Reaching All People With the Gospel

By Joni Eareckson Tada|Published On: October 3, 2022|Categories: Joni's Posts|

A group photo of Joni and Ken Tada with a little boy who appears to have down-syndrome between them, all are smiling at the camera.

“How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news!”
Romans 10:15

As I wheeled into the home for men with cerebral palsy, the chaplain welcomed me with open arms and said in a booming voice,

“How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news! Even when those feet are paralyzed like yours, dear Joni!”

I grinned and thought, now here’s a fellow who has a genuine heart for evangelism!

Most believers assume that people with disabilities are being reached with Christ’s Gospel, but sadly, it’s just not the case. Many well-meaning Christians still harbor misconceptions about disability (add to that, fears and embarrassment), and so they figure, “someone else who’s better trained will reach them.” It’s why special needs families comprise some of the least-reached people in the world.

No wonder Joni and Friends is driven! These families are the ones most starving for hope and help—they’re isolated, often impoverished, overwhelmed, and near emotional and physical collapse. Without Christ, they are teetering on the edge of a horrifying eternity filled with even worse suffering.

God is heaven-bent on reaching them:

“May the Lord answer you when you are in distress;

may the name of the God of Jacob protect you.

May he send you help from the sanctuary

and grant you support from Zion.”
Psalm 20:1–2

And so, God will bring disability into a family to cause them to seek help and hope in him.

Affliction strips away comfort and the supports that people lean on, forcing them to search for hope beyond themselves.

That’s when Joni and Friends steps in with practical resources, hands-on respite, and Christian love that conveys ‘you are no longer alone.’ We give wheelchairs and Bibles. We scholarship these families at our Retreats & Getaways where they hear the message of salvation in Jesus Christ… receive one-on-one counseling… become part of a caring network… and get plugged into solid churches that exalt the Word of God.

When I watch our Joni and Friends staff and volunteers bring the Light of the Gospel to disabled people here or abroad, I feel a little like that chaplain: “How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news!” Your feet are beautiful, too, as you help us proclaim the Gospel and portray the love of Christ to those who need him most.