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On the campus of Calvin University and Calvin Theological Seminary
© 2024 Calvin Institute of Christian Worship
In this episode, Pastor Lamar Hardwick reminds us that as many worshiping communities seek to become more diverse, celebrating and appreciating the beauty of all types of minds and bodies is an important theme in the life of the church.
Practical theologian Benjamin T. Conner encourages and challenges congregations and pastors to reorient ministry with youth to fully include and amplifiy the witness of adolescents with developmental disabilities.
A showcase of books and articles related to worship and disabilites
"For just as the body is one and has many members, and all the members of the body, though many, are one body, so it is with Christ. For in the one Spirit we were all baptized into one body." -1 Cor. 12:12-13. The body of Christ is one body made up of individual members with both visible and hidden differences in abilities. What difference does it make to believe that each member has been arranged in the body as God has chosen? How can the church better live into the reality of this oneness while celebrating the gifts of its unique members regardless of ability? This is a YouTube Video Premiere panel discussion.
A medida que más congregaciones se dan cuenta y reconocen que las personas con diversas capacidades pertenecen a la familia de Dios, buscan recursos y capacitación para la inclusión. Ministerio Amistad proporciona el más completo programa de estudio bíblico en español para personas con discapacidad intelectual.
As more congregations realize that all people and all abilities belong together in God's family, they seek resources and training for inclusion. Ministerio Amistad provides comprehensive Spanish-language Bible study materials for people with intellectual disabilities.
Christians who see themselves as "people of the book" read about the Word made flesh. They may treasure "I Love to Tell the Story" in their hymnals yet feel skeptical of Christians who prefer to express and pass on faith through oral culture. A Nigerian worship scholar explains the benefits of oral practices in church worship.
Your church can use new resources, such as a sermon series and study guide, to help your congregation move from including people with disabilities to becoming a place of belonging for all abilities. Then you can pass on what you've learned to other congregations.
First Presbyterian Church in Aurora, Illinois, is on a journey from being a congregation that includes people with disabilities to becoming a place where people of all abilities belong. A sermon series on the ten dimensions of belonging helped them take another step.
The COVID-19 pandemic has forced care facility chaplains to adapt. Your church can apply some of these best practices—and remember to include senior care residents and staff in congregational prayers.
All Belong will keep helping congregations become welcoming communities for people of all abilities, especially through its innovative Circle of Congregations for Teaching and Learning program.
Barbara J. Newman, Director of Church Services at All Belong and one of CICW's program affiliates, shares a definition of Universal and Responsive Designs.
