Tag Archives: Inclusion

Why are we shocked by the Bay Village “Ice Bucket Challenge?”

Posted on September 10, 2014 by Dr. G

The behavior demonstrated by the perpetrators of the “Ice Bucket Challenge” reflects our human nature. Christianity teaches that none of us are righteous! What type of behavior should we expect to see, especially in a culture in which more and more of us reject God, and fail to recognize any absolute standards of right and wrong? Many of the risk factors associated with bullying are symptomatic of the breakdown of the family unit as the fundamental building block of society. This is just the beginning… Continue reading →

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What about the families without a church to welcome their child?

Posted on September 9, 2014 by Dr. G

I promised to follow up on the most frequent complaint we received…that churches we serve weren’t available locally to those who responded to our survey. Here’s how we plan to respond… Continue reading →

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A look at who we serve…

Posted on September 7, 2014 by Dr. G

Having a family member with special needs affects church attendance in the following ways: 46% have troubles attending church; 28% don’t attend or have given up attending; 11% of families attend services separately, with one parent staying home to manage the child while the other heads to church; 15% said they had no troubles with church attendance. Continue reading →

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Final Call for Speakers…Inclusion Fusion 2014

Posted on September 1, 2014 by Dr. G

We’re getting close to the deadline for submissions…pastors, ministry leaders, professionals or family members who wish to be part of our faculty. We need completed submissions by 11:59 PM Eastern Time on Monday, September 7th. Continue reading →

Posted in Inclusion Fusion, Key Ministry, Training Events | Tagged , , , , , | 2 Comments

How one good deed turned into the Heart of Rock and Roll…Shane Geisheimer

Posted on August 28, 2014 by Dr. G

We share their team’s story to illustrate that special events like a Prom aren’t limited to megachurches with vast facilities and thousands of potential volunteers…the vision for this event came from five young adults in a small church located in an economically disadvantaged area of the region. Continue reading →

Posted in Advocacy, Intellectual Disabilities, Key Ministry, Stories, Strategies | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

What families of teens and young adults with developmental disabilities need from church…

Posted on August 26, 2014 by Dr. G

Nearly 500 parents of adolescents or young adults with developmental disabilities were asked two questions about fourteen supports that churches could provide to their family… Continue reading →

Posted in Advocacy, Autism, Families, Intellectual Disabilities, Resources, Strategies | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

AWANA Conference Presentations on Slideshare…

Posted on August 24, 2014 by Dr. G

The most common message communicated to me during and after the conference was…”You’ve really made me think.” Please join me in praying that every leader in attendance yesterday will welcome one kid and one family to their Awana ministry as an outcome of our conference.
Continue reading →

Posted in ADHD, Anxiety Disorders, Families, Hidden Disabilities, Inclusion, Key Ministry, Resources, Training Events | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Kimberlie Zakarian…When an invisible disability meets pediatric bipolar disorder

Posted on August 21, 2014 by Dr. G

During those times, not one person from the church we were at came to visit or pray with me. My guess is that they perhaps did not know how to handle mental illness. Walking those early years alone as a parent of a child with bipolarity led to depression and trauma on my part. This is the trauma many parents of children with hidden disabilities endure. Continue reading →

Posted in Advocacy, Bipolar Disorder, Families, Key Ministry, Mental Health, Stories | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 6 Comments

Any parents of kids with disabilities interested in an online small group?

Posted on August 12, 2014 by Dr. G

Dr. Steve Grcevich recently contacted me with the idea of offering an online format for parent support via videoconferencing. This is a great opportunity to offer a community of support to parents who otherwise would not have access via a more traditional face to face group Continue reading →

Posted in Advocacy, Families, Key Ministry, Strategies | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | 4 Comments

The relationship between depressed mood and church attendance

Posted on August 10, 2014 by Dr. G

While many experts in the mental health or Christian counseling fields acknowledge the mental health benefits of a vital faith, this data appears to represent a signal that self-reported symptoms associated with anxiety or depression may be significant barriers to church attendance. Continue reading →

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