The Evangelical Covenant Church seeks to network, educate, and resource Covenant churches so that persons with disabilities and their families are effectively served and fully included in the life and ministries of the Covenant and their local communities. Learn more >>
Videos
- Psalm 139 Reflectors Reading, a popular and touching video of people with various disabilities reading sections of Psalm 139
- Videos Give Personal Look into Disability Concerns, Christian Reformed Church-Disability Concerns
- Disability Etiquette: Training Videos, (community inclusion) – Learn how to communicate with people with disabilities. What are the main barriers? These one- or two-minute videos show how to improve and ease communication. Don’t miss the French public service ad in video two that turns the world of disability and non-disability upside down.
- What’s your story? Including people with disabilities in your church
- One Body, The debilitating symptoms of Lyme disease overtook inclusion advocate, Tory White’s life. Attempts to attend church resulted in multiple visits to the ER and eventually, an inability to attend church. Though Tory experienced the pain of exclusion, her story is also one of hope in a redefined community, a larger movement for inclusivity practices, and a platform to advocate for change in congregations.
Books, Magazines, and Articles
- A Special Needs Ministry Handbook, by Amy Rapada
- Spiritual Issues in Chronic Illness and Disabilities, by Kathryn Porten
- Including People with Disabilities in Faith Communities, by Erik W. Carter
- That All May Worship, by the National Organization on Disability
- Breakthrough, a free quarterly magazine from Bethesda Lutheran Homes
- “Which Girl Would You Marry? How Christians Think about Disability” Faith Today, March/April 2013
- “Refusing to Ignore Teens with Special Needs: Five Ideas for Inclusion” by Amy Fenton Lee (Fuller Youth Institute)
- Disability Ministries Bibliography
- 10 things about PTSD
Theological Resources
- “An Easter Faith, Being Lived in a Good Friday Body”, by John Weborg
- “Un-disabling the Church”, by Jim Swanson
- “The Accessible Church“, by the Massachusetts Council of Churches
Websites
- Welcome them Home, Help Them Heal is a resource booklet (112 pages) for pastors and churches who wish to assist returning combat veterans suffering from PTSD and related issues. PTSD is viewed by many as a kind of disability. It is readable and practical, explaining the nature of war, challenges faced by returning soldiers, and the physical, psychological and spiritual wounds of war. It suggests proven ways in which a church may be an agent of healing by reaching out effectively, creating a safe environment and offering special services and retreats throughout the Church Year. A section at the end tells how to find national, state, county and local partnering agencies, and includes a few quick assessment tools for identifying issues and making referrals.
- Autism Speaks | Resources for families and loved ones of those affected by autism.
- Bethesda Lutheran Homes & Services | Learn more about developmental disabilities, get spiritual resources for persons with developmental disabilities and their friends and families, as well as additional awareness promotion materials.
- Christian Reformed Church | Get information on accessibility and awareness, ideas for an Awareness Sunday, and advice on beginning a disability ministry.
- Evangelical Lutheran Church in America | Peruse a variety of resources, including some on inclusion and accessibility.
- Friendship Ministries | Friendship Ministries is devoted to sharing God’s love with persons with cognitive impairments. Find out how you can become involved or get ideas for your own ministry.
- Joni and Friends | Here you can find resources for people affected by disabilities whether it be their own or those of people they care about.
- SibShops | Learn about the life-long concerns of siblings of persons with disabilities.
