What Will the King Say?

There is an awesome opportunity for anyone involved in or having a heart for or needing special needs ministry - Inclusion Fusion 2012! The theme is “Why?” Why is it so important for churches to be intentional about serving families impacted by disability?

http://drgrcevich.wordpress.com/2012/09/16/its-here-register-for-inclusion-fusion-2012/

Today I was reading a blog I really enjoy that always makes me think:

http://disabledchristianity.blogspot.com/2012/09/rights-without-opportunity-is.html

Jeff McNair is a leader in the field of Disability and Ministry. He was writing curriculum and thinking about disability ministry long before it was on most people's radar. He has the first in the US - as far as I know - Master's degree program in Disability Ministry at California Baptist University. He directs the program.
His blog post is about special needs people in independent living and personal care homes. He makes a persuasive argument that these individuals need their religious rights and freedoms protected. They need to be enabled to exercise their religious freedom by offering them the opportunity to attend church.
Reading Jeff's post started me thinking! This issue is part of the Inclusion Fusion question Why?'s challenge. The church and individual Christians need to step up with heart and hand to help make this happen. We in the church should advocate for special needs individuals living independently. Christians individually and in the corporate church should reach out to assist care providers with religious freedom options. I know this is no easy issue. Just the transportation piece alone is challenging!
The whole issue of transition for young adults and other adults with special needs as well as those who live in group homes for other reasons is huge in the special needs world! This issue of religious liberty and protecting this right for those who cannot advocate for themselves seems a no-brainer. It is also a huge black hole! Where is the church? Where are individual believers to step up to bat?
Frankly, I never thought of this issue in quite this way until I read Jeff's blog today. And, it is sticky and difficult but very needed. That being said, I personally head out every Sunday morning and drive to a friend's home, park my car and drive her to church in her accessible van. No one made this choice for me. I make it gladly because she's my friend! I'm blessed by the time we spend together!
Just this morning as I was dressing I was contemplating who would step up to bat for her if I couldn't pick her up on a Sunday. I knew who in this case. In August I was gone for a Sunday when my dad died. One of our members drove a considerable distance to bring our friend to church. But, what of those no one comes for? What of those who sit and wait?
Who knows and who cares if we (the Church) don't? Who will give voice to those who have none? I think I hear Matthew 25:31-40 ringing in my ears and heart:
When the Son of Man comes in His glory, ... He will sit on His glorious throne. All the nations will be gathered before Him, ... Then the King will say ... , Come, you who are blessed by My Father ... For I was hungry and you gave Me something to eat. I was thirsty and you gave Me something to drink. I was a stranger and you invited Me in. ... Then the righteous will answer Him, Lord, when did we see You hungry and feed You or thirsty and give You something to drink? When did we see You a stranger and invite You in? ... Then the King will reply, Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of Mine, you did for Me. It's certainly something to contemplate!

Important!!! We are grateful for these friends!

Sometimes in the course of life and ministry God sends special encouragement in the form of special servants and ministries. We are so grateful for many new contacts and ministries with whom we share our passion for and commitment to special needs ministry.

One of these ministries in particular is Key Ministry. Steve Grcevich MD is the President and Founder of Key Ministry. They have just introduced a new website with a whole new look and one of the first features is other ministries. We are greatly blessed at A Restoration Church to be included in that list: http://drgrcevich.wordpress.com/2012/09/14/ministries-you-should-know/

Another special opportunity this past week was the opportunity to guest post on Gillian Marcenko's blog. You can read my post: http://www.gillianmarchenko.com/a-dream-and-a-battered-heart/

My friend Katie Weatherbee, also with Key Ministry, guest posted on Gillian's blog today and her post is a phenomenal blessing: http://www.gillianmarchenko.com/no-stranger-to-brokenness-a-guest-post-by-katie-wetherbee/

These are just a few of the special encouragers God has sent into John's and my life over recent months. We are greatly blessed by them and the great God we all serve!

A Word is A Word is A Word!

Words do matter! Word choices matter! It matters if the hearer thinks one definition and the speaker has another meaning in mind! NOT much communication happens in that case!
Recently Dr. James Dobson featured on his radio program a couple who discussed "Raising a Handicapped Child."
Handicapped ...... Special Needs ....... Disabled ........... Affected by Disability ...... and more. Which is the best practices term?
No criticism intended or implied to either Dr. Dobson or Focus on the Family or the couple interviewed - just some personal observations related to my journey in disability ministry:

• In the last six years my thinking has undergone a radical transformation in relation both to individuals affected by disabilities, to myself in relationship to them and to HOW and WHY and WHEN the Church of Jesus Christ should and must work out the mandate to be inclusive to all!
• Luke 14:12-14 is the core passage from Scripture which addresses this concern. AND the fact that Jesus spent almost His entire ministry hanging with just such individuals is both inescapable and compelling as a mandate!
• Terms matter - What is the best term to use for this discussion? Frankly I'm still studying on that one. To quote a famous someone, my thinking is "still evolving" evaluating terms and process related to special needs ministry.

Some years ago I read an article in a publication from a nationally known special needs ministry. They actually prefer and advocate "affected by disability." The article described the difference between "handicapped" and "disability." I have never forgotten the distinction:

We are ALL handicapped in one way or another. To use the article's example - I am 5'5" tall. It is impossible for me to reach the top of my kitchen cabinets without some assistance. That assistance may come in the form of a chair or stool or climbing up on the counter top or even something else. I overcome my handicap with a "tool" intended to increase or augment my height.

A disability is a lack of function in life which may be physical, mental, emotional or even spiritual. We are all disabled in one way or another if we generally include "brokenness" as a qualifying category. There is wisdom, however, in having a "best practices" term related to individuals dealing with the wide range of physical, mental and emotional diagnoses or "labels" (for want of a better term). There is significant discussion about hidden disabilities in this "field." We all have hidden disabilities in the sense that all of us are broken in one way or another until Jesus makes all things new on an awesome future day! But I think we need to be careful not to appear to minimize the HUGE pain experienced by individuals and families whose lives are affected by disability 24/7 with real diagnoses and needs.

I don't pretend to know the precise best practices term. I leave that determination to minds much senior to mine in pay grade. What I do know is that there needs to be open discussion about words related to describing disabilities so we communicate without doing harm! My friend Dr. Steve Grcevich of Key Ministry recently blogged his own thoughts on this very subject.

The ultimate goal is to find and use terms that are inclusive, respectful, clear, person first, relational and effectively communicative because words DO matter! There are far too many wedge words in life for the church before the watching world not to take the meaning of words seriously!