disability ministry weekly round-up {1-3-11}
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I took a bit of a blog break over the holidays, posting less frequently, but I'm back now...as is the disability ministry weekly round-up!
A Year End Prayer for Weary Waiters The year has ended, but the prayer still applies. Come, Lord Jesus! Amen.
Why They Resist Volunteering Some good tips here for recruiting and engaging volunteers in your ministry.
Jill's House CEO on How to Guard Against Sexual Predators Jill's House is the respite care facility affiliated with McLean Bible Church.
When the Pastor's Family Has Special Needs I can't remember if I posted this a few weeks ago or not, but it's a good one and worth listing again.
When Being Nice is Not Enough Mark Stephenson's post about why "nice" isn't the opposite of or the remedy to disability discrimination.
Dear Dad [Tissue warning for this one - have 'em ready!] This blogger writes a letter to her late father about what she learned from his disability, caused by a stroke when she was two, that she is now applying as she cares for her husband Tim, who has ALS. The hardest yet most touching line for me: "I am envious that Tim will join you so much sooner than I will."
Family ready to adopt two children with Down syndrome I love that the good work done by Reece's Rainbow is appearing more and more frequently in the news. Even more than that, though, I love that children around the world aren't being denied a family because of an extra chromosome.
every single day This is a story about my friends Matt and Ginny and their son Eliot and 99 Balloons. (Well, I've only talked to Matt a couple of times and I've never talked to Ginny and we've never met in person, but I think "friend" is the best word to describe them. The other option would be "the people whose blogs I'm currently stalking for adoption news," but that doesn't have the same ring to it. They're in the Ukraine right now, and their fourth daughter Lena - who is loved a whole lot and who has some special needs - will be coming home with them soon!) Read it. Like, now.
Why do disability ministry? For your joy! So true. Great reminder from John Knight.
Pieces of Hope This article was written by a mom of a child with autism to help churches know how to support families like hers. It was published in April 2011, and Home Life magazine featured it on their blog as one of the top articles of 2011.
Four Tips for Surviving (and enjoying!) Church Services with Your Children Written for parents of kids with special needs.
Waite Park ministry holds church services for people with developmental disabilities My favorite line in this story is from a mom of two children with developmental disabilities who launched this disability ministry because "We did not find any place for our sons to grow into discipleship or knowledge of the Gospel at all; I don’t know of any church in our area that is willing to open their doors, gearing things specifically to them."
It Takes a (Christmas) Village to Raise a Child with Autism The language isn't completely clean in this post, but it's a helpful read from an honest momma.
Key Ministry presentation slides My friends at Key Ministry are stepping up their game in providing online resources for churches wanting to engage in disability ministry. I'll post more about what they're doing in the future and how you can benefit, but for now you can check out the slides from several of their presentations.
AAIDD Religion and Spirituality Division December newsletter Note that this organization is not specific to Christianity and includes other faiths as well.
I've seen this posted by both Justin Taylor and John Knight, and it encourages me each time. This video includes part of the address given by Dr. Robertson McQuilkin to Columbia Bible College and Graduate School in 1990, announcing his resignation from the post of university to care for his beloved wife Muriel. She has unable to recognize him three years later and went to be with the Lord ten years after that. (Here's an interview he did with Christianity Today after Muriel died.)
A Year End Prayer for Weary Waiters The year has ended, but the prayer still applies. Come, Lord Jesus! Amen.
Why They Resist Volunteering Some good tips here for recruiting and engaging volunteers in your ministry.
Jill's House CEO on How to Guard Against Sexual Predators Jill's House is the respite care facility affiliated with McLean Bible Church.
When the Pastor's Family Has Special Needs I can't remember if I posted this a few weeks ago or not, but it's a good one and worth listing again.
When Being Nice is Not Enough Mark Stephenson's post about why "nice" isn't the opposite of or the remedy to disability discrimination.
Dear Dad [Tissue warning for this one - have 'em ready!] This blogger writes a letter to her late father about what she learned from his disability, caused by a stroke when she was two, that she is now applying as she cares for her husband Tim, who has ALS. The hardest yet most touching line for me: "I am envious that Tim will join you so much sooner than I will."
Family ready to adopt two children with Down syndrome I love that the good work done by Reece's Rainbow is appearing more and more frequently in the news. Even more than that, though, I love that children around the world aren't being denied a family because of an extra chromosome.
every single day This is a story about my friends Matt and Ginny and their son Eliot and 99 Balloons. (Well, I've only talked to Matt a couple of times and I've never talked to Ginny and we've never met in person, but I think "friend" is the best word to describe them. The other option would be "the people whose blogs I'm currently stalking for adoption news," but that doesn't have the same ring to it. They're in the Ukraine right now, and their fourth daughter Lena - who is loved a whole lot and who has some special needs - will be coming home with them soon!) Read it. Like, now.
Why do disability ministry? For your joy! So true. Great reminder from John Knight.
Pieces of Hope This article was written by a mom of a child with autism to help churches know how to support families like hers. It was published in April 2011, and Home Life magazine featured it on their blog as one of the top articles of 2011.
Four Tips for Surviving (and enjoying!) Church Services with Your Children Written for parents of kids with special needs.
Waite Park ministry holds church services for people with developmental disabilities My favorite line in this story is from a mom of two children with developmental disabilities who launched this disability ministry because "We did not find any place for our sons to grow into discipleship or knowledge of the Gospel at all; I don’t know of any church in our area that is willing to open their doors, gearing things specifically to them."
It Takes a (Christmas) Village to Raise a Child with Autism The language isn't completely clean in this post, but it's a helpful read from an honest momma.
Key Ministry presentation slides My friends at Key Ministry are stepping up their game in providing online resources for churches wanting to engage in disability ministry. I'll post more about what they're doing in the future and how you can benefit, but for now you can check out the slides from several of their presentations.
AAIDD Religion and Spirituality Division December newsletter Note that this organization is not specific to Christianity and includes other faiths as well.
I've seen this posted by both Justin Taylor and John Knight, and it encourages me each time. This video includes part of the address given by Dr. Robertson McQuilkin to Columbia Bible College and Graduate School in 1990, announcing his resignation from the post of university to care for his beloved wife Muriel. She has unable to recognize him three years later and went to be with the Lord ten years after that. (Here's an interview he did with Christianity Today after Muriel died.)