Thoughtful Reflections on Faith and Life
A number of people have used nautical images for the Church. The starting point is usually that the Church is not a cruise ship, meaning it is not designed for the comfort of its passengers. The contrast is either with a battleship or a rescue ship, with the focus on action and making a difference. … Read More “What Kind of Ship is the Church?” »
Today I met with the group home where our children with autism live. It was a time to discuss how they were doing and how their needs can be best met. One of the things that I really appreciated was that they are very proactive when it comes to their religious needs. This is not … Read More “Disabilities and Religious Needs” »
When people think about disabilities, probably they think of someone with Down Syndrome or a person in a wheelchair. But there are disabilities that are invisible. There are number of these invisible disabilities and one of them is chronic pain. People can look and act fine but in reality are struggling with pain. I am … Read More “Chronic Pain and Invisible Disabilities” »
One of my favourite podcasts is Unbelievable? hosted by Justin Brierley. Usually they scratch my apologetics itch, but recently they touched on another special interest of mine: Disabilities. One of the questions dealt with was the role of healing prayer. Many people with disabilities have been the victims of unwanted healing prayer. I used to … Read More “Disabilities and Healing” »
Yesterday, we had a town hall meeting at our church. This was to look at, among other things, ways we do outreach and ways we welcome. Numerous topics came up and one of them was disabilities. Although I’m an advocate for people with disabilities, I wasn’t the one who brought it up. A lady in … Read More “What Churches Need to Know About People With Disabilities” »
I’m thankful that more people are talking about disabilities these days. But what do we mean by disabilities? Some may refer to “people with disabilities” as if they are one monolithic group but that is not the case. There are many different types of disabilities and each group will have different needs. I could add … Read More “Disabilities and Disabilities” »
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 autism did not, unless they … Read More “What is a Disability?” »
You may or may not know that I used to be the associate editor for Faith Today magazine. Although I have moved on to other endeavours, I’m still very excited about the magazine. I sometimes even get an article published in it myself. This month, I had an article published, titled “How to Become a … Read More “How to Become a Disability-Friendly Church” »
They say you should never live with regrets. That may be so, but there are certain events that I do regret that I didn’t act differently. I will share one moment that still haunts me. Years ago I attended a Pentecostal church (this post is not meant to be a criticism of Pentecostals). I was … Read More “The Moment That Haunts Me” »
Perhaps one of the first Christian “celebrities” that I ever heard of was Joni Eareckson Tada. She has an amazing story and has accomplished much more than many people without a disability. However, early in my Christian walk I was involved in a number of Pentecostal churches. While this is not indicative of all (or … Read More “A Place of Healing – Review” »
The CDC has reported that 1 in 68 children are born with autism. Your church needs decide if you want to include or exclude people with autism. Most churches take the steps to be accessible for physical disabilities with elevators and wheelchair ramps. What about those with disabilities such as autism? Here are some practical … Read More “Tips to Becoming an Autism-Friendly Church” »
One of my most personal projects has been How to Make Your Church Autism-Friendly. It has been available in Kindle for some time. However, I understand that it would be more helpful for the people who need this book to have it in print form. That is why I am thankful to announce that How to … Read More “How to Make Your Church Autism Friendly – Print Edition” »
I came across this post on whether or not autism is a disability. It is worth reading and it got me thinking. Is autism a disability? I can see how this would be difficult for a high functioning person with Asperger’s to accept. Perhaps it is not correct to say that autism should be equated … Read More “Is Autism a Disability?” »
