Building the Body: Welcoming People of all Abilities into the Church, Part 2

I cried once at a park. Well, probably more than once considering childhood escapades involving roller skates and hills, but these particular tears came the summer after our son attended a typical kindergarten. We were leaving the park one afternoon when a former classmate walked up and said, “Hi, Chase!”

She hadn’t expected to see him there. Teachers weren’t present to implement a peer-to-peer program, and she knew he wouldn’t say “hi” in return. My heart was a puddle of mush watching a nonchalant friendship between our nonverbal boy and a friend at the park.

Community and friendship between people of all abilities shouldn’t be rare in the body of Christ.
Here are some tips, far from exhaustive, that will help us throw our doors and arms wide open! The good news? You don’t need a huge budget or hundreds of volunteers to extend God’s love!

Make your welcome public.

Visiting new churches is daunting for families and individuals with differing abilities. An official special needs program isn’t required, but all people need to know they’re wanted! Consider declaring your welcome through your publicity (brochures, fliers, website, facebook page, etc.).

As a mom of a child with disabilities, I feel embraced and more likely to visit when a church publicly declares its welcome!

Share your life.

Live out Paul’s description of his ministry to the Thessalonians: “Because we loved you so much, we were delighted to share with you not only the gospel of God but our lives as well.” (I Thess. 2:3 NIV)

We can create systems of partiality within the church, often without realizing it, simply by how we share (or don’t share) our lives.

Do we spend most of our time investing in people who appear important to the church? Is it just as valuable to do a puzzle with the nonverbal woman in the wheelchair?

These questions are easily answered through last week’s discussion. EVERY member is valuable. As Christ followers, it’s our privilege to delight in, and grow in community with, individuals of all abilities.

Sharing day-to-day life doesn’t require organized ministries, just time!

• As with any friendship, hang out doing what your friend enjoys: Coffee, bowling, sitting at a park, movies, etc.
• Celebrate birthdays and holidays. Many adults with differing abilities don’t have family involved in their lives. Make special days special!
• Give generously: Meals, babysitting for families overwhelmed with therapy appointments, gas cards, grocery shopping – a few ideas to get you thinking! Consider giving transportation when needed so individuals can fully participate in the church community.
• Serve together. All members are gifted to serve the body of Christ. Some individuals may need assistance and extra time to share their gifts, so proactively enable their ability to serve the church family.

Make church accessible.

Consider building on these ideas:

• Provide one-on-one helpers. Our son has a rotation of volunteers who help him participate in Sunday school. High schoolers, college students, grandparents – a variety of ages can fill this role!
• Station greeters at entrances. A wheelchair or flight-risk child can make opening doors difficult. If you don’t have automatic doors, friendly greeters stationed at the entrances are the next best thing – actually better since automation doesn’t come with a smile!
• Utilize members’ skills. Does an accessibility challenge have you stumped? Your church family might have the solution! Talk to school teachers about classroom tips. Find out who knows sign language. Utilize people handy with construction. Ask people who live with differing abilities for suggestions. They have real-life advice based on what works, and what doesn’t.
• Worship together! Our son adds joyful noises to the service. He’s potentially distracting, yet, instead of annoyed stares, our church family rejoices in worshipping with our son. They don’t demand quiet!
• Ask. God, our provider, knows all that we need.

Declare God’s glory together.

Psalm 19 says:

“The heavens declare the glory of God;
    the skies proclaim the work of his hands…
They have no speech, they use no words;
    no sound is heard from them.
Yet their voice goes out into all the earth,
    their words to the ends of the world.” (NIV)

The stars declare the glory of God by doing what God created them to do – shine light in the darkness. Likewise, and all the more so since he’s made in the image of God, our son’s presence in the church community declares God’s glory without him speaking a word. He’s doing what God created him to do.

Individually each member uniquely declares the glory of God, but when those single declarations are combined in harmony together, the proclamation is deafening! The voice of the body of Christ goes out into all the world. (John 13:34-35; Eph. 4:15-16)

Welcome the members of the body, for we need every one! We’re designed for each other.

“…the body is not made up of one part but of many…God has placed the parts in the body, every one of them, just as he wanted them to be.” (I Cor. 12:14, 18 NIV)