Tag Archives: Disability Ministry

Emily Colson…Becoming Still

We’ve come a long way since those early years of staying home on Sunday mornings when we couldn’t find our place. Back then, like so many families, we couldn’t even make it across the threshold. Autism held us hostage. I had to make a conscious decision to go forward every day, no matter what, and claim the abundant life God promises. I always knew Max needed the church, but no one could have imagined how much the church needed Max. Continue reading

Posted in Advocacy, Autism, Families, Hidden Disabilities, Inclusion, Inclusion Fusion, Key Ministry, Stories, Training Events | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

David Lynden…Connecting with God through the routines of life

There is something more about the gift of routines: they can create a contrast to help us see what might be considered small and insignificant. One of the mantras of wisdom that our autism support group used to rehearse is to celebrate the small, incremental progressions of our children with autism. And they were easier to see because the routines make them stand out so much more than our typical children. Continue reading

Posted in Autism, Key Ministry, Spiritual Development | Tagged , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

A Game of Chess With No Winners…Mike Pitts

We need information that will help us include, celebrate, and minister to your teen’s uniqueness. We don’t want to label your student or give them an IEP at church. We are the church-not the public school. We want to make them feel wanted and included. Continue reading

Posted in Anxiety Disorders, Inclusion, Key Ministry, Mental Health | Tagged , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

A success story from one of our colleagues…

During the Praise and worship service, one of the young ladies looked at me with tears coming down her face…during her favorite song. I talked with her for a minute and then got on my knees and prayed with her. She accepted Christ. Continue reading

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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

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Emily Colson to keynote Northeast Ohio disability ministry event…

Please join us in welcoming Emily, Deb, Laura and all the speakers scheduled for the disability ministry training event at Hope Community Church on Saturday, March 29th. Continue reading

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Special Needs Ministry: Salt Block or Salt Shaker?

The challenge is that Sunday morning success, or church-event success, can end up becoming the dominant strategy to share with others the love of Christ: a salt block approach. This is the way it is in a lot of church-based special needs ministries. We operate primarily, almost exclusively, as salt blocks. Paid staff and/or volunteers knock themselves out, week to week, trying to offer the best ministry possible to get both Christian and non-Christian to attend. And that’s a good thing. It’s a needed thing.

But…is it the only thing? Continue reading

Posted in Advocacy, Inclusion, Intellectual Disabilities, Strategies | Tagged , , , , , , , | 4 Comments

Online Church for families impacted by disability…TODAY at 1:00 Eastern

UPDATE: Nils Smith will be joining us at 1:00 PM Eastern and 9:00 PM Eastern for an interactive chat! Continue reading

Posted in Advocacy, Hidden Disabilities, Inclusion, Inclusion Fusion, Key Ministry, Mental Health, Resources, Strategies | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

How to join us for this month’s Inclusion Fusion…

We’ve made some changes to make it as easy as possible for pastors, church staff, volunteers and families to join us for Inclusion Fusion… Continue reading

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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