DEVOTIONS Fear Not the Disabled We all benefit when people with disabilities are valued in our churches. Christianity Today
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People with disabilities are all around us. And we must not, like the Levite and the priest in Jesus' parable, pass by on the other side of the road. There are an estimated 50 million people with disabilities of all kinds in the United States, and 600 million worldwide. Each one, to borrow a phrase from the late Mother Teresa, is Jesus in "distressing disguise." Relatively few of us see past that ...
I can find no Bible text telling us forthrightly that mentally disabled people who cannot confess Jesus Christ as Savior are "under God's salvation." As I read the New Testament, I find only one path to salvation—the path of an informed faith in Jesus Christ. John, Peter, and Paul, for instance, implied that the saving response to the gospel involves rational choice. Does the Bible, then, ...
I was giving an altar call at the end of a service when our disabled son darted away from his mother and ran down the aisle toward me. When he got to me, I took him firmly by the shoulder and sat him down on the front row. I immediately saw my error: I had corrected my son for doing the one thing I want him to do more than anything. That day I committed to finding ways to minister to the needs of ...
The best hospital visit is one to the maternity ward to congratulate new parents. But what happens when the child is seriously disabled? I learned what kinds of ministries are most deeply appreciated firsthand when my child was born with spinal bifida. Here's what pastors and church leaders can do in the first 24 hours to minister in this situation.
1. Be there. Your very presence at the hospital is ...
Church leaders set an example for how to talk about disabilities in the church—either implicitly or explicitly. Here are some principles for how to set an example that is gentle and considerate.
How to Talk About a Disability
Use the word "disability," rather than "handicap," to refer to your students with disabilities. "Handicap" is the correct word when talking about being hampered by architectural barriers or negative attitudes. For example, "Those steps are a handicap to him when he comes to our school."
Here are nine challenges of ministry to the mentally disabled, and principles for overcoming them:
1. Generalities, abstractions, and big ideas have little meaning. For example, "God loves you" is an abstract idea with no real-world connections to grab hold of.
Solution: speak simply and draw lessons from the students' personal lives when possible.
2. Understanding in any form will come slowly. The ...
How do people who are the church become "a place called acceptance" for families of children with disabilities? How do we develop welcoming attitudes? What specific ministries can we put into place as we seek to knock down barriers and reach out to everyone in our church families? Here are some practical suggestions for church leaders.
Communal Tasks
Make a commitment to minister to and with families of children with disabilities.
The mother of a child who has cerebral palsy composed this list of ways to reach out—and help out—the family of a disabled child.
Pray—and let the family know you are praying. Of course, this is the most important thing you can do. Not long ago, a local church was planning a prayer vigil and called to obtain specific prayer needs concerning my son. It was an incredible faith-builder and encouragement for all of us to see God answer the prayers of these precious people.
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