Church Training Pathway

How Your Church Can Welcome and Disciple People with Disabilities

Welcome to the Joni and Friends Church Training Pathway! We’re so glad you’re here to learn how your church can show radical hospitality to people living with disability.

Too often people with disabilities are overlooked and forgotten, even within the body of Christ. Because of this, most of them don’t belong to a church, and don’t know Jesus. This is why Joni and Friends is here to help you evangelize and serve people with disabilities in your church and community.

Through the Joni and Friends Church Training Pathway, you will develop a clear and unique plan for your church to disciple and serve people living with disabilities. Let’s get started!

Session 1

Foundations for Disability in the Church

Introduction

Welcome! By the end of this training, you’ll have a clear plan for your church to reach people living with disabilities with the love of Christ. People with disabilities are all around us – in some ways, they are the largest minority group in the world. About 1 in 5 people in the United States have a disability. And worldwide, there are over 1.3 billion people with a disability.

Your church is not called to reach all 1.3 billion of these people. Your job is to faithfully make disciples right where God has you. So, take a look at your congregation… Take a look at your neighborhood… How many of them live with disabilities? How many of them know Christ? How many of them have a church home? This course will help your church take steps to welcome people with disabilities into your fellowship. Not to just welcome them into the building, but into the body of Christ itself; to see them use their God-given gifts for the sake of the mission of the church. Its not just people with disabilities who need the church. The church needs people with disabilities.

So, let’s get started! In this session, we’ll begin to discover how your church, in all it’s uniqueness, can effectively make disciples of people living with disability.

The route towards establishing a ministry that includes people living with disability at your church will reveal itself at the intersection of four things:

  1. God’s Heart for People with Disabilities
  2. The Mission of Your Church
  3. The People with Disabilities Who Are in Your Congregation and Community
  4. Barriers that Exist in Your Church (Assessment of Attitudes and Physical Accessibility)

Download your free Church Training Pathway E-Workbook for important discussion questions and material for each session.

Are you interested in connecting with someone at Joni and Friends? Contact us! We will come alongside you and your church as you work through this Training Pathway.

How Your Church Can Include People with Disabilities

Download your free Church Training Pathway E-Workbook for important discussion questions and material for each session.

Are you interested in connecting with someone at Joni and Friends? Contact us! We will come alongside you and your church as you work through this Training Pathway.

How to Change the Culture of Your Church to Include People with Disabilities

Unawareness > Evaluation > Care > Friendship > Contribution

  1. Unawareness + Awareness = Evaluation
  2. Evaluation + Training = Care
  3. Care + Time = Friendship
  4. Friendship + Opportunity = Contribution

Download your free Church Training Pathway E-Workbook for important discussion questions and material for each session.

Are you interested in connecting with someone at Joni and Friends? Contact us! We will come alongside you and your church as you work through this Training Pathway.

Read and Discuss

Consider this… polar bears can weigh over 1,000 pounds, and yet are able to move across impossibly thin sheets of ice. Why? Because by spreading out their massive weight, they can avoid cracking the ice and falling into the freezing water. If a person (who doesn’t weigh 1,000 pounds) put on a pair of high heels and stepped on the ice, they may find themselves swimming much sooner than expected.

So how much weight can that ice support? In short: it depends on how broadly the burden is spread. Disability ministry is similar. When the responsibility for including people living with disability is shared and spread out across the church, the church becomes capable of great things. When disability ministry is placed on a single person or group, the church will be limited in its capacity. And more than that, it will at some point reach a breaking point, and someone will find themselves ill-equipped for the icy water they’re suddenly swimming in.

Ministry capacity, success, and longevity all depend on spreading responsibility broadly.

Download your free Church Training Pathway E-Workbook for important discussion questions and material for each session.

Are you interested in connecting with someone at Joni and Friends? Contact us! We will come alongside you and your church as you work through this Training Pathway.

Few things are as overwhelming as starting a journey without knowing the destination. And for many churches, that’s exactly how ministering to people with disabilities can feel. We know we want to serve people with disabilities, but we’re not sure what that looks like. If you’re in a similar situation, fear not!

You can do this. Your desire to reach people living with disability with the love of Christ is a reflection of God’s heart. All ministry is God’s ministry.

The fear of not knowing how or where to start has a simple solution. Not because there’s some secret program every church can and should implement, but because there is a pathway that will lead you and your church (in all its uniqueness) to a ministry that is honoring to God, effective at making disciples, and sustainable.

Disability ministry is not a thing that we do, it is a way we do things. As a result, it is not necessarily a program. So where do we start?

Download your free Church Training Pathway E-Workbook to continue.

Are you interested in connecting with someone at Joni and Friends? Contact us! We will come alongside you and your church as you work through this Training Pathway.

Survey Instructions

Assignments

Download Survey 1: Church Structure.

Review survey answers as a group and compile themes into one document to refer back to throughout the Training Pathway.

Are you interested in connecting with someone at Joni and Friends for feedback on your survey? Submit your survey and we will come alongside you and your church as you work through your results.

"*" indicates required fields

Name*
Accepted file types: pdf, Max. file size: 10 MB.

Download Survey 2: People with Disabilities in the Church.

Review survey answers as a group and compile themes into one document to refer back to throughout the Training Pathway.

Are you interested in connecting with someone at Joni and Friends for feedback on your survey? Submit your survey and we will come alongside you and your church as you work through your results.

"*" indicates required fields

Name*
Accepted file types: pdf, Max. file size: 10 MB.

What did you discover?

These surveys provide a collective starting point for the rest of this course. Getting a clear picture of where your church is today is a vital first step in getting where you want to go.

By comparing the results of these surveys, you’ll be able to tell where people with disabilities are engaged in your church and where they are experiencing barriers.

Download your free Church Training Pathway E-Workbook for important discussion questions and material for each session.

Are you interested in connecting with someone at Joni and Friends? Contact us! We will come alongside you and your church as you work through this Training Pathway.

Session 2

Assessment

Introduction

Gaining a Biblical View on Disability

In session 2, we’re going to develop a biblical vision for what a truly disability friendly church looks like.

Now that you have clarity on where your church currently is in relation to people with disabilities, you’ll be able to start taking steps from where you are to where you want to go.

Before we begin, take some time to review your findings from the surveys in session 1. As you’re discussing the questions, look for patterns – types of disabilities, age, length of attendance at your church, income levels, supports needed, and other family dynamics.

Download your free Church Training Pathway E-Workbook for important discussion questions and material for each session.

Are you interested in connecting with someone at Joni and Friends? Contact us! We will come alongside you and your church as you work through this Training Pathway.

Introduction to a Biblical View of Disability

Download your free Church Training Pathway E-Workbook for important discussion questions and material for each session.

Are you interested in connecting with someone at Joni and Friends? Contact us! We will come alongside you and your church as you work through this Training Pathway.

Biblical View of Disability

Imago Dei: Why Every Person Has Inherent Value

Download your free Church Training Pathway E-Workbook for important discussion questions and material for each session.

Are you interested in connecting with someone at Joni and Friends? Contact us! We will come alongside you and your church as you work through this Training Pathway.

1 Corinthians 12

Download your free Church Training Pathway E-Workbook for important discussion questions and material for each session.

Are you interested in connecting with someone at Joni and Friends? Contact us! We will come alongside you and your church as you work through this Training Pathway.

An Overview of Luke 14

Download your free Church Training Pathway E-Workbook for important discussion questions and material for each session.

Are you interested in connecting with someone at Joni and Friends? Contact us! We will come alongside you and your church as you work through this Training Pathway.

Read the following truths and accompanying verses and discuss the questions below.

  1. Genesis 1:27-28 Humans are created in the image of God and have intrinsic worth and value on that basis.
  2. Matthew 28:18-20 Every believer has been called to make disciples, and no exception is made for those who have disabilities.
  3. Ephesians 4:1-16 and 1 Corinthians 12:12-26 Each believer is called to specific work according to the grace given them, but they are called within the context of a unified body of Christ. The body of Christ emphasizes unity in diversity.

Download your free Church Training Pathway E-Workbook for important discussion questions and material for each session.

Are you interested in connecting with someone at Joni and Friends? Contact us! We will come alongside you and your church as you work through this Training Pathway.

Barriers to Accessibility

How to Remove Barriers to Accessibility in Your Church

Download your free Church Training Pathway E-Workbook for important discussion questions and material for each session.

Are you interested in connecting with someone at Joni and Friends? Contact us! We will come alongside you and your church as you work through this Training Pathway.

Assignments

Assignment 1: Making Your Church Accessible

Download your free Church Training Pathway E-Workbook for important discussion questions and material for each session.

Are you interested in connecting with someone at Joni and Friends? Contact us! We will come alongside you and your church as you work through this Training Pathway.

Assignment 2: Disability Etiquette

Download your free Church Training Pathway E-Workbook for important discussion questions and material for each session.

Are you interested in connecting with someone at Joni and Friends? Contact us! We will come alongside you and your church as you work through this Training Pathway.

Assignment 3: Stages of Culture Change

Download your free Church Training Pathway E-Workbook for important discussion questions and material for each session.

Are you interested in connecting with someone at Joni and Friends? Contact us! We will come alongside you and your church as you work through this Training Pathway.

Assignment 4: Disability Ministry Models

Download your free Church Training Pathway E-Workbook for important discussion questions and material for each session.

Are you interested in connecting with someone at Joni and Friends? Contact us! We will come alongside you and your church as you work through this Training Pathway.

Session 3

Creating an Action Plan

Introduction

In session 3, we will explore models for integrating people with disabilities into the ministry of your church. The big idea to remember moving forward isn’t just a program; it is anything that enables a person with a disability to grow in Christ.

We will also define a ministry structure for sustaining ministry that includes the disabled, and the types of supports that a family living with disability might need.

Download your free Church Training Pathway E-Workbook for important discussion questions and material for each session.

Are you interested in connecting with someone at Joni and Friends? Contact us! We will come alongside you and your church as you work through this Training Pathway.

Ministry Structures

Put the Disability Ministry Models to work by applying the principles to the case studies below. Frame your responses in terms of the three disability ministry models and removing physical and social barriers. Imagine these taking place in your church. Insert yourselves into the story. And try to avoid looking to one person in the room for “the answers.” If there is a pastor or disability ministry lead going through this training, avoid simply defaulting to them. Make this a discussion and work the process together.

As you read the following case studies, consider these questions:

  • What are some potential barriers?
  • What would you do if these scenarios played out at your church?

Case Study 1

A family comes to your church for the first time. The parents are Christians but haven’t been to church since their son was an infant because of behavioral problems that developed when he became a toddler. They’ve been podcasting sermons for a while and are anxious about bringing their son to Sunday School. The first week, he has a meltdown and hits another student. They tearfully apologize, and leave saying, “Thank you so much for trying. I’m sorry that happened… I just don’t think this is going to work.”

Case Study 2

A group home in your area starts bringing a group of their residents to church unannounced. One middle-aged woman really enjoys church. She participates by laughing loud and long whenever a joke is told, and by asking her questions loudly and as soon as she has them. Other members of the church begin to complain. You are tasked with coming up with a solution.

Case Study Explanation

How Disability Affects the Family

Now that we have an understanding of the social and physical barriers that inhibit access for people living with disability, we need to apply it to the real world, and the real people in our community. While there is no universal experience when it comes to disability (and the barriers they encounter as a result), there is some common overlap. Each person’s story is unique, but as we are reminded in Ecclesiastes, “There is nothing new under the sun.”

As you gain an understanding of families living with disability in general, you’ll be better equipped to serve the particular families in your church. Loving the families being served requires knowing them. The insights in the next video will lay a foundation for getting to know the families living with disability in your church.

Download your free Church Training Pathway E-Workbook for important discussion questions and material for each session.

Are you interested in connecting with someone at Joni and Friends? Contact us! We will come alongside you and your church as you work through this Training Pathway.

Structuring Your Ministry

Leadership Structure

The success of your ministry that includes people living with disability depends largely on creating a solid structure. There is a reason the pyramids are still standing after thousands of years, and a house of cards can’t withstand a sneeze.

The leadership structure includes three distinct liaison roles with church leadership, volunteers, and families. At the start, all three roles may be filled by one person, or two roles filled by one person, and one role filled by ten! The beauty of this model is its flexibility and scalability. Watch the next video on structuring your ministry and discuss what a solid leadership structure might look like in your church.

Download your free Church Training Pathway E-Workbook for important discussion questions and material for each session.

Are you interested in connecting with someone at Joni and Friends? Contact us! We will come alongside you and your church as you work through this Training Pathway.

Next Steps for Your Church

Consider using a rubric, such as the one on page 28 of the workbook, to begin planning for how your church will respond to everything you’ve discovered during this exercise. The specifics of your “disability ministry” will emerge in response to what you find here.

Assignments

Listen to the stories of people living with disabilities in your church

    1. Can you think of one family in your church living with disability (or better yet, three)?
    2. Do you have their contact information? Reach out and find a time to get together with them.
    3. Spend quality time with this family and ask about their experience at your church (Do they feel welcome? What do they wish could change?)
    4. Share what you learn with your team.

Form a Leadership Structure and Assign Roles

Get started!

Do you have questions?

We would love to hear from you!