How to love our brothers and sisters with disabilities better. Are our assumptions serving each other well? Today we participated in a roundtable on Zoom with over 30 participants from all over the country discussing the topic of serving individuals at church who have speech limitations. The discussion was started right out of the gate by two women who have found amazing ways to use the gifts God has given them in spite of the challenge of having limited ability to use speech to communicate. Here are some things we learned from them and others during this enlightening and inspiring […]
Are you weary? I don’t just mean tired. I mean bone-tired, worn out. Are you mentally drained? Physically exhausted? Emotionally spent? If so, this message is for you. Life can be very hard sometimes. Circumstances and certain people can suck the life blood out of you. Just getting up each day and plodding through the impossible task list with no end in sight can be burdensome. Sometimes people motivated by their own vindictive, selfish agendas can be overwhelmingly hurtful. You may be dealing with some form of grief either from losing a loved one or because of loss of the […]
Join us on this Podcast entitled “Special Needs or Disabled?” as we discuss the words used to describe people with disabilities. There are strong opinions around the language of disability. What should be our response? As a parent or as someone who serves in disability ministry, what is the correct terminology? Listen in as we share terms and some meanings and the place we have come to for ourselves in dealing with this ever-changing lingo. If you would like support in brainstorming ideas on this or any topic specific to you, please don’t hesitate to email us at Champions4Parents@gmailcom. We […]
Julie Meekins Hey Mom! Are you feeling guilty? Most moms I know suffer from some sense of mom guilt at some time or another. You may be thinking things like… It is my fault that my child has this disability. I have no idea what I am doing. What does being a good “advocate” even mean? Why can I not get my act together, this place is a mess! I had to apologize yet again to my child for vocalizing my frustrations. And then…there are the other members of the family and extended family that I feel I am neglecting. […]
Theme: Set your mind to look for the gifts. We are all made in God’s image. As image bearers, God created each one of us with unique gifts that are essential for the church. Often we hear pastors sharing from the stages of our churches an enthusiastic charge to serve within the local body of believers and beyond. I don’t know about you, but this encouragement stirs something within my heart to take action. Over the last few years, I have observed that many of my friends with disabilities also have a stirring in their hearts to serve and a […]
Ministry is hard. It can be very lonely and a bit overwhelming. Join us on this Podcast entitled “Tips for Ministry Folks to Serve more Effectively” to find out ways that you can combat the loneliness and address the overwhelm. Our goal in this podcast is for you to find something that can boost you as you carry out the tasks before you. Please know you are not alone and that we are here to serve you. Parents – Let’s encourage the leaders who are working with our loved ones. Feel free to share this podcast with them. If you […]
Ongoing Online Access Back in 2020, all of us in ministry were scrambling for ideas of how to keep connection alive with our people during a pandemic. We got creative. We rose to the occasion. It was challenging and it was good. One of those ideas was to offer all manner of ways to connect over Zoom. We did meetings, parties, coaching, mentoring, scavenger hunts, classes, Christmas caroling, games, training, and more. All of this was done remotely and online. We found folks who were looking for friends and never had access to connecting and they found us. Some families […]
Parents and Caregivers are you feeling a little low? Wondering why your family is dealing with special needs? Are you sad that you cannot do what you used to be able to do? Are you grieving over the loss of the life you anticipated for you and your family? Join us on this Podcast entitled “Feeling Lonely” for one way that may help you to get out of the doldrums. You may hear just what you need today to encourage you in your own journey in this season. This Podcast is for you if you are a dad or a […]
Raising children with disabilities is challenging. Along the journey, we, as parents, learn some things. Join us on this Podcast entitled “Lessons Learned Raising a Child with Disabilities” and hear from parents. Take courage from other parents. Know that you are not alone. Gain wisdom and get tips that could make your days a little lighter. You may hear just what you need to hear today to encourage you in your own journey in this season. This Podcast is for you if you are a dad or a mom of a child affected by disabilities. This Podcast is for you […]
Dear Pastor, We appreciate you. Thank you for bringing us God’s Word so consistently. You are a gift to us and we are grateful for your shepherding love and faithful guidance. Thank you for giving us this opportunity to share some things that are near and dear to our hearts. Disability Ministry Needs You You can bring a message to the rest of the church family that disability ministry is essential to the church. Why? Because Jesus showed us by example by serving people with special needs all the time, i.e. the lame, the blind, the sick. He was the […]