Bedard on Discipleship Person-First or Identity-First Language? Stephen Bedard, December 22, 2022December 22, 2022 When we talk about disabilities, should we use person-first or identity-first language? That is, should we refer to “people with disabilities” or “disabled people”? In this episode, we look at this topic. Visit my website Disability Comes to Church. Please support this podcast through Patreon. Continue Reading
Sermons Enabling Faith Stephen Bedard, February 21, 2021January 25, 2022 Acts 8:26-40 Introduction I have often felt like the story of the Ethiopian eunuch is one of the strangest in Acts. It’s not the picture of Philip running alongside the horse drawn chariot, listening to what the man was reading. Nor is it the way the Holy Spirit takes Philip… Continue Reading
Disability and Faith Blog What to Do When You See a Service Dog in Public Stephen Bedard, October 7, 2020March 17, 2021 You are out in a grocery store or a restaurant and you see a person with a dog wearing a jacket. How do you respond? What if the person doesn’t look blind? Actually seeing eye dogs are only one type of service dog. Our family had an autism service dog… Continue Reading
Disability and Faith Blog Why Should Your Church Be Disability Friendly? Stephen Bedard, August 6, 2020August 6, 2020 I’m in the process of working on some resources to help churches become more disability friendly. By that I mean more welcoming and inclusive of people with disabilities. But it should be asked why churches should even bother attempting to become disability friendly. It’s a lot of investment without a… Continue Reading
Disability and Faith Blog The Other Anti-Discrimination Fight That Needs to Be Fought Stephen Bedard, June 17, 2020June 17, 2021 Some of the biggest news in recent times is the fight for the rights of people who are marginalized. Much of this has been focused on the black community and the LGBTQ community. There is more that is needed. As a Canadian, I would like to see more conversation about… Continue Reading
Disability and Faith Blog Eyes Opened by the Blind Stephen Bedard, May 13, 2020May 13, 2020 Our church has a Zoom after church fellowship during this time of only online services. It is a nice way of connecting with people. The fun thing is that there are different people showing up each time. This past week, we had two people who were both born blind. We… Continue Reading
Disability and Faith Blog Crip Camp – Review Stephen Bedard, April 4, 2020April 4, 2020 I recently watched the documentary Crip Camp on Netflix. As a person interested in disabilities, I was eager to see it. In many ways, this is two documentaries. The first is about the camp in the title, which was actually Camp Jened. The was camp for people with disabilities that… Continue Reading
Disability and Faith Blog Nazis and the Killing of the Disabled Stephen Bedard, December 20, 2019December 30, 2019 Two of my main interests are the history of the Second World War and disabilities. The latter because I have two children with disabilities. It is heartbreaking to hear about the lengths the Nazis went to kill those, including babies and children, with disabilities. This is a forgotten part of… Continue Reading
Disability and Faith Blog Disability in the Hebrew Bible – Review Stephen Bedard, August 15, 2019 Two of the biggest interests for me are the Bible and disabilities. When those two things come together, II am happy. That’s why I enjoyed Disability in the Hebrew Bible. Things can get complicated when it comes to the Bible and disabilities. People with disabilities and disability advocates will want… Continue Reading
Disability and Faith Blog Did Disabilities Win the Game of Thrones? Stephen Bedard, May 24, 2019 I found the final episode of Game of Thrones interesting on a number of levels. One of those was the way disabilities were portrayed, not just throughout the series, but in the conclusion. NOTE: SPOILERS BELOW Mighty kings and queens had been battling for eight seasons to determine who would… Continue Reading
Disability and Faith Blog Reflections on a Recent Funeral Stephen Bedard, April 11, 2019April 23, 2022 I recently did a funeral for a member of our church named Dianne. I didn’t know Dianne well, as her health didn’t allow her to attend much since I became the pastor. I did know that she had Down Syndrome. It was an interesting funeral in a number of ways…. Continue Reading
Disability and Faith Blog Redefining Perfect – Review Stephen Bedard, January 29, 2019October 5, 2019 When a couple begins to have children, at least in the back of their mind, they are hoping for the “perfect” family. But what happens when a child is born with or an adult acquires a disability? Is there now imperfection? For people of faith, perhaps there is a need… Continue Reading
Disability and Faith Blog Good News: A Pastor Who Cares Stephen Bedard, January 27, 2019September 22, 2022 Our son Logan has started attending a church in the city where his group home is. I have mentioned this before and we are thankful. I care as a father but I can also see this from the perspective of a pastor. I know from experience that it is not… Continue Reading
Disability and Faith Blog Disabling Mission, Enabling Witness – Review Stephen Bedard, December 11, 2018June 25, 2020 I recently read Enabling Mission, Enabling Witness by Benjamin T. Conner and I absolutely loved it. I am currently doing some research into disability and theology and this book just got me more excited about this topic. What is unique about this book is that Conner brings together the two… Continue Reading
Apologetics and Theology Blog How Apologetics Intersects With My Interest in Disabilities Stephen Bedard, September 13, 2018July 17, 2020 Two of the areas that I write on the most are Christian apologetics and disabilities. This makes sense. My faith journey includes a period of atheism and I am a skeptic by nature. In addition, I have two children with autism and so disabilities are close to my heart. But… Continue Reading
Disability and Faith Blog What Our Church Does For Disability Ministry Stephen Bedard, September 12, 2018April 30, 2019 When people find out that I’m interested in disabilities, I often get asked what we do at our church for disability ministry. Like myself, people are always look for ideas. So when I get asked what we do for disability ministry, this is what I tell them. Church. Yeah, that’s… Continue Reading
Disability and Faith Blog Disability Stereotypes in Movies Stephen Bedard, July 17, 2018May 15, 2020 One of the pet peeves of many people in the disability community is how people with disabilities are portrayed in movies and television shows. Very often, stereotypes are used for people with disabilities. People with autism or MS may not feel that the portrayal of their diagnoses represents their experience…. Continue Reading
Disability and Faith Blog Why I Don’t Talk Much About Ableism Stephen Bedard, July 5, 2018December 22, 2022 For years we have heard about sexism (discrimination against a gender, usually females) and racism (discrimination against a race, usually non-whites). People may be less familiar with ableism. What is ableism? The Centre for Disability Rights gives this definition for ableism: Ableism is a set of beliefs or practices that… Continue Reading
Disability and Faith Blog What is a Disability? Stephen Bedard, June 26, 2018June 1, 2022 I recently asked a question on a couple of Facebook groups that I belonged to. One group was about autism and the other about sarcoidosis. I asked members whether they identified as disabled. Interestingly, many of those with sarcoidosis did identify as having a disability, while most of those with… Continue Reading
Disability and Faith Blog Inspiration Porn Stephen Bedard, June 15, 2018April 21, 2019 This past week, I was at the Summer Institute on Theology and Disability. There was so much that I learned but one of the terms I came across for the first time was “inspiration porn.” What is inspiration porn? Many people find people with disabilities inspirational. That is fine if… Continue Reading
Disability and Faith Blog An Important Question For Churches and Disabilities Stephen Bedard, April 23, 2018April 23, 2021 Our church has a Bible study that takes place Sundays after the service. We were looking at Paul’s vision for the unity of the church in Ephesians 2. One of the participants asked a question about how this fits with disability ministries. The lady in our study (who happens to… Continue Reading
Disability and Faith Blog Caring for Special Needs People in Your Small Church Stephen Bedard, March 29, 2018October 21, 2020 One of the most practical podcasts that I listen to is the 200 Church podcast. I was quite happy when I heard they were doing an episode on special needs. Co-host Jonny Craig has a child with special needs, so it was nut surprising. It was a helpful discussion with… Continue Reading
Disability and Faith Blog Stephen Hawking and Disabilities Stephen Bedard, March 15, 2018May 9, 2020 Stephen Hawking just recently died. There is much about Hawking that I disagreed with. He denied the existence of God and thought heaven was a fairy tale. I suppose he knows the truth now. But aside from his views on God, there was much about Stephen Hawking that was praiseworthy…. Continue Reading
Disability and Faith Blog 31 Days to Become a Better Pastor: Embrace Those With Disabilities Stephen Bedard, March 14, 2018February 28, 2020 Many churches have embraced the concept of disabilities. Churches want diversity of gender, ethnicities, age, economic status and others. But what about disabilities? I need to confess that I’m biased in this area. In addition to being a pastor, I’m also a father of two children with disabilities. We also… Continue Reading
Personal Blog Good News: Churches That Get It Stephen Bedard, March 11, 2018 As a pastor and a father of two children with special needs, I know that it can be challenging for churches to minister to special needs family and challenging for special needs families to feel welcome in churches. I have had two recent experiences that have encouraged me. A week… Continue Reading
Personal Blog Good News: Theology and Disability Paper Stephen Bedard, January 28, 2018September 22, 2022 Two of the areas that I’m most interested in are theology and disabilities. When these two come together, I’m in my sweet spot. Some time ago I responded to a call for papers for the Summer Institute on Theology and Disability. This is an event that I have wanted to attend… Continue Reading
Disability and Faith Blog Breathe – Review Stephen Bedard, January 9, 2018April 24, 2022 Last night I watched the movie Breathe, directed by Andy Serkis. The movie stars Andrew Garfield (Amazing Spider-Man) and Claire Foy (The Crown). The movie is based on a true story about Robin Cavendish, a young man who was paralyzed from polio. Not only was he paralyzed, but he required… Continue Reading
Disability and Faith Blog Don’t You Dare Judge! Stephen Bedard, December 19, 2017March 3, 2020 One of the outcomes that some special needs families experience is that the children move into a group home. How that takes place depends on the situation. Ideally, the family is aware of the need of a group home before hitting a crisis. They can then get on a waiting… Continue Reading
Disability and Faith Blog Stay Engaged With Your Special Needs Child (Part 2) Stephen Bedard, December 16, 2017July 18, 2020 This is the first of two-part guest post by Bryan Stoudt. Visit Bryan’s website at the link found in his bio at the end of this post. You can find the first part here. Last time, we saw how hard it can be to stay engaged with our special needs child. … Continue Reading
Disability and Faith Blog Special Needs Families Are Not a Monolithic Group Stephen Bedard, December 8, 2017December 8, 2020 I speak often on the needs of families who are dealing with disabilities. My prayer to that the church will respond to those special needs. But the challenge is that the needs of each family are different. We cannot put such families into a neat and tidy category and then… Continue Reading
Disability and Faith Blog Stay Engaged With Your Special Needs Child (Part 1) Stephen Bedard, December 6, 2017July 18, 2020 This is the first of two-part guest post by Bryan Stoudt. Visit Bryan’s website at the link found in his bio at the end of this post. You can find the second part here. Our special needs kids have a special place in our hearts. Each one is precious and unique,… Continue Reading
Disability and Faith Blog 5 Ways Churches Can Help Support Families With Disabilities Stephen Bedard, October 13, 2017April 13, 2020 One of my passions is to help churches be welcoming and safe places for families with disabilities. I come at this both as a pastor and as a father of two children with autism. My impression is that churches feel as if becoming disability-friendly is a difficult goal. The truth… Continue Reading
Disability and Faith Blog What Does Jesus Want Our Churches to Look Like? Stephen Bedard, September 19, 2017December 31, 2019 I was preparing for an upcoming sermon and came across an interesting passage. He said also to the man who had invited him, “When you host a dinner or a banquet, don’t invite your friends or your brothers or your relatives or rich neighbors so you can be invited by… Continue Reading
Personal Blog Good News: One of the Best Weeks Ever Stephen Bedard, September 3, 2017April 15, 2019 This past week was one of the best weeks of my entire life. Our family was able to attend the Christian Horizons Family Retreat at Elim Lodge. The initial reason for attending was that I was asked to be the speaker for the retreat. My topic was “The LORD is my… Continue Reading
Disability and Faith Blog Disabilities and the Parable of the Sheep and the Goats Stephen Bedard, July 25, 2017July 1, 2019 One of the hardest hitting parables that Jesus ever taught was the parable of the sheep and the goats from Matthew 25. There is a danger of protestants passing over this parable out of a desire to protect justification by faith. “Then the King will say to those on his… Continue Reading
Disability and Faith Blog How Diverse Do You Want Your Church to Be? Stephen Bedard, June 15, 2017September 29, 2021 I have listened to a number of podcasts and read some books that have argued for increased diversity within the church. I am all for this. One of the things that I love about Queen Street Baptist Church is our diversity. In a recent service, approximately two-thirds of the congregation… Continue Reading
Disability and Faith Blog Don’t Pet the Service Dog! Stephen Bedard, May 26, 2017May 26, 2021 I was at the hospital today visiting someone. As we walked into the hospital, we saw someone with a service dog waiting to pay for parking. I also the person in front of us reach out and start petting the dog. I wanted to warn the person not to do… Continue Reading
Bedard on Discipleship Autism Awareness: 3 Areas For Improvement Stephen Bedard, April 26, 2017April 26, 2022 April is Autism Awareness Month. Autism awareness has come a long way in the past few decades. More people than ever before are aware of autism. But there is more to be done. In this episode, I look at these three points: Autism is a spectrum. People with autism have… Continue Reading
Bedard on Discipleship My Problem With the R-Word Stephen Bedard, March 1, 2017August 18, 2022 I was recently watching the Netflix series, Luke Cage. Throughout the series, I was bothered by the generous use of the N-word, even by the residents of Harlem. I have learned to have an uncomfortable reaction when hearing that word. What about when we use the R-word? What is the… Continue Reading
Disability and Faith Blog Disability and the Gospel – Review Stephen Bedard, December 27, 2016April 15, 2019 One aspect of working through ideas about disabilities is to develop a theology of disability. The Bible has some important things to say about disabilities. But how do they fit together and what is the main message? One of the best resources I have come across is Disability and the… Continue Reading
Disability and Faith Blog Bullying Also Happens in the Church Stephen Bedard, December 2, 2016September 4, 2019 People with disabilities are too often the target for bullying. Those who have communication or cognitive challenges are particularly vulnerable as they may have difficulty reporting the bullying. Ideally, the church would be a safe place away from bullying for people of all abilities. Unfortunately, we do not live in… Continue Reading
Disability and Faith Blog Did Jesus Have a Disability? Stephen Bedard, October 29, 2016October 29, 2022 People with disabilities have not always felt valuable. This includes the context of the church. Are disabilities just a reminder of all that is not right in the world? But what if Jesus had a disability? I’m not suggesting that he had autism or was lame. But consider this passage:… Continue Reading
Disability and Faith Blog The Biggest Need For Families With Disabilities Stephen Bedard, October 21, 2016May 30, 2022 I may be too presumptuous in making a judgment about all families with disabilities, but I’m at least confident that this applies to a good majority of families. I believe that the biggest need for families with disabilities is respite. What is respite? Respite is when someone watches your child… Continue Reading
Disability and Faith Blog Preaching on Disabilities Stephen Bedard, October 15, 2016August 14, 2019 I truly believe that the pastor needs to take the lead on helping a church to become disability-friendly. This can happen in many ways, but one is to preach on disabilities. There are a number of passages that deal with disabilities that would make for a good sermon. Here are… Continue Reading
Disability and Faith Blog Where Do Autistic Children Belong in Sunday School? Stephen Bedard, September 14, 2016June 5, 2022 What I’m going to talk about here is relevant to many disabilities, but since autism is my experience, I will focus there. If you have a child with autism in your Sunday school, should you place them with other children of their age level or with other children of… Continue Reading
Disability and Faith Blog Feeling Uncomfortable Around People With Disabilities Stephen Bedard, August 11, 2016April 9, 2020 I have two children who are on the severe end of the autism spectrum. They are considered disabled. But I must confess there are times that I’m uncomfortable around other people with disabilities. There I said it. Judge me if you want. I don’t know why this is. It happens… Continue Reading
Disability and Faith Blog The Assumption of “Normal” Stephen Bedard, August 9, 2016July 29, 2020 It is common that when you meet new people, that you ask each other about family. I tell people that I have five children and they respond by asking about ages. When they hear that I have two teenagers, they often respond with common understandings of what teenagers are like…. Continue Reading
Disability and Faith Blog Pastors, Church Culture and Disabilities Stephen Bedard, August 2, 2016May 9, 2020 What is the culture of your church when it comes to disabilities? Does your church eagerly embrace those with disabilities? Or is your church embarrassed by the sights and sounds and frustrated by the interruptions? There are many aspects to church culture but I would suggest that the pastor plays… Continue Reading
Disability and Faith Blog One of My Angriest Moments Stephen Bedard, July 11, 2016April 2, 2022 If you ever get a chance to meet me, you will find that I’m one of the easiest going people you will meet. I can think of perhaps a half dozen times in my 47 years where I was really angry. Let me tell you about one of them. This… Continue Reading
Disability and Faith Blog Autism, Theology and Baptism Stephen Bedard, June 13, 2016June 2, 2020 I recently had the privilege of baptizing my daughter. For context, I’m a Baptist pastor and so we baptize believers as opposed to infants. While Emma is our first to be baptized, she is the fourth of our five children. Our two oldest children have autism and are on the… Continue Reading
Disability and Faith Blog Disabilities, Church and the Idol of Excellence Stephen Bedard, May 29, 2016November 2, 2019 One of the most common core values for many contemporary churches is that of excellence. That is not necessarily a bad thing. We should want to do the things we do for God to the best of our ability. But there are times that excellence can become and idol. I… Continue Reading
Disability and Faith Blog Identity and the Challenge of Disability Stephen Bedard, May 13, 2016May 12, 2019 In this video, Jean Vanier speaks on the subject of disabilities and identity. Jean Vanier is a powerful speaker who is worth listening to. Continue Reading
Disability and Faith Blog 5 Things Pastors Need to Know About Autism Stephen Bedard, March 9, 2016June 24, 2019 I have been contacted by a number of pastors lately about autism. I’m impressed with pastors who are proactive in seeking information. The truth is that it is important know something about autism before a family with autism shows up at the church. As a pastor and as a father… Continue Reading
Disability and Faith Blog Psalm 139 Reflectors Reading Stephen Bedard, March 5, 2016July 19, 2019 Psalm 139 Reflectors Reading from Faith Church on Vimeo. Continue Reading
Disability and Faith Blog 5 Reasons Churches Are Afraid of Disability Ministry Stephen Bedard, February 13, 2016July 3, 2019 Is your church ready to minister to families with disabilities? Perhaps you want to but have some fears about how that would look like. The following are some observations from someone who is both a pastor and a father of children with disabilities. 1. You do not have the resources… Continue Reading
Disability and Faith Blog The Apostle’s Creed Stephen Bedard, February 1, 2016April 14, 2020 This is really good and worth watching. The Apostle’s Creed from Faith Church on Vimeo. Continue Reading
Comic Book Geek Oracle, Batgirl and Disabilities in Comics Stephen Bedard, October 23, 2015September 6, 2019 As a father of two children with autism, I am very much interested in disabilities. Having said that, with all of the emphasis on being more inclusive in comics in terms of race and sexual orientation, disabilities have somehow been left behind. Jessica Sirkin wrote a very interesting article about… Continue Reading
Disability and Faith Blog First Disability Pride Parade Stephen Bedard, August 2, 2015September 17, 2019 I think this is an awesome idea. It is about time and I hope it continues. Continue Reading
Disability and Faith Blog The Buddy Ministry Stephen Bedard, July 27, 2015May 11, 2019 I love how this church has developed a ministry to bless special needs kids and their families. Continue Reading
Disability and Faith Blog 5 Characteristics of a Welcoming Church Stephen Bedard, July 14, 2015August 24, 2020 Continue Reading
Disability and Faith Blog The R Word Stephen Bedard, June 10, 2015June 8, 2019 How often do you refer to something as “retarded”? It seems be a regular part of our communication. But is it right? In this video I share my thoughts on it. Continue Reading
Disability and Faith Blog Ministry and Disabilities Online Training Stephen Bedard, May 31, 2015December 28, 2019 While much of what I do is encouraging churches to have the right attitude, there is an important need for training. As a result, I was very happy to see that Biblical Training is offering some courses on Ministry and Disabilities. This is being done in cooperation with Joni &… Continue Reading
Disability and Faith Blog Ban This Word from Your Church Stephen Bedard, May 30, 2015May 22, 2019 Do you want to make your church both disability and autism friendly? Here is a simple but difficult step to take. STOP USING THE WORD RETARDED. Yes, I realize that ‘retard’ has entered the English language as a common way to describe something that you think is unwise. Even pastors… Continue Reading
Disability and Faith Blog Does God Create People With Disabilities? Stephen Bedard, May 11, 2015July 20, 2020 “The question arises, however, whether God creates people with disabilities. On the one hand—yes—insofar as people with impairments of one kind or another are persons created in the image of God. But on the other hand, as something tragic—no. There is nothing inherently wrong with disability or with the people… Continue Reading
Disability and Faith Blog Family Ties Stephen Bedard, April 9, 2015August 16, 2022 I am angry and I will tell you why. Let me give you the back story first. Our two oldest children (14 and 12) both have severe autism. Both of them also live in groups homes, although separate ones. That is about to change. The agency that oversees them arranged… Continue Reading
Disability and Faith Blog Silver Linings Have Clouds Stephen Bedard, April 8, 2015July 22, 2020 As a parent of special needs children, I try to stay positive. I look at the bright side. I rejoice in the little victories. I celebrate those moments when everything works. All of that is true but special needs parenting is still very difficult. Our two children with autism live… Continue Reading
Disability and Faith Blog Becoming Pre-Autism Friendly Stephen Bedard, April 7, 2015September 25, 2019 What if you want your church to be autism-friendly but you don’t have any families with autism in your church? I’m glad you asked! This is exactly the time to be thinking of these things. It is so much harder to start the process after you have had people with… Continue Reading
Disability and Faith Blog Jesus’ Resurrection and Disabilities Stephen Bedard, April 5, 2015November 26, 2019 Easter Sunday is the most important day for Christians. It is the day that we celebrate the resurrection of Jesus. Does this have anything to say about disabilities? When we think of the afterlife, we think about becoming perfect according to popular understandings of normal. All the things that we… Continue Reading
Disability and Faith Blog Brian Doerksen and Special Needs Parenting Stephen Bedard, March 25, 2015May 10, 2019 This is a powerful video by Brian and Joyce Doerksen on their experience as parents of special needs children. Brian Doerksen from Christian Horizons on Vimeo. Continue Reading
Disability and Faith Blog Helping Children to Understand Stephen Bedard, March 18, 2015April 11, 2019 There has been a lot of work done to promote awareness, understanding and acceptance for those with special needs. That is wonderful, but most of that is aimed at helping adults. What about the children? How do we help children to understand those who are different? It is not an… Continue Reading
Disability and Faith Blog What is Disability Ministry? Stephen Bedard, March 16, 2015August 6, 2019 What is disability ministry? For some churches, that may be a formal ministry with their own budget, volunteers and pastor. For smaller churches that may look much different. I recently wrote a post for the Disability and Faith Forum (which is a resource you really need to check out) on… Continue Reading
Disability and Faith Blog Welcoming People With Special Needs Stephen Bedard, March 11, 2015June 17, 2019 Samsung recently made a very touching commercial about a community that learned sign language in order to give a hearing impaired man one day where he would feel completely included. It is a powerful message for including people with special needs. Watching this commercial made me think of the Church…. Continue Reading
Disability and Faith Blog Why Autism is Important to Me Stephen Bedard, March 2, 2015April 23, 2022 In this video, I share how autism came to be a part of my life and ministry. I also share about my resource, How to Make Your Church Autism-Friendly, which is available in both paperback and Kindle. Take a few moments to watch the video and to consider this resource… Continue Reading
Apologetics and Theology Blog The Drop Box Stephen Bedard, February 6, 2015July 18, 2019 I recently had the opportunity to preview the documentary, The Drop Box. Spoiler Alert: It is an incredibly moving documentary that everyone should see. The Drop Box is a documentary about a pastor in Korea who has taken measures to save the lives of the many babies that are abandoned… Continue Reading
Disability and Faith Blog Inclusion In Your Church Stephen Bedard, January 2, 2015October 9, 2019 A guest post by Ron Sandison. As the body of Christ, we should care for the physical and spiritual needs of each other and help those with autism to experience the love of Christ. The love of Christ can be expressed tangibly by the inclusion of those with autism in… Continue Reading
Disability and Faith Blog Why Should Your Church Care About Autism? Stephen Bedard, December 19, 2014November 6, 2019 Should your church care about people with autism? Should your church attempt to reach out to families touched by autism? Should autism and other disabilities be a part of your ministry focus? Let us be honest, it would be easier not to. If you would like a nice, professional worship service… Continue Reading
Disability and Faith Blog Exceptional Ministry: A Conversation With Keith Dow Stephen Bedard, December 12, 2014June 3, 2020 I met Keith Dow when I spoke at a family retreat. While I found his background in philosophy interesting, I was even more interested in his work with Christian Horizons. As a father of two children with autism, I love to hear about how Christians are ministering to and with… Continue Reading
Personal Blog Feels So Write Stephen Bedard, December 7, 2014April 15, 2019 I have been trying to feel my way ever since I stopped working at Faith Today. Working as a padre and as a teacher has filled up some of my time. I did write some articles freelance but not that much. Nothing has scratched the itch that I have felt…. Continue Reading
Disability and Faith Blog 7 Things Churches Need to Know About Autism Stephen Bedard, November 15, 2014April 11, 2019 One of my goals is to equip churches to minister to families dealing with disabilities, especially autism. I have an ebook planned on this very topic. This post is aimed at the mid-sized to small church that suddenly has a family with a child with autism attending. What is it that… Continue Reading
Disability and Faith Blog Confessions of an Autism Dad Stephen Bedard, September 23, 2014April 19, 2019 Autism has been a part of my life for about thirteen years. As an autism dad, my experience has been similar but different from that of my wife. I would never want to impose my experience on other autism dads but there may be areas of overlap. This is my… Continue Reading
Disability and Faith Blog Churches, Pastors and the Disabled Stephen Bedard, June 26, 2014July 30, 2019 When it comes to welcoming those with disabilities into a church, I come at it with two hats. One hat is as a father of two children with autism. The other hat is as one who pastored for over a decade. The father part says that the church must endure… Continue Reading
Apologetics and Theology Blog Atheism and the Problem of Love Stephen Bedard, June 24, 2014August 28, 2019 Atheism claims to have reason on its side. I think that is an incredible overstatement. However, I would like to look at something else. How do atheists explain love? According to atheists, love is just a chemical reaction in the brain that has evolved to allow the species to continue…. Continue Reading
Disability and Faith Blog 39 Seconds of Sweetness Stephen Bedard, May 20, 2014July 5, 2019 Continue Reading
Disability and Faith Blog Autism and the Church Stephen Bedard, December 9, 2012December 27, 2022 Statistics tell us that the autism rates are extremely high. According to the Autism Society of America, 1 out of every 88 births have autism. I would guarantee that the rates of children with autism in church are much lower than this. Although my family had a great experience today,… Continue Reading
Disability and Faith Blog Down Syndrome and a Father’s Heart Stephen Bedard, April 17, 2012February 4, 2020 I recently posted this picture on my Facebook wall and had an interesting response. I generally do not post much on abortion, although I am very pro-life. I have no desire to condemn mothers who have terminated pregnancies. However, as a father of two special needs children, I am very… Continue Reading