Advocacy

A New Series on Sexual Abuse Prevention and Accountability

A New Series on Sexual Abuse Prevention and Accountability

Throughout this fall, we will feature a variety of blog posts and webinars addressing sexual abuse, both for parents of children with disabilities and ministry leaders. We hope you will join us and contribute to the conversations.

Five Ways Your Church Can Prepare to Love Families with Special Needs

Five Ways Your Church Can Prepare to Love Families with Special Needs

Guest blogger Kristin Evans notes that it’s not practical to expect every church to be able to provide for families with special needs in every way. But she encourages churches to consider one or two ideas for how your congregation might be able to better support persons with special needs and disabilities. Here are five ways your church can prepare to love special needs families.

Next Level Disability Inclusion Ministry

Next Level Disability Inclusion Ministry

Do you want to take your disability inclusion ministry to the next level? Be like the early church, by not only meeting the need of the moment, but by using the wisdom of those who have gone before to anticipate the needs that will be predictably coming soon.

Special Needs Parents are Candles, Burning Between Hope and Despair

Special Needs Parents are Candles, Burning Between Hope and Despair

Parents of children with special needs are often labeled negatively: ‘troublemakers,’ ‘confrontational,’ ‘needy,’ ‘over-sharing.’ The reason we (as yes, I’m one too) can sometimes pick up some of these negative labels is that we won’t take no for an answer when it comes to our child. Why do we enter into conversations, meetings and appointments with our boxing gloves firmly on? Because the world cannot understand.

25 Encouraging Bible Verses for Disability Ministry Leaders

25 Encouraging Bible Verses for Disability Ministry Leaders

Tis the season when caring ministry leaders and volunteers typically try to do some regrouping. The Bible has generous reassurance for leaders caring for individuals and families affected by special needs. I pray you know the tremendous value of the work you do and find refreshment in God’s truth here!

Five Barriers To Mental Health Services, and Some Ways Churches Can Help

Five Barriers To Mental Health Services, and Some Ways Churches Can Help

We know there are many barriers to treatment. But I want to focus in this article on practical barriers to mental health treatment, where churches can help immediately to address them.

Equipping Teens with SEND for the Transition to Adulthood

Equipping Teens with SEND for the Transition to Adulthood

Many young people with learning disabilities do not have adequate preparation for adult life. The reason sometimes is that people mistakenly assume that having learning disabilities means not being able to learn. This is not the case. Rather, it means that they have difficulty learning. To help with this needed preparation, I have just published a teaching pack for parents, educators and church leaders.

The Case for an Impacted Pastor: Four Reasons Why You Need Church Leaders with Disabilities

The Case for an Impacted Pastor: Four Reasons Why You Need Church Leaders with Disabilities

So, you don’t know me, but I’m a pastor. God called me to ministry about five years ago. Like most of us, I never would’ve seen it coming. There are a dozen reasons why nobody would want to use me and those are all the reasons why God chose me.

Important Components of Digital Accessibility for Church Websites, Documents and Media

 Important Components of Digital Accessibility for Church Websites, Documents and Media

When folks think about something being accessible, they usually think of wheelchairs. Is there a ramp? Are the doors wide enough? But what about your website or your pdf documents, or even emails? Can anyone use them?

The Greater Things of Revolutionary Love

The Greater Things of Revolutionary Love

The Sunday following my son’s autism diagnosis, we ventured out to church. I could never have predicted the way that attempt would go up in flames. What we experienced was not biblical, and all these years later, I’m now a disability inclusion pastor. What if, as we strive to make churches inclusive for people living with disabilities, that the greatest change from inclusion efforts is that the church finally develops revolutionary love?