Weekly round-up {8/22/11}

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Hi, friends! Sorry this didn't get out as early as usual, but it's been for good reasons: I've been hard at work on some plans for Access Ministry in our church, as well as meeting with parents and redesigning some of what we do in response to what I'm hearing from them. Good stuff, very good stuff.

Tim Challies posted today with ten tips for teaching young children about God. Many of these tips also apply to people of varying abilities at older ages as well.

This article about being courteous and helpful to people with disabilities in retail settings could also apply to us in the church: Pay attention. Offer help if it might be needed. If a reasonable accommodation is requested, honor it, even if it requires a little effort to execute. Show that people matter with your actions, not just your words.

I love this idea for quarterly meet-ups with others engaging in special needs ministry in your city/area. I don't have the time right now to get that going in Raleigh, but I've added it to my "in the next year or two" plans.

Key Ministry and the Pajama Conference is hosting the first Special Needs Ministry Web Summit, called the Inclusion Fusion, on November 3rd through 5th this year. I'll be part of it (YAY!), and it will be a free event you can participate in from your office or home. Check out more info here.

When I taught special education in public school in Rio Grande City, Texas, I connected best with students and families by doing home visits. It helped me understand their lives when I interacted with them outside of school, and it helped them see that I cared about them beyond the 50 minutes they spent in my classroom. This column about some of the debate surrounding home visits and the accompanying comments were intriguing to me, and I bring it up because I think home visits can be beneficial to get to know the individuals in your church's special needs ministry as well. (Another consideration: We reciprocate by inviting them into our home too. We're hoping to sell our current home and move to a wheelchair accessible home within the next year so we can do this with all of our Access Ministry families. We don't just aim to do church together; we want to truly do life together.)

This about.com article, Eight Reasons to Be Inclusive, is a great reminder of why we do what we do.

I can't recommend this entire article - in part, because it was hard to follow - but this quote stood out:
“They [the parents] are forced to make choices other families never even consider:  Can we go to church?  Will we be invited to a family Thanksgiving celebration?  Can I stop for a gallon of milk?  And often, the answer leads to another burden:  they can do those things, but separately.  Except for the times when I’ve been in their house, I’ve never once in eight years seen Bob and Jane together in public.”
...food for thought, huh? What can we do so that "can we go to church?" isn't a question that parents of kids with special needs have to consider?

If you're in the Tuscaloosa area, this church-based art program for kids with autism could use supplies. Check out the info here.

I guest blogged this week at Rest Ministries with a post previously published here: Raise Your Hands if You Really Love Jesus

Jackie Mills-Fernald from McLean Bible Church posted about Communicating and Collaborating with Parents in special needs ministry. Well worth the read!

News bits I found this week about faith groups who are including people with special needs...
Hope you've had a great Monday!