​There is an upcoming Disability Ministry training opportunity for those in the Midwest and beyond!

On April 8-9, the Transformed Women’s Conference-Chicago will be held at Naperville Presbyterian Church. A special Disability Ministry Pre-conference will be held on April 8 from 2-5pm before the general conference begins in the evening. Anyone with an interest in people with disabilities, their families or in ministering to them will want to be at this pre-conference!

Many people with disabilities and their families live entirely outside the care of the Church or on the fringes of congregational life. Yes, Scripture is clear that “those parts of the body that seem weaker are indispensable”. How can we minister to people touched by disability in our congregations and communities?

SR contributor Dawn Clark, who is a MNA Special Needs Ministries Facilitator, will present workshops that focus on how to make the gospel accessible to all in word and deed and how to integrate people touched by disability into the life and mission of the local church.

Cost for materials and training is $25. For more information and to register, visit the Disability Ministry Pre-conference website

​At Shepherds, we know we are successful as a ministry when the people we are ministering to are ministering. Specifically, when we empower the people we serve to serve (see Principle Four of Appropriate Independence), we are advancing the mission.
 
Historically, disability ministries have tended to have a ministry “to” orientation; however, it is encouraging to see contemporary ministries transition to a ministry “with” perspective. The practical ramifications of such a shift are both empowering and frankly, better aligned with the body life principles of Scripture.
 
One of our SR contributors, Dr. David Deuel, has written an insightful article that takes this manner of thinking a step further. Developing Young Leaders with Disabilities suggests the idea of “ministry by” people with disabilities.  It is a thoughtful and provocative challenge to Church leadership and well worth reading.

CLICK HERE to view the Article

Let me know what you think. Your comments on the article would be welcomed. You can read more of Dr. Deuel’s writing HERE.
Dr. Russ

We’ve learned over the past few weeks that people who have disabilities are just like us, designed by God on and for a specific purpose. We’ve also learned how to make friends with someone who has a disability and how to communicate with people who might communicate in a different way than we are used to or comfortable with.
 
So, now that you’re friends, how do you share Jesus with someone who has a disability? Do they need to know Jesus loves them too? Yes! Everyone needs to know that Jesus loves them. Telling anyone about Jesus is easiest when you already have a relationship with that person. If you want to share your faith with someone and help them know Jesus as their friend, they must first see Jesus in you and the way you act with them before they will listen to what you have to say about Jesus.
 
In order to have a good relationship with someone, we need to be a good friend. How do you do that? Let’s review what we learned about being a friend to someone who has a disability:
            Spend time with them.
            Talk with them and listen to what they have to say, and
            Love them for who they are.
 
As your friendship grows, try to think of ways that you can intentionally (that means on purpose) share Jesus with them. Here are some ideas:
 
 
DO WHAT JESUS DID
Do you remember the stories of Jesus’ ministry to people when He was here on earth? These stories are written in the Bible – in Matthew, Mark, Luke and John. If you read the passages carefully, you will find that Jesus didn’t spend time preaching at people, but rather, He spent time with people – serving them, healing the sick, listening to their problems, praying for them, teaching them and sharing God’s words of love. We should follow Jesus’ example and do the same things with our friends to help them know Jesus too.
 
 
PRAY FOR THEM
Another way to share your faith is to pray for your friend. Jesus spent a lot of time in prayer for his disciples (that’s you and me if we love Jesus!) and for the people who didn’t understand His words and know Him as their Savior and Friend. Look for times when you can pray with your friend for a specific problem or situation. Ask them if it’s okay that you pray for them. Let them know you are praying for them. This tells them how much you care and that Jesus can help them.
 
 
SERVE THEM
You can also share your love for Jesus by serving your friend – like Jesus served people. Look for opportunities to help them out and do something kind for them. This will mean a lot, especially if it’s something that you don’t like to do normally. It’s always easy to do something we like. It’s much harder to give up a day of play to do something helpful for someone else.
 
 
TELL THEM
The last thing you can do to share Jesus’ love with your friend is to tell them what God has done for you. Don’t get scared by this. You don’t have to be a pastor or know lots about the Bible. When your friend asks “why?” you are doing something kind for him/her, simply tell them. Let them know how much Jesus loves you – and them – and that you are living the way Jesus wants you to live. That’s what He would do!
 
If they want to know more about Jesus, you can share John 3:16 with them –
 
“For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life.”
 
Tell them what this verse means to you. You might say something like, “God loves each of us – you, me and everyone in the whole world – so much that He sent His only Son, Jesus, from heaven to earth just so He could grow up and die to take our punishment for all of the bad things that we have done. You see, because we have done bad things, believing in Jesus is the only way to go to heaven someday.” I also like to use the Gospel Bracelet to share the story of Jesus’ love. That way it doesn’t matter if someone can read, and it helps me remember what to say. If you aren’t familiar with this, a Gospel Bracelet is a bracelet with different color beads. Each bead represents something that helps us tell people about Jesus’ love. Here is what the different color beads on the bracelet mean:

​We’ve learned over the past few weeks that people who have disabilities are just like us, designed by God on and for a specific purpose. But what if you meet someone and don’t understand what they are saying?  How do you talk to them and make friends if they don’t talk?
 
Those are some great questions! To help me answer your questions, let me introduce you to a few of my friends. I think their stories can give you some ideas about what you can do.

​We’ve been learning what a disability is – when someone is “not able” to do something typical without some form of help or assistance.  We learned that our attitude about someone or their disability determines how we behave toward that person and their disability. We’ve also learned that each of us is God’s masterpiece and He has designed us on and for a purpose – including people with disabilities!
 
Are we really that different?
In our first blog, we asked how you felt when you saw someone with a disability. Did you find yourself thinking about the thing that might have made them different, or did you take time to get to know them?
 
For many of us, we think about the thing that makes someone different, like a wheelchair, or glasses or the way someone talks. In reality, God made each of us “different” from someone else. We are unique – one of a kind – people. However, there are some things that we all have in common.

• We all have feelings
• We all have fears.
• We all like to have fun.
• We all need and want to have a friend.
•  We all need Jesus.

 
People with disabilities are just the same. They have feelings – just like you. They know what it’s like to be happy and sad – just like you. They get scared – just like you. They also love to have fun and make friends with people – just like you.
 
You see, the more you get to know a person with disabilities, the more you will realize how much they really are like you.
 
How can you be a friend to someone who has a disability?
So, how do you get to know someone who has a disability? How can you be their friend? The same way you get to know someone else!
 
Be a Friend
The Bible says in Proverbs 18:24, “A man who has friends must himself be friendly.” What does that mean? God says if you want to have a friend, you must be willing to BE a friend first.
 
How do you do that?

1. Smile and say “Hi!”
   Don’t look the other way or pretend that you don’t see them. Smile and go up to them and say, “Hi!”
2. Spend time with them.
   If you like someone, you want to spend time with them and do things with them. Find out what your new friend likes to do, and let them know what you like to do too. Then do those things together. You might find that you like to do the same things!
3. Talk to them and listen to what they have to say.
4. Ask them about their family, school and their other friends. Listen to what they say. Pretty soon you’ll find out lots of things about them, and you might have more things in common. Remember that building a friendship involves talking AND listening from both people.
5. Love them just the way they are.
   If you want to build a friendship, you must love the person just the way they are. It says in Proverbs 17:17, “A friend loves at all times.” Don’t judge or try to change people with disabilities because they might look different, talk differently or move differently. Love them just the way they are. They are going to love you just the way you are.

Remember, people who have disabilities are just like you in so many ways. They also have many unique things about them too, just like you. The next time you see someone who has a disability, I hope you remember this and make a new friend!

If you have the privilege of working with children in an educational or ministry setting, the subject of disabilities may or may not have come up. It’s probably dependent on the children’s experiences and the people they know. When it comes to disabilities children are generally more accepting than adults. They may be curious, and in some instances nervous or afraid of someone because of a certain behavior or mannerism that they don’t understand, but they don’t have the same misconceptions or fears that adults might have.
 
So how do you help children understand disabilities? Following is some simple information and practical steps that can help children understand that we are all created by God- on purpose, and for a special purpose – disability or not. By helping the next generation understand this foundational truth, we can break down barriers and clear up misconceptions that have long kept us from truly loving people – all people.

What is a Disability?
Have you ever seen someone using a wheelchair, crutches, or a cane to move around? For one reason or another that person is not able to use their legs without some kind of help or assistance. Sometimes it’s because they’ve had an accident and need that help for a short period of time. Other times, individuals need that type of help or assistance all the time. When someone is “not able” to do something typical without some form of help or assistance, we say they have a “disability.”
 
There are all different types of things that people need help or assistance with. Some of them are physical things – like walking. We call these physical disabilities.
 
Other disabilities that people have are not always as easy to see because they are things inside a person’s body. Someone might not be able to understand what is being said as easily as others and have difficulty communicating. Certain sounds, lights or textures might bother someone else. We call these type of disabilities, intellectual or developmental disabilities.
 
Disabilities are not something that you can “catch” from someone else. Disabilities are not something that will eventually go away. That is just the way they are, and part of God’s design for their life.

Attitude = Action
When you see someone with a disability, what do think? How do you feel? How do you respond?
 
What you think about a person will come out in the way you treat that person. Here’s what I mean. If you see someone with a disability and think they aren’t “normal” because they aren’t able to do something like you and everyone else, then you won’t treat them as a regular person, or someone just like you.
 
Let’s say someone in a wheelchair wants to play baseball with you and your friends. You may just look at the wheelchair and think, “He can’t run around the bases or chase after a ball, so he can’t play baseball.” When you refuse to see what he can do, and try to figure out a way that he might be able to play, you’ve let what you think about a person determine how you treat that person.
 
It doesn’t stop there either. You might think that because that person isn’t like you in one way, they aren’t like you at all. What do you do then? Do you ignore them? Do you make them go somewhere else to be with people who are “like” them?
 
You see, our attitude about someone or their disability will determine our action, or how we behave toward that person and their disability.

​In this post, I’ve been asked to share a connection between the Christmas story and the Gospel.    But before I dive into that, I want to set the tone with a little bit of “disability theology.” 

God created all people in His image – with a mind to think, with emotions to feel, and with a will to make choices.  He made all people with the ability to know Him.  But all people, while created in His image, are also affected by sin.  Sin is not relegated to those of certain race, ethnicity, skill, or ability level.  And God’s grace, His free gift of salvation, is also not limited.  It’s not bound by what we can or cannot do.  It’s not bound by our IQ or our education.  It’s a free gift for ALL people.  Augustine wrote, “You have made us for yourself, O Lord, and our hearts are restless until they rest in you.”  That restlessness, and our need for a Savior is not something that is unique to a certain group of people; it’s a universal truth.  As those who work with individuals with developmental/intellectual disabilities, we must realize that God has made all people with the ability to know Him.  We don’t have to have a certain IQ to be saved. 
​
Let me be clear:  A diagnosis does not limit someone’s spirituality.  It does not negate or impact someone’s ability to know and receive the free gift of salvation.  In fact, I have found that sometimes, our students and residents have an even greater trust in and love for God because of their developmental/intellectual disabilities.  God wants all people to know Him.  And we, as those who work with those with intellectual/developmental disabilities, have a unique opportunity to share the Good News of Jesus with those who are precious in His sight.   
 
What do you think of when you hear “Christmas”?  Presents?  Santa?  Elves?  Christmas parties?  Lights and trees?  Shopping malls and long lines?  Black Friday and Cyber Monday?  Caroling and time with family?  Do you think of a baby in a manger, surrounded by shepherds and cows, a teenage mother and wise men?  We’ve all seen the reenactments of the story.  Kids dressed up like Mary and Joseph with bathrobes and towels on their heads, wise men and shepherds, angels and barnyard animals, singing about babies and mangers.  It’s one of the best parts of any Christmas program; it warms our heart.
As Christians, we know the true reason for the season – the birth of our Savior.  God became flesh and made His dwelling amongst us (Jn. 1:14).  In both the Old Testament and the New Testament, the name “Immanuel” is given to Jesus.  Immanuel means “God with us”.  And in the Christmas story, we see God with us. 

But there’s a mistake we often make.  We relegate Jesus as a baby to the manger.  We keep the smiley, roly-poly baby in the stable in Bethlehem.  Jesus’ purpose was not solely to be a baby in a manger.  His purpose was to rescue all people from their sins.  The birth of Christ makes Good Friday and Easter Sunday possible.  Unfortunately, though, what is often taught is only a sliver of God’s story without making connections to the whole picture. 

A question I was asked recently was “How do you share the Gospel when you teach the Christmas story?”  The answer: Easy!  But it requires some intentionality.  When teaching about the Christmas story, it is important to make connections between the Messiah in the manger and the Savior who rose from the tomb. 

I’ve found it’s easiest to make those connections when the materials or curriculum I am teaching helps me make those connections.  A chronological and systematic approach to God’s Word throughout the year makes it possible for connections to take place – connections between the sacrifices in the Old Testament and the sacrifice of the Lamb of God, between the substitute provided to Abraham and Christ as our substitute, between the Tabernacle as God’s dwelling place and Jesus as the one who dwelled with us.  In the Roots of Faith class at Shepherds College, I tell my students that my favorite verse in Genesis is Genesis 3:15 and when I do, I get looks that tell me I’ve gone off my rocker.  But once I explain that in that verse is God’s plan of salvation, His means of rescuing people and reversing the curse of sin, light bulbs begin to turn on and understanding begins to dawn.  And as we trace that promise throughout the Old Testament to Noah and Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, Moses and the Prophets, students are able to connect that God’s promise to crush Satan and send a Deliverer is fulfilled in the birth, life, death, and resurrection of the Messiah.
​
As you prepare to teach about the birth of the Savior this Christmas, let me encourage you to be as creative as you can!  Here are some ideas I’ve found:

• Make edible nativities (http://joleneengle.com/focusing-on-the-hope-that-has-come-this-christmas/)
• Act out the Christmas story from Matthew 1-2 and Luke 1-2.,
• Utilize an advent calendar or book  
• Make a “Jesse Tree” (http://www.whychristmas.com/customs/jessetrees.shtml),
• Use books and movies that accurately portray the birth of our Savior, such as “The Nativity Story” (http://www.amazon.com/The-Nativity-Story-Keisha-Castle-Hughes/dp/B000MGBM1I) 

But please don’t stop there.  Please intentionally make the connection between Christmas and Easter.  Jesus, Immanuel, God with us, is the one who came to save all people from sin. 
Let me close by sharing a couple of great resources to consider using as curriculum.  

• The Jesus Storybook Bible by Sally Lloyd-Jones.  While created for children, this resource is one that I often use in my own time with God because of its profound simplicity of tracing God’s plan of redemption. (http://www.sallylloyd-jones.com/books/jesus-storybook-bible/) 
• Another resource is The Roots of Faith curriculum by ABWE.  In 50 Old Testament lessons and 50 New Testament lessons, the Roots of Faith curriculum traces God’s plan of redemption from Creation to the final judgment and the new Heaven and Earth.  (http://www.goodsoil.com/resources/the-roots-of-faith-old-testament-instructor-kit http://www.goodsoil.com/resources/the-roots-of-faith-new-testament-instructor-kit)  

May the hope of Jesus, our Immanuel, fill your hearts this Season.  Merry Christmas!  

​“I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made…” Psalm 139:14
 
Alyce and Tony approached the stroller of a young mother. Tony peered into the stroller and looked at the baby and exclaimed. “Mom, come look! Isn’t this the cutest baby! Smile, baby!” Alyce smiled and made cooing noises at the baby as well. Then she looked up at the mother and saw tears streaming down her face. The mother said through her tears, “This has never happened. All everyone ever sees is his disability.” The baby did indeed have a significant disability, but Tony, who has Down Syndrome, only saw a beautiful baby.
 
Every person is made in the image of God, which makes each of us beautiful. Even a profound disability cannot diminish the image of God when we have eyes to see it. None of us has value in God’s sight for what we can accomplish, or how well we perform. God loves us because he made us and we are marked with his image. When we see each individual as made in the image of God, we see the things that are true, noble, pure, lovely and admirable in the person and focus on those things first. We point first to the things that are excellent and praiseworthy in a person. Yet people with disabilities are often defined by their diagnosis and limitations rather than the unique gifts and talents that God has given them. People see their brokenness rather than what is praiseworthy…. what a person cannot do rather than what they can do….what is marred rather than what is beautiful. This results in people being stigmatized and provided with few opportunities to become all that God intends them to be.
 
When we see people made in the image of God FIRST, then our posture and attitudes will be different. We will see each person's unique gifts and perspectives whether or not they live with disabilities. We won’t make assumptions about people, prejudge people, or stereotype people. We will make appropriate adaptations so that each person can fully participate in the life of the church.
 
Luke 6:45 says, “For the mouth speaks what the heart is full of.”  When our hearts are full of ignorance, pity and perhaps even prejudice toward people with disabilities, our words and actions will tend to demean them and exclude them from our lives. At best we may thank God that He didn’t make us like them. However, when our hearts see God’s plans and purposes for all people irregardless of their abilities or disabilities, we will be respectful and honor the image of God in them. We won’t use person first language because it is politically correct. We will use person first and respectful language because it reflects the attitudes and beliefs of our heart. 
 
Honoring the image of God in people with disabilities means that:
1. We believe God has good plans for people and a purpose for their lives irrespective of their
abilities or disabilities.
2. We emphasize the unique gifts and talents that a person has rather than the disabilities,
diagnosis or limitations.
3. We use person first and respectful language when addressing people with disabilities. (See
pdf download below.)
4. We talk directly to people with disabilities not the person next to them and allow people with
disabilities extra time to move and talk.
5. We ask people with disabilities if they need help rather than always assuming that they do.
6. We educate our congregations in ways to honor the image of God in people with disabilities.
7. We look to the interests and well-being of people with disabilities in our church and society.
 
As Christians, let’s honor the image of God in everyone we meet, regardless of their ability.

​

Wondering what Shepherds Resources is all about? Amy DeBurgh interviewed me recently for the OnPurpose Podcast of Shepherds Ministries. I thought you might be interested in hearing the vision for Shepherds Resources and some of what we have planned for the future. 
​

“Church buildings can be burned down.   Instruments can be broken.  Yet true worship is not dependent upon these things.”   My mind pondered the pastor’s riveting statements.  Then these thoughts came, “Is it only things that can be broken?  What if bodies are broken so that verbal prayers cannot be offered, reading the Scriptures is impossible, and there is no voice to sing?  What does worship look like then?” 

My eyes fell on Peter who sat with his parents in the row in front of me.   Peter has significant disabilities.  He cannot speak and uses a power wheelchair.  It is hard to determine how much Peter understands. Does Peter worship I wondered?  Then I watched Peter as the congregation started to sing a hymn.  First his head started to sway from side to side.  He threw a quick smile my way.   Then his body started to move in the wheelchair—back and forth and then side to side.  As the crescendo of the music started to build, so did Peter’s body movements.  When the singing ended, Peter’s body became quiet and he fell forward with his head at his knees.  And I wept. Yes, Peter does indeed worship the Lord Jesus. 

Worship can be expressed in a myriad of ways as we make the gospel accessible to those with disabilities.   Barbara Newman, consultant with the CLC Network recently wrote the book,  Accessible Gospel, Inclusive Worship.  She provides examples and suggestions on how to include people with disabilities in worshipping God during corporate worship.    

Barbara is one of the keynote speakers at the upcoming Inclusive Worship Symposium on Saturday, November 21, at Trinity Christian College in Palos Heights, IL. The symposium is designed to bring worship leaders, disability ministry leaders and individuals with disabilities together for the exploration and furthering of inclusive worship.  Music groups comprised of individuals with varying abilities will lead the participants in an inclusive worship service..  During the workshops, participants will work alongside Individuals with disabilities in developing inclusive worship segments that can be taken back to their congregations.  This event is hosted by Joni and Friends Chicago and the CLC Network, with support from the Calvin Institute of Worship.   The cost is only $15.  Register HERE