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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
When an impossible catch suddenly changes the direction and momentum of a game, the crowd ignites with joy and excitement. In a similar way, when ministry results start showing up, the impact is as great as that amazing catch in a game. Here are four indicators that mental health ministry is poised for a significant momentum shift.
As a disability ministry leader, do you ever feel like you are caught up in a “Bigger or Better Party?” Do you find yourself comparing the ministry God has given to you with the ministry work of others? Have you ever found yourself longing for your ministry work to be bigger or better? Or, perhaps, both bigger and better? Steph Hubach writes on ministry envy, and how we should put on love.
One of Key Ministry’s most successful resources has been the SNAD Leaders Facebook group. SNAD stands for Special Needs and Disability ministry leaders. We would love for our group for Mental Health Ministry Leaders to accelerate mental health ministry as effectively as SNAD has been able to accelerate disability ministry. Here’s a quick article on what this group is about, and why you should join.
Today’s podcast and blog is part 2 of a 2-part conversation with Dr. Stephanie C. Holmes. You might want to listen to part 1 or read that transcript before going on to this second part. The entire conversation is packed with information about autism that’s important to ministry leaders, parents, couples and individuals.
Today’s podcast and blog is part 1 of a 2-part conversation with Dr. Stephanie C. Holmes. Stephanie works extensively with neurodiverse Christian couples and families, to help these families better understand, communicate and connect with each other. Stephanie has personally experienced many of the same mental health and spiritual health challenges as the families and ministries we serve. This is part one of a must-hear/must-read podcast interview.
Shannon Blosser talks about New Years Resolutions and the challenges of starting up a Disability Ministry. Like many resolutions it can be hard to stick with it after the New Years glitter wears off, and Disability Ministry is not much different. Disability Ministry takes perseverance, and being willing to do things differently in order to have a more Christ-centered church.
