Welcome to The Ministry Lab's curated list of resources to help caregivers and parents engage children with particular needs in conversations around grief and trauma. Here you'll find:
See also our Contemplative & Mental Health Practices for Children & Youth and/or Hope & Resilience guides for developing self-awareness and tools for navigating distress, anxiety, and trauma.
If you don't find a resource to fit your need, don't hesitate to consult with The Ministry Lab's director, Emily Meyer, who is happy to assist you.
When Lindsay Wieland Capel talks about her work encouraging and equipping churches to be places of belonging for people with disabilities she sometimes hears a version of “that’s not what our church is called to.” She’s told that “We don’t have anyone with disabilities” or "our church isn’t big enough to have a disability ministry” or that someone would “be better served at the church down the road.” Let’s take a closer look at these responses. Read »
Beyond the Ramp: Redesigning Church for All (Podcast Episode)
In this episode of Do Justice, Thrive’s Disability Consultant joins to explore the transformative work of accessible church ministry. We delve into the Accessible Church Ministry cohort, a group dedicated to rethinking church inclusivity, and share stories of how churches have worked to better welcome people of all abilities. Listen »
Bethany Fox: Including Those with Intellectual Disabilities
Published
Bethany Fox is the founding leader of Beloved Everybody Church in Los Angeles, a church for people with and without developmental and intellectual disabilities. They seek to do church in a way that is accessible to people with a wide range of communication styles, learning styles, and abilities.
Ways to deal with common sensory issues (Disclaimer: This one uses the term ‘problem’ in inappropriate and unhelpful ways. However, the suggestions for mitigating sensory perception issues to develop more enjoyable social interactions are worthwhile, especially for families with multiple children and/or when working with groups of children.)
Find free curriculum, resources, and blog posts ranging from Setting up Kids Ministry Volunteers to Curriculum Adaptations [for] Kids with Special Needs to 5 Reasons Preschool Programming Is Not Childcare.
What does creativity look like on the spectrum? We asked four autistic artists to show us how they would like to be seen.
Find wisdom and inspiration in the practices of Beloved Everybody, an Ability-Inclusive Church that Embodies the Beloved Community.
Disability Ministries shares insight, ways congregations are engaging differently abled persons, and suggestions for furthering awareness and hospitality.
