Thrive (CRCNA)
Thrive, a ministry of the Christian Reformed Church, seeks to bring about the full participation of all people with disabilities in the life of the church and the full participation of the church in the lives of people with disabilities. We collaborate with the Reformed Church in America on the resources in these pages, as well volunteer engagement, training events, resource creation, and other means to support churches in their ministry. Formerly the Office of Disability Concerns, we're now part of Thrive (learn more).
Posted in: Breaking Barriers Fall 2021
PDF and Large Print are both available now. Spanish and Korean and audio should be available any day! Thanks for reaching out!
Posted in: Breaking Barriers Fall 2021
PDF and Large print are both available now. Spanish, Korean and audio will be available soon.
Posted in: Breaking Barriers Fall 2021
Hi! All pdf's and audio are updated!
Posted in: New Resource! Everybody Belongs, Serving Together
Hi Deb. Thanks for reaching out.
To clarify, to register for the series in October, there will be a $20 fee, which includes the book as part of the cost of the event.
If you are interested in purchasing the book separately from the event, the cost is $8 here: https://www.faithaliveresources.org/Products/810516/everybody-belongs-serving-together.aspx
(If you are a church or regional advocate, there is a promo code for the event that was sent out earlier. Happy to resend!)
Please feel free to reach out to me for further support anytime: [email protected]
Posted in: Resources for Disability Week and Disability Sunday 2021
Hilda,
oh, I am so sorry. That is so hurtful when your son is made in God's image and deserves a space in any church! Unfortunately I do hear this often from families connected to our ministry. However, I also here stories of how some churches do understand that everybody belongs! We are in the middle of a series for the month of October. Our first session was this past Thursday and the conversation on belonging came up and our guest speaker, Cara, told a wonderful story of inclusion in her church. Her story might give you a bit of hope on your journey to find a space where your son is valued for exactly how God made him. Here is the link to listen: https://youtu.be/4ygaeQi-WV8. Check back each week for another session. I hope they encourage you.
Posted in: Advance Directives and 5 Wishes: Now Is the Time to Make Your Wishes Known
Michele, thanks for this reminder of how poverty affects every aspect of life, and lingers even after death. I pray that your mom (and all of you) will remain healthy.
Posted in: Hiring People With Disabilities Makes Cents and Sense
This article from the Harvard Business Review (Dec. 27, 2017) makes the same case for the value of work force diversity: The Case for Improving Work for People with Disabilities Goes Way Beyond Compliance. "As Chieko Asakawa walks around IBM’s campus, she explores new ways of getting from point A to point B. She recognizes the faces of colleagues approaching her and greets them. She reads snack labels and decides whether to eat them. Although she is blind, Asakawa doesn’t need a human or canine companion to complete these tasks. She’s helped invent a smartphone app that, as she explained in a recent TED talk, 'understands our surrounding world and whispers to me in voice or sends a vibration to my fingers. Eventually, I’ll be able to find a classroom on campus, enjoy window shopping, or find a nice restaurant while walking along a street.'"
Posted in: Breaking Barriers - Fall 2017
Jenny, thanks for the question. We'll get the info to you privately. Mark
Posted in: CRC Resources for Disability Week
Thanks Ken. Yes, like Barb Newman likes to say, we're all like green and pink puzzle pieces. Every one of us has things we're good at and things we are not good at, and those things differ with each of us. So we all need each other.
Posted in: Places to Host a Church or Leadership Retreat?
This is just an encouragement to consider accessibility when choosing a retreat location. Here are some things to think about: How far apart would meetings and rooms be? Is there a clear, accessible path that doesn't require stairs or steep hills? Are there accessible hotel rooms for those who need it? Do meeting rooms have proper sound equipment so people who are hard of hearing can hear? Are there quiet spaces where someone with anxiety or autism could step away for awhile? Does the dining plan offer options for people with food allergies, diabetic diets, or who are gluten free? Feel free to comment with more accessibility ideas.
Posted in: Resources on Aspergers?
Hi Emily, a good place to start is to go to 211ontario.ca, then enter your search term - Asperger - and location - Toronto, and it will give you a long list of suggested resources and organizations.
Posted in: Advice on Doing a Webinar?
Thanks Worship Ministries and Bryan for the good advice.
Bryan, what do you do to "be as interactive as possible"?