Tag Archives: church

Components of a ministry strategy for including kids with mental illness at church

We look at the components of an effective ministry strategy for outreach and inclusion of children and teens with mental health concerns at church. Continue reading

Posted in Inclusion, Key Ministry, Mental Health, Strategies | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

What if a parent ALSO has mental health issues?

When we’re talking about kids experiencing mental health concerns that keep them from church, there’s a reasonable possibility that their mother or father experienced or continue to experience similar difficulties that kept them from attending church. Continue reading

Posted in ADHD, Anxiety Disorders, Families, Hidden Disabilities, Key Ministry, Mental Health, Ministry Environments | Tagged , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

What Perry Noble’s admission says about mental illness, stigma and church

What’s fascinating (from a psychiatrist’s perspective) about Perry’s experiences is the progression he went through over a period of years in his attitudes regarding mental illness and what they may have to say about levels of stigma in the church related to mental health treatment. Continue reading

Posted in Anxiety Disorders, Depression, Key Ministry, Stories | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 3 Comments

One Family’s Journey in the Bible Belt…guest post from Stephanie Prosser

Stephanie offered to share her family’s story with our readers. It serves as a stark reminder that while great strides are being made in opening more churches to families of kids with special medical, behavioral, emotional and developmental needs, there continue to be cities of substantial size here in the U.S. where families impacted by disability have nowhere to go on Sunday mornings if they wish to worship as a family. Here’s Stephanie… Continue reading

Posted in Advocacy, Autism, Families, Inclusion, Key Ministry, Stories | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 4 Comments

Barriers to inclusion…What if nobody knows the kid needs help?

Our existing disability ministries typically do a very good job of meeting the needs of families of children easily identifiable physical disabilities, or obvious weaknesses weaknesses in intellectual capacity or adaptive functioning. But what happens when the disability isn’t so obvious? Continue reading

Posted in Hidden Disabilities, Inclusion, Key Ministry, Ministry Environments, Resources | Tagged , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Inclusion Fusion returns on March 6…

In addition to our online Summit in November, Inclusion Fusion will be offered as a monthly disability ministry symposium on the first Thursday of each month with a focus on either one headline speaker or one topic of interest to those involved with the disability ministry movement. Continue reading

Posted in Key Ministry | Tagged , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Sensory processing as a barrier to “doing church”

Ministry environments that some kids find engaging may be experienced as noxious by children with heightened reactivity to sensory stimulation. Let’s consider the range of potential situations that would present challenges to families of kids with sensory processing difficulties. Continue reading

Posted in Autism, Hidden Disabilities, Key Ministry, Ministry Environments | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Key Ministry training at Parkside Church

Carrie will be sharing strategies for effectively including kids with mental illness, trauma and developmental disabilities into Sunday School settings and offering practical tips for managing behavior for children who struggle with impulse control and self-regulation. I’ll be offering an overview of why including kids with hidden disabilities and their families is so important for the local church, and discussing how common conditions including ADHD, anxiety and Asperger’s Disorder may impact spiritual development in children and teens. Continue reading

Posted in Key Ministry, Training Events | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

What does “executive functioning” have to do with kids and church?

Through identifying the other challenges executive functioning weaknesses present to a person’s ability to maintain an ongoing pattern of involvement with a local church, we hope to assist leaders in designing ministry environments and developing supports to welcome kids and families who were “unsuccessful” in previous experiences of church and strengthen their connection to the local church once they become attenders. Continue reading

Posted in ADHD, Autism, Bipolar Disorder, Depression, Hidden Disabilities, Inclusion, Intellectual Disabilities, Key Ministry | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

“Doing church” when kids struggle with social communication…

Let’s consider the challenges a kid would experience who has difficulty picking up on body language or the meaning behind the tone and inflection of speech if their parents decided to start attending your church. Continue reading

Posted in Autism, Families, Hidden Disabilities, Inclusion, Key Ministry, Ministry Environments, Spiritual Development | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments