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Keith Dow shares the story of Moe and Ann, two people with disabilities seeking genuine belonging in their church community. He explores the challenges they faced and the positive impact of person-centred planning. Their journey highlights the importance of relationships and inclusion in everyday church life.
Ottawa Valley Vineyard Pastor Ahren Summach and Moe Day sing Jesus Loves Me with Ann Gray after a documentary chronicling Day and Gray's journey on picking a church.
Ottawa Valley Vineyard Pastor Ahren Summach and Moe Day sing Jesus Loves Me with Ann Gray after a documentary chronicling Day and Gray’s journey finding a church.
Moe and Ann's church experience
Moe and Ann are two people with disabilities supported by The Mills Community Support in Almonte, Ontario. They were having difficulty really feeling that they belonged at the church they were attending. Few people said “hi” to them and they didn’t engage well with the format or the activities. Thousands of people go through similar experiences, whether or not they identify as having a disability. Fortunately, this time thanks to the MAPS research team (Ottawa U, Queen’s, and Lakehead) the process and (spoilers!) beautiful result was captured in a short documentary.
Sharing the documentary
There was a viewing party at the Ottawa Valley Vinyard Church where Moe and Ann attend, the church is sharing it with their networks and Mills Community Support is sharing it with their staff teams as well to demonstrate the importance and value of person-centred thinking and planning. There have even been a couple of articles written on it, which you can find here and here.
Impact and ongoing story
This story continues to develop – for instance, until this documentary, members of the church had no idea just how much their relationships and conversations meant to Ann and Moe. What is your response to this video? How would your church go about welcoming people with exceptional needs who were stopping by to see if it was a good ‘fit’?
About the Author:
Keith Dow:
Keith Dow, PhD, is a theologian, writer, and credentialed pastor with BIC Canada, serving as Director of Culture and Mission Alignment with Karis Disability Services. His work explores disability theology, Christian caregiving, spiritual life, and the gifts of people with intellectual and developmental disabilities. He is the author of Formed Together: Mystery, Narrative, and Virtue in Christian Caregiving (Baylor University Press, 2021) and the researcher behind Images of God. His latest peer-reviewed article is “Imaging God Together.” Keith recently completed a term as president of the AAIDD Religion & Spirituality Interest Network. Explore his writing and research at keithdow.com.
Recent Posts:
Keith Dow shares the story of Moe and Ann, two people with disabilities seeking genuine belonging in their church community. He explores the challenges they faced and the positive impact of person-centred planning. Their journey highlights the importance of relationships and inclusion in everyday church life.
Ottawa Valley Vineyard Pastor Ahren Summach and Moe Day sing Jesus Loves Me with Ann Gray after a documentary chronicling Day and Gray's journey on picking a church.
Ottawa Valley Vineyard Pastor Ahren Summach and Moe Day sing Jesus Loves Me with Ann Gray after a documentary chronicling Day and Gray’s journey finding a church.
Moe and Ann's church experience
Moe and Ann are two people with disabilities supported by The Mills Community Support in Almonte, Ontario. They were having difficulty really feeling that they belonged at the church they were attending. Few people said “hi” to them and they didn’t engage well with the format or the activities. Thousands of people go through similar experiences, whether or not they identify as having a disability. Fortunately, this time thanks to the MAPS research team (Ottawa U, Queen’s, and Lakehead) the process and (spoilers!) beautiful result was captured in a short documentary.
Sharing the documentary
There was a viewing party at the Ottawa Valley Vinyard Church where Moe and Ann attend, the church is sharing it with their networks and Mills Community Support is sharing it with their staff teams as well to demonstrate the importance and value of person-centred thinking and planning. There have even been a couple of articles written on it, which you can find here and here.
Impact and ongoing story
This story continues to develop – for instance, until this documentary, members of the church had no idea just how much their relationships and conversations meant to Ann and Moe. What is your response to this video? How would your church go about welcoming people with exceptional needs who were stopping by to see if it was a good ‘fit’?
