Everybody belongs. Everybody serves.
Disability
Ken 
Staci
Michele
Diaconal Ministries
People who use wheelchairs are not "wheelchair bound." People aren't "bound" by wheelchairs, they "use" wheelchairs. With that out of the way, here are 10 more things not to say to people who use wheelchairs.
“Far too often, people assume a level of familiarity with former military that not only breeches proper office conduct but also invades one’s 'personal space',” says Ryan Kules. Here are nine things not to say, whether or not the veteran lives with a disability.
Depression is the second-leading cause of disability, with slightly more than 4 percent of the world's population diagnosed with it. The map shows how much of the population in each country has received a diagnosis of clinical depression.
In the 1960s and early ’70s, U.S. military personnel were often treated shamefully upon returning to civilian life. I hope that your church will consider ministry with veterans as a significant way to serve men, women, and families who gave so much for their country.
As I regularly assess my situation, I discover that there are lots of things I still can do. I can think, write, see, feel, touch, smell. When I look at all the possibilities, life becomes exciting again.
This checklist is designed to be a mirror showing you where your congregation is today and a window to see where you might go in the future.
"We are all a part of God's story, and trusting Him through the twists and turns isn't easy. At the heart of our stories is the essence of belonging - to each other and to Him. And we need to know that we belong - even with our abnormalities and idiosyncrasies." - Sara Pot
The novel, Divine Towels by Beau Jason McGlynn, describes a mother and son, Claire and Ethan, who are led by God to begin a healing ministry called Divine Towels. By washing the feet of those seeking to be healed God uses Claire and Ethan to effect healing.
We heard things like 'It's good Katherine went to Tom and Glenda. They'll be able to handle this.' Translation: Thank God it wasn't me! Alternative translation: Don't look to me for help! I'm wiping my hands here.
If you have experienced a stroke and are involved in a church community, Dr. Peggy Goetz and her student assistants would like to be in touch with you for a study Goetz is conducting. She would like to interview stroke survivors and attend worship and other church activities with them over the course of several weeks
As issues started coming up, we had to make decisions together. When should mom stop driving? Is she using the stove safely? Is she taking her meds correctly? When do we need to consider moving mom into assisted living? Facing such decisions can bring out old tensions and even tear families apart. We did not want this to happen to us.
Mental health is not a particularly religious term. But the concern for wellness, for healing and recovery, and for the effects of illness and disease are part of spiritual care. It has never been easy for individuals suffering from brain disorders to find place among us.
Matthew Warren had the best medical care available, a loving church that cared for him and his family, and parents who loved and prayed for him. Yet, that could not keep Matthew with us.
Mom hasn’t been able to initiate conversation for several years, but only a few months ago yet, mom and I could have two sentence conversations. I would say a brief sentence, and she would usually give some appropriate response. Those appropriate responses are gone too. Except one.
CLC Network has a DVD series featuring Barbara J. Newman, "Making Room: Creating Communities of Inclusion" and the accompanying training manual, G.L.U.E. Training Manual to help churches become communities that fully engage people with disabilities.
The creator of Sibshops, Don Meyer, has started a website for grandparents of kids with special needs.
It is important that persons with mental illness feel welcomed and supported within the faith community. As people of faith, we do this by loving unconditionally.
They both live in good group homes that are clean, caring, and provide various evening activities. Their group home brings them to church on Sundays. What is missing from this picture?
The language of creation replaces, and transcends, the language of loss, just as it does in life. The pastoral care-giver's question is not, “What have you lost? But “What’s it like?” and “What’s happening?”
I still wonder sometimes if my friendships will last during a depression. Will they call? “How are you?” they ask. Do they want to know the painful truth? Sometimes it’s better to say “fine.”
Deacons who serve well work hard at connecting with members of the congregation, organizing ministry, and finding appropriate resources. This final installment on deacons and people with disabilities suggests ideas for ministry and provides some resources to implement those ideas.
To minister well with people who have disabilities, we need to understand the wide range of disability and the ways in which all of us can unintentionally exclude people with disabilities from the life and ministry of our churches.
The stereotypes about mental illness that our society tells us are, mostly, lies. In poem, memoir, funeral sermon, eulogy, and painting, people narrate life with mental illness through Disability Concerns’ Stories of Grace and Truth.
The CVS Caremark All Kids Can™ program is committed to making life easier for children with disabilities. Through this signature program, CVS supports nonprofit organizations that provide innovative programs and services focused on helping children with disabilities learn, play and succeed in life.
Melissa Brouwer writes, "Both before and after our triplets were born, Nathan and I felt an overwhelming sense of love from our congregation. None of it was small to us."