Over the last year, I have really dug deep in trying to find my place in the ministry in which I feel God has called me into. While trying to soak up as much information as I can and it has been so rewarding and life-changing. Since the last time we spoke, I have gone to a camp for people living with disabilities and their families, put on my own camp, and am now planning the next RIF event for adults. I want to talk in this blog about my experiences but also how you can get involved. There are 1 in 5 people with a disability in our country and to me that makes it alarmingly clear that this type of ministry is no longer something that can be swept under the rug.
“What can I do?” is something that I really wrestled with at the beginning of my ministry and for a long time, I didn’t do anything. Then I stumbled upon Hope Heals. Hope Heals is a disability ministry that has a camp in the summer for people living with disabilities and their families. It is without a doubt one of the most special experiences that I have ever got to live through. I was blessed to be able to serve. The camp is 100% free for the families and the volunteers pay tuition so that families can come burden-free. I got paired with a family from Florida who were absolutely incredible! I was a CC to their daughter and I had the most fun week with her! Because of the kindness of God and wonderful donors I got to cross paths with them and so many other wonderful people that have made an impact on me. I think a lot of times people think that you have to do extravagant things to make a difference but that is not the case. Whether you give your heart to God through prayer on behalf of a ministry or you give financially it makes a huge difference. Because of T-shirt sales last year I was able to go to this camp and further my own ministry with the tools I learned and that is SO important! To be able to partner with a community of like-minded individuals for a common goal is an important thing and I definitely received support and love from my new Hope Heals fam!
Being able to go to Hope Heals help equip me in creating my own programs for people with special needs. Five days after I got home from HH I directed Rolling In Faith’s first-ever event for kids living with disability and special needs. It was without a doubt the best days of my life and I was so thankful for how God placed everything in perfect order. I had the BEST group of volunteers and I could not have pulled it off without them. Having volunteers that are invested and focused on one goal is hard to find and I was SO thankful for all the volunteers at WM Day Camp! Having volunteers is half the battle and there is always a need for a volunteer whether it is RIF or Hope Heals volunteers are what makes these types of things happen. Volunteering is a HUGE way that you can help, your time is the most valuable thing that you can give!
Finally, I want to encourage you to open your heart to special needs ministry. Programs like these are few and far between but they are imperative in the people living with a disability but also their family. Life is downright TERRIBLE sometimes but when you have support to get through those times it makes the bad times bearable and the good times even greater. People with disabilities/special needs aren’t going away and it is time that they were celebrated by society. By having these events, content for teaching, and retreats it gives people a way to proudly live through their struggles. In the words of Katherine Wolf you have to “hope while you cope.” That is what disability ministry is, giving HOPE to those who are in hopeless situations because even good despite our circumstances. That is why it is so important for A) Churches to discuss disability ministry. Make the conversation of brokenness the norm. I have a broken body and we live in a broken world. But though our bodies may be broken we are being inwardly renewed day by day. B) We as individuals have to strive to be inclusive, loving, and lacking in judgement. That is how Christ lived and we must follow his example so that he might use us to be a blessing. On my quest to be a blessing I have been deeply blessed.
If you are interested in learning more about disability ministry check out these resources and organizations that I know of that are FABULOUS:
- Hope Heals: https://www.hopeheals.com/ : Katherine and Jay are probably my all time favorite people ever. They are doing incredible things for the kingdom of God and I am blessed that I got to meet them. Check them out on their website, social media accounts, and do yourself a favor buy and pre-order their books!
- Joni & Friends: joniandfriends.org: Joni Erackson Tada is the OG disability ministry organization. I am less familiar with her but I do know she has retreat opportunities, wheelchair distributions, and awesome content that churches can use to teach on the topic of disability!
- Ability Ministry:http://www.abilityministry.com/: Ability ministry has AWESOME content for people living with disabilities and also leaders! Right now I am learning basic sign language from their videos! They are awesome and I LOVE them check them out!
- Rolling In Faith: If you are in the area and interested in special needs ministry let’s talk! I would love to discuss with you what I know and I would LOVE to learn from you. Let’s join together and serve side by side!
- If you have any questions or thoughts feel free to email me I LOVE to talk all things special needs!
Rolling in Faith 