Everybody belongs. Everybody serves.
Disability
Staci
lynn
Stanley & Monica
Michele
Of all the things I imagine doing with mom, feeding her is not on the list. Taking her out for lunch, having coffee with her, giving her a birthday gift, sharing a laugh together, it’s easy to imagine these activities, but not feeding her.
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.
When my mom broke her hip this past Tuesday, the four of us had to decide whether or not she would have surgery. Because mom has late stage dementia, she could not make the decision herself.
When I was 14, my 38-year-old mother sustained a traumatic brain injury (TBI). When Mom came home from the hospital, her personality had changed dramatically. How can the church help?
My mom told me when I was a teenager that doctors weren’t at all sure what my future held, probably early-onset arthritis, premature aging, perhaps an early death.
This journey started over thirty years ago when we received a call from a mom who asked us if her son could come to our church. Today, twenty five percent of our congregation is persons with developmental disabilities.
Jeannette Versteeg is Evan's mom. She is his #1 advocate, working to ensure that his community fully embraces him. Often she runs into roadblocks because Evan has Down Syndrome.
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.
If you are a mom or dad of a child (including adult child) with disabilities, we now have a place for you to share your stories, comments, questions, concerns, frustrations, joys, triumphs, and delights. This new forum is for you.
I am almost totally isolated, as my son who lives locally sees me near Mother's day, my birthday and near Christmas. We have been doing the drive thru and eating in his car for a few years. It works quite well, tho there are some frags to deal with after. Even with this limited exposure, I am doing physical harm, but a mom needs to see her family.
Here's a “wish list”, created by mothers of what they would find helpful for local churches to offer families who have children with special needs.
In this issue learn ways that churches have accommodated and assisted aging adults who have disabilities.
One Sunday Marlene and her friend Zach led the welcome time at their church. Zach lives with Down syndrome, and his speech can be hard to understand, so they found a creative way to help him share his gift of welcome!
I recently talked to Bekki about her relentless joy in spite of ongoing health and personal challenges. She candidly told me her story and encouraged all of us to avoid the temptation to throw ourselves a pity party.
Many church volunteers get stuck when considering ministry with people who have disabilities because they don't know where to start. With the permission of the people who developed the attached plan, I share it, in slightly edited form, not because it can be adopted whole cloth, but because it may provide a starting point for your own church.
Diekema has identified for church leaders yet another gift that people with disabilities bring to their churches. They can challenge congregations for underestimating anyone who lives with disability, and they can serve as mentors to the entire congregation...
These ideas give brief, clear, helpful guidance for ministering with people affected by disabilities, especially pastors, elders, deacons, and care team members.
Owen Wigger and his family sent a letter to his first-grade teacher and classmates. Because he does not speak, this letter will help pave the way for their relationships with him.
In this issue, people describe how their life has been impacted by Traumatic brain injury (TBI) and how the church has responded.
Beth shares her experience with Friendship Bible Studies that affirms “when you learn you teach and when you teach you learn.” Listen to more of her story below!
Mental Health and Spiritual Practice—Authors describe how their own or a loved one’s mental illness has shaped their faith and spiritual practice where the rhythms of mental wellness, devotional life, and personal discipleship intersect.
Disability Awareness Sunday encourages congregations to grow in becoming places of belonging for everyone and to discover ways to engage their gifts in ministry.
This issue of Breaking Barriers is devoted to parenting a child with a disability.
Robertson’s cavalier approach to the marriage commitment reflects our culture’s cavalier attitude toward commitment. But true Christians understand that love is not based on convenience but on commitment.
I hope that reading this will help people to better understand what schizophrenia is and how it affects those who suffer from it.