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: Some Thoughts on My Value as a Regional Advocate
Michele, I'm so grateful for your leadership within Disability Concerns. Your honesty and truth telling are a gift to us. I appreciate your naming what doesn't feel like a good fit about the Regional Advocate role. It's helped us think more broadly about how we can help match people's gifting and passions with the needs of the ministry. We shouldn't expect a one size fits all approach. I'm excited you'll be helping us with editing in the future!
Posted in: Classis by Video: Technical Edition
Awesome advice Al. Thanks!
Posted in: If You Don't Caption Videos, You're Missing Out Big Time
Christina, yes, this is another aspect of universal design. Captioning videos benefits everyone. Thanks!
Posted in: The Pastor's Marriage and the Satanist's Prayer
Syd, Thanks for these wise words. Marriages of pastor and spouse also face severe stress when the pastor experiences a mental health crisis. Unlike a physical illness, this form of illness often brings fear, stigma, and a potential for severe misunderstanding not only between spouses, but with the entire congregation. Disability Concerns created a resource to assist pastors, their families, and congregations in this difficult situation: Guide for Clergy Leave of Absence for Mental Health Reasons. We hope and pray it will be helpful for clergy marriages as well as for their congregations.
Posted in: Murder, Not Mercy Killing
Thanks Robert. I know how challenging life can become for some caregivers. Communities of faith can show love in powerful ways to them through the simple (though not always easy) gifts of time and help.
Posted in: Accessible Worship: Resources for Participants (All Ages) Who Have Autism
Hi Valerie, thanks so much for your question, and for the interest you and your congregation have in providing a wide welcome to people. I've heard of other churches also putting icons in their orders of worship to help anyone who is non-literate to better following along. (So these icons are a good example of universal design for worship.) Some also will use the same icons in their powerpoint slides as an additional connection. Here are some ideas in answer to your question.
Disability Concerns has posted a variety of resources on autism on the Network. For more specific ideas about autism and worship, see the Calvin Institute of Christian Worship's resources on autism. I also always recommend that churches purchase a copy of Autism and Your Church, so that leaders in the church are well-equipped to minister with children with autism and their parents. Two other ideas, many people with autism and other developmental disabilities find social stories to be helpful especially if the child or adult will be encountering something new. I just discovered this Youtube series, Ask an Autistic. The host who has autism, Amythest Schaber, describes common behaviors of people with autism that most of us neurotypical people find puzzling. I only watched one episode, so this is not an endorsement, but it the episode I watched was helpful.
I'm hoping that others will have additional ideas for you. Anyone?
Posted in: The Pew
Trudy, yes! I just love the line: "The pew is waiting for its favourite words it cherishes the most, the words it was made for." It reminds me of John Milton's lovely Sonnet 19 in which he reflects on his own blindness. He concludes,
“God doth not need
Either man’s work or his own gifts; who best
Bear his mild yoke, they serve him best. His state
Is Kingly. Thousands at his bidding speed
And post o’er Land and Ocean without rest:
They also serve who only stand and wait.”
All who seek to serve the Lord do so, with the Lord's encouragement and blessing, even when fellow Christians don't notice.
Posted in: The Trials of Charlie Gard
Angie, thanks for sharing. Yes, we too are so thankful for the health insurance provided for Dylan; otherwise the horror of that time would have been multiplied. I'm thankful we could focus on Dylan, not on how to pay the bills. Still, it was shattering to make the decision that the most loving thing we could do for our child was to allow him to die. One of the nurses in neo-natal helped us with this by saying, bluntly but accurately, "There are things that are worse than death." I thank God for his sustaining grace through that terrible time and for the support of many loving people.
Posted in: The Trials of Charlie Gard
Ken, yes, we were fortunate, and I thank God for that. I pray that God will sustain you in the challenges you are facing. Mark
Posted in: Nearly 1 in 3 People With Disabilities Live in Poverty
Yes, too often if someone has a disability affecting one part of their life, others assume that the disability affects all parts of the person's life. As you point out, that's not true at all. Among some people with disabilities I know, I've seen extraordinary creativity in finding workarounds to get things done.