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.
The church is a place for everyone, yet for many families with neurodivergent children, attending church events or services can be a challenging experience. Children with sensory and communication differences may need unique accommodations to feel comfortable, included, and valued. This season, as your church plans special services and activities, consider these three simple yet impactful ways to create a more welcoming environment for neurodivergent kids and their families.
Larah Roberts sits down with Beth Golik and talks about the annual Night to Shine Event sponsored by the Tim Tebow Foundation. Beth gives a peek into what the event looks like and also shares how your church can prepare and host one of these events in your city!
Elaina sits down with Andrea Roseman from Access Ministry to discuss the wins of 2024, the changes she wants to make in 2025, and the way the Lord is working in and through Access Ministry.
Do you have a desire to be involved with ministry in some way, but all the existing ministry options don’t seem to fit? If you’re interested in discerning where God is leading you, or just want to shorten the path to living out His purposes, we’ll share more details about how to recognize and pursue the path God is laying before you, not only from our perspective, but also with some ministry friends who have gone through this process.
Unseen: How We’re Failing Parent Caregivers and Why It Matters made its global online premiere May 20. This is part 2 of the in-depth questions we posed to Jess Ronne to help our readers better understand the issues raised in the documentary and how churches can be supportive of caregiving families. Read part 1 here.
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?
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.
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.
When our church, The Roads Church, located in Southern Illinois, decided to start a special needs ministry a few years ago, we were embarking into unfamiliar territory. Here’s the process we followed that may work for your church, too.
