It's that time of the year again! For some, the Christmas season is a time of joy, peace, and celebration. For others, it's a time of managing expectations, sensory overload, and hectic schedules. For most of us, it's a mix of all of the above! Today on the blog we feature some helpful resources for churches and families navigating the holidays.
I am confident that God has called me to what many people refer to as “special” education. Really, it is just education for all.
We must "help [faith communities] understand that we are focusing on participation, inclusion, and belonging as a way to empower, not pity. That we want people to develop roles that make them important and valuable to communities. So we're looking for connections, not avoidance, for support, not stigma"
Christian ministries may have more impact if they focus on holistic care and ministry than on a "specialist" approach to faith or spirituality. It is too easy to fragment intellectual, physical, and emotional needs as aspects of flourishing spirituality.
In the winter of 1999, I found myself on a Greyhound bus travelling from Three Rivers, Michigan to Richmond Hill, Ontario. I was moving to L’Arche Daybreak, one of the many communities of people considered intellectually disabled and nondisabled who share life and faith together. A little excited and a little frightened, I went looking for Christian community and a way to live the Gospel. I wound up finding both those things – and a whole lot more.
You can foster the growth and development of others, particularly people who experience disabilities, in your church or community by recognizing their gifts and talents, presenting opportunities for them to utilize their gifts, and encouraging them to develop their skills.
Here's what we do know: Whoever they were, these travelers from the East, they were "overwhelmed with joy" when they saw the star come to rest over the young Christ child (Matt 2:10). Dr. Philip Doddridge observes that the literal translation of the Greek may more accurately be recorded as, "They joyed a great joy, very much." Bad English. Good Theology.
Christian Horizons' fourth service principle contains countercultural messages that may powerfully impact the self-concepts of people who experience disability, transform the work of the church and benefit society as a whole if practiced effectively.
What a great opportunity to intentionally celebrate the gifts of people of all abilities in your church community! To make this easy, Christian Horizons has put together a number of resources, including videos, a service guide, and a complete sermon around the theme of "EveryBody Belongs."
My prayer for all five our children, those with and without autism, is that God would reveal himself in a way that they would understand.
