Church Support, Disability Ministry, Families, Parents
Key Ministry
Creating a Church Where Everyone Belongs

It’s no surprise that I eventually became a teacher, working in inclusive classrooms where children with diverse abilities learned side by side. Later, I became a mom, got deeply connected to my church, and—as often happens when you volunteer a lot—joined the staff. I served as a preschool leader, children’s pastor, and multi-campus ministry leader. I’ve had so many wonderful days leading kids, parents, and volunteers. But one of the hardest days came not as a leader but as a church attendee.

Creating a Church Where Everyone Belongs
ADHD, Autism, Book Reviews, Care and Support, Caregiving, Hidden Disabilities, Parents, podcast
Elaina Marchenko
Finding KiND with Kari Baker: Podcast EP 136

Elaina sits down with Kari Baker, author of Finding KiND: Discovering Hope and Purpose While Loving Kids with Invisible Neurological Differences, and talks about special needs parenting, autism spectrum, and supporting other families on the same journey.

Finding KiND with Kari Baker: Podcast EP 136
Care and Support, Stories, Special Needs Parenting, Parents
Stephanie McKeever
What Pediatric Cancer Taught Me

Our first day on the ninth floor, the doctors never said, "Your child has cancer." You know those childhood cancer commercials that tug at your heart? Never happened. My husband received a phone call that confirmed a biopsy, but once we were on the oncology floor, the word cancer was never uttered. Medical textbook words were used, and the rush was definitely on. We knew exactly what was happening without ever being explicitly told in those basic words. 

What Pediatric Cancer Taught Me
#Disability&theChurch2025, Care and Support, Church Support, Disability Ministry, Families, Event, podcast, Sandra Peoples
Sandra Peoples
Help for Planning 2025: Podcast EP 135

It’s February, and we’ve all somewhat settled into 2025 and are ready to look ahead to what the year will bring. To help you prepare for your church’s steps of accessibility and inclusive events, we’ve created a Ministry Planning Calendar! In this episode, Sandra Peoples will walk you through ideas for planning ahead and praying for what God will do in 2025.

Help for Planning 2025: Podcast EP 135
#Disability&theChurch2025, Advocacy, Autism, Care and Support, Caregiving, Church Support, Disability Ministry, Down syndrome, Hope, podcast
Elaina Marchenko
Supporting Families Affected by Disability with ...

Elaina Marchenko sits down with Rachael VerMeulen from A Little Extra Love Ministries to talk about the reality for families affected by special needs, the need for disability support in Colorado, and what Rachael will be sharing at Disability & the Church Conference.

Supporting Families Affected by Disability with Rachael VerMeulen from A Little Extra Love: Podcast EP 134

Church Support

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Dispensable Lives? Part Two

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Dispensable Lives? Part Two

In part two of his blog post, Tony D’Orazio from Jacob’s Ladder Fitness continues with this important question: what has humanity missed out on without all those people with Down syndrome in the world?

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Dispensable Lives? Part One

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Dispensable Lives? Part One

Tony D’Orazio from Jacob’s Ladder Fitness asks an important question: what has humanity missed out on without all those people with Down syndrome in the world?

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Part 3: How Churches Can Accommodate Adopted Children and Teens with Disabilities

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Part 3: How Churches Can Accommodate Adopted Children and Teens with Disabilities

In the final part of this 3-part series, Sandra Peoples shares age group-specific strategies for churches to welcome, include, and create a place of belonging for adoptive children and teens with disabilities and traumatic backgrounds.

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Part 2: How Churches Can Provide Long-Term Support for Adoptive Families

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Part 2: How Churches Can Provide Long-Term Support for Adoptive Families

God's directive for adoptive families is the same as it is for every family. But adoptive, special-needs families experience extra challenges to meet this calling. In part 2 of this 3-part series, Sandra Peoples shares practical tips for churches to provide places of inclusion and belonging for families.

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Deciding When to Push Through or Pull Back in Special Needs Ministry

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Deciding When to Push Through or Pull Back in Special Needs Ministry

Sometimes things go great in your special needs ministry or class. Then there are other days when things do not go as planned. What do you do when things go wrong? Here are some principles that guide our ministry decisions.

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Churches That Encourage Adoption Should Be Trauma Informed and Disability Accommodating

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Churches That Encourage Adoption Should Be Trauma Informed and Disability Accommodating

Churches rightly encourage adoption and support families going through the adoption process, but are they prepared when the child or teen comes home and is diagnosed with special needs or trauma-related issues? Sandra Peoples shares three-part series on a theology of disability that can serve as a motivation for churches to meet the needs of these families.

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Three Ways for the Church to Support Families with Down Syndrome

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Three Ways for the Church to Support Families with Down Syndrome

March 21st is World Down Syndrome Day (WDSD), a global awareness day for those with an extra 21st chromosome. Based upon my experiences of a now 16-year old, I would like to offer three ways that churches can better support families like mine, no matter the age of the person with Down syndrome.

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Obtaining the Favor of the Lord

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Obtaining the Favor of the Lord

How do we obtain the Lord’s favor? Or earn our stamp of approval from the Almighty? We want it, right? Our gold star? I thought about people from the Bible, people with personal lives of pain, hardship and calls to obey difficult circumstances. What was it about them that led to God’s favor?

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Learning to Sit at the Feet of Jesus

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Learning to Sit at the Feet of Jesus

I have spent my entire life as a servant. My entire life I’ve been a caregiver. But in recent years, with moment after moment of near mental breakdown, I’ve realized something: I have grown tired because I have spent my entire life running from just ‘being still.’