Tag Archives: Disability Ministry

I wonder how we miss the obvious…Jeff McNair

Posted on February 1, 2015 by Dr. G

We walk by, seemingly acting if we don’t know who our neighbor is. Continue reading →

Posted in Advocacy, Inclusion, Key Ministry, Spiritual Development, Stories | Tagged Christian Institute on Disability, Disability Ministry, Global Access Conference, Jeff McNair, Joni and Friends, Special Needs Ministry, Who is my neighbor? compassion | Leave a comment

Jay Adams and the foundations of a movement…

Posted on January 28, 2015 by Dr. G

It’s important for our readers to understand how central Adams has been in impacting how pastors from evangelical and reformed traditions think about mental illness and pastoral counseling. Continue reading →

Posted in Hidden Disabilities, Key Ministry, Mental Health, Strategies | Tagged Biblical Counseling, Christian counseling, church, Competent to Counsel, Disability Ministry, Inclusion, Institute for Nouthetic Studies, Jay Adams, Key Ministry, mental illness, Nouthetic Counseling, sin, stigma | 7 Comments

The “missing” Inclusion Fusion presentation…and more!

Posted on January 23, 2015 by Dr. G

Our friends at Insight for Living put together a fabulous discussion between Chuck Swindoll, his daughter Colleen Swindoll-Thompson and Steve Fischer entitled Transforming the Soul-What We Didn’t Learn in Seminary. Continue reading →

Posted in Families, Inclusion Fusion, Key Ministry, Resources, Spiritual Development, Stories | Tagged Chuck Swindoll, Colleen Swindoll-Thompson, Disability Ministry, Inclusion Fusion, Insight for Living, Joni Eareckson Tada, Key Ministry, Soul Care, Special Needs Ministry, Steve Fischer | Leave a comment

Steve AND Shannon will be presenting at #GlobalAccess2015

Posted on January 21, 2015 by Dr. G

Shannon will be leading a workshop on The Special Needs of Foster and Adoptive Families and leading a roundtable discussion on What are some practical implications of the verse “Blessed are the nations whose God is the Lord?”
Continue reading →

Posted in Adoption, Families, Foster Care, Inclusion, Key Ministry, Training Events | Tagged Adoption, church, Disability Ministry, Foster Care, Global Access Conference, Inclusion, Joni and Friends, Key Ministry, mental illness, ministry conferences, Shannon Dingle, special needs, Stephen Grcevich MD | Leave a comment

Please don’t say “all kids do that” to adoptive and foster families…

Posted on January 20, 2015 by Dr. G

But when foster or adoptive parents like me hear that, it feels dismissive to the real grief, pain, and trauma our kids have experienced and how that history still influences their actions today. Usually when someone tells another parent “all kids do that,” the words are meant to be helpful, to soothe our nerves or encourage us in the midst of a hard parenting moment. But that’s not what your words do. Instead those words invalidate what we know to be true and minimize the extra layer of thinking that parenting kids from hard places requires. Continue reading →

Posted in Adoption, Families, Foster Care, Key Ministry, Strategies | Tagged Adoption, all kids do that, attachment, child development, children's ministry, Disability Ministry, Family Ministry, Foster Care, Inclusion, Shannon Dingle, Special Needs Ministry, trauma | 75 Comments

The elephant in the living room…Sin, mental illness and the church

Posted on January 16, 2015 by Dr. G

We appear to be far more interested in (and comfortable with) outreach to kids, teens and adults who we view as having little or no moral culpability for their disabilities. Continue reading →

Posted in Controversies, Families, Inclusion, Key Ministry, Mental Health, Strategies | Tagged anxiety, church, Dan Vander Plaats, Disability Ministry, Elephant in the Living Room, Elim Christian Services, Inclusion, Key Ministry, mental illness, online Bible Study, sin, Special Needs Ministry, stigma, the 5 Stages | 6 Comments

HIV and other blood-borne pathogens in children’s ministry…Shannon Dingle

Posted on January 11, 2015 by Dr. G

So what should you do if there’s a child with HIV in your church? The same thing you should do otherwise: use best practices for first aid and show love to the child and parents. Continue reading →

Posted in Adoption, Controversies, Families, Hidden Disabilities, Inclusion, Key Ministry | Tagged children's ministry, Disability Ministry, HIV, Inclusion, Key Ministry, Shannon Dingle, Special Needs Ministry, youth ministry | 2 Comments

Join us at keyministry.tv in January!

Posted on January 5, 2015 by Dr. G

Invite friends to check out some highlights from last November’s Inclusion Fusion Disability Ministry Web Summit and experience the first installment of our “Key Talks” disability ministry training curriculum in January!
Continue reading →

Posted in Anxiety Disorders, Key Ministry, PTSD, Resources, Strategies, Training Events | Tagged anxiety, Disability Ministry, Inclusion, Inclusion Fusion, Key Talks, keyministry.tv, Ministry Training, online church, Special Needs Ministry, spiritual development | Leave a comment

The myth that love is always enough…

Posted on January 4, 2015 by Dr. G

Sadly, love isn’t always enough, and the implication that it is (or should be) with kids exposed to trauma or neglect is as destructive as the myth that mental illness is caused by a problem with sin or inadequate faith.
Continue reading →