Culture of Life

Loving Our Neighbors With Disability

Loving Our Neighbors With Disability

What can we do to love our neighbors with disabilities? Offer them our presence. Spend time with them. I’m convinced far fewer people with chronic illnesses would be seeking physician-assisted suicide if they didn’t have to suffer alone. Get to know the neighbors whose child is picked up by a van on school days. Provide dinner to the person in your office caring for an elderly parent or a child with a disability. Invite them to join you at church for a worship service or some other activity.

Book Club Chat with Dr. Steve Grcevich & Lamar Hardwick: Podcast Episode 098

Book Club Chat with Dr. Steve Grcevich & Lamar Hardwick: Podcast Episode 098

Dr. Steve Grcevich sits down and interviews Dr. Lamar Hardwick on his new book How Ableism Fuels Racism. This is Part 1 of a 3-part series! Dr. Lamar Hardwick will be speaking at Disability & the Church 2024 Conference in Orlando, FL May 1-3. Go to www.keyministry.org/datc2024 to register now!

A Conversation with Marie Kuck from Nathaniel’s Hope: Podcast Episode 096

A Conversation with Marie Kuck from Nathaniel’s Hope: Podcast Episode 096

Beth sits down with the always delightful Marie Kuck, who has a special invitation for our listeners for a behind-the-scenes tour of Make ‘m Smile in Orlando. 

An Interview with Lamar Hardwick on How Ableism Fuels Racism: Podcast Episode 089

An Interview with Lamar Hardwick on How Ableism Fuels Racism: Podcast Episode 089

In today’s episode, Catherine Boyle interviews Dr. Lamar Hardwick about his newest book “How Ableism Fuels Racism: Dismantling the Hierarchy of Bodies in the Church.”

Organic Friendships

Organic Friendships

After all my years of teaching middle school special education, specifically a significant disabilities/autism class, you’d think I would have learned by now that some of my best-laid plans were the last things my students needed…especially when it came to making friends. I personally believe that many of the social skills activities I’ve done with my students and my own children have been a great benefit. Our kids need the training and support we provide through role-playing, social stories, and other activities, but at what point do we take our hands off and give control of those friendships to our kids?  Letting go of that control can be scary.

A Chat with Joan Borton on MarriageAbility: Podcast Episode 071

A Chat with Joan Borton on MarriageAbility: Podcast Episode 071

In this week’s episode, Beth Golik sits down with Joan Borton, author of MarriageAbility, a new book that engages the reality disability puts on the marriage relationship, through the real-life, and often humorous, stories of couples living with disability.

What the Church Can Learn from the Disability Community

What the Church Can Learn from the Disability Community

As a senior pastor, I often tell my congregation, the church is “the ongoing witness of Jesus Christ in a broken and hurting world.” When we think about the church and the disability community, we often think about what the disability community needs from the church. I wonder, though, what does the church need from the disability community?

Different, Not Harder

Different, Not Harder

"Different, not harder." That was the powerful takeaway from a dear friend who has spoken with Joanna about special needs ministry for years. This leads her to the question: are we fighting for pity or equality?

What if true equality starts with finding common ground?

Courage in Pursuit of Our Callings

Courage in Pursuit of Our Callings

I’d like to say a few things publicly that need to be said by someone in my profession with my background and experience. Somebody needs to go first. My hope is it will be easier for others to speak if they know they’re not alone.

Indispensable Interdependence, for the Health of the Church

Indispensable Interdependence, for the Health of the Church

A profound affirmation from a friend revealed to Joanna French that all members of the body of Christ need each other—and yes, that includes people with disabilities and mental illness.