources. They have some fabulous books, CDs and .mp3 resources to provide encouragement and hope to families struggling with the unique burdens that often occur in the course of raising a child with a disability.
Church4EveryChild 