“It is only as we meet and share together person-to-person, eye-to-eye, and heart-to-heart that we discover what it means to be human and to discover the joy of being together, working together towards a common mission of peace and unity.” Jean Vanier, Catholic theologian and disability advocate
Thanks to the more than 30 leaders and volunteers who have joined our host site leaders group! We know thereare more of you out there, so please find us online so we can continue to grow and learn together.
We know that God sees and loves all people equally, but the church and society don’t have the best track record when it comes to embracing and loving people who seem different. Historically there has been a mistaken belief that people with intellectual and developmental disabilities do not have the capacity to experience, express or explore their faith lives. This is simply not true. People with intellectual and developmental disabilities have both the right and the ability to lead deeply spiritual lives, just like you or me.
We’re pleased to announce that Rejoicing Spirits has received a three-year grant from the Deaconess Community of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America to help fund the work of Rejoicing Spirits. This money will specifically be used to help us seek out, train and equip congregations to launch new Rejoicing Spirits sites.
There are many reasons why agencies or institutions who serve people with disabilities may be wary of working with churches who want to provide religious services for people with disabilities. Some agencies may be nervous about strict government guidelines regarding religious institutions and funding, others may have had a bad experience with church groups wanting to work with people they support or even a bad personal experience with faith.
Mark Twain said: “The two most important days of your life are the day you were born and the day you discover why.”
Jesus said: “You are the light of the world. Let your light so shine before others, that they may see your good works and give glory to your God in heaven.”
Our last newsletter gave a quick update of our plans for the 2015 ELCA Youth Gathering, but we wanted to share a little bit more about where you can find us and what you can expect when you come to our learning space. Here’s a breakdown of what we have planned.
Do You See Me or My Disability? Building a Diverse Church
We know that God sees and loves all people equally, but the church and society don’t have the best track record when it comes to embracing and loving people who seem different.
This July marks the 25th anniversary of the passage of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), a civil rights law that prohibits discrimination against individuals with disabilities in all areas of public life, including jobs, schools, transportation, and all public and private places that are open to the general public.
Written by Terry Chaney, member at First Presbyterian Church in Birmingham, Mich.
On Aug. 3 our Rejoicing Spirits team tried the experiment using the Rejoicing Spirits service as our Sunday morning worship service. Tracing the ripples has been both more interesting and thought provoking than I had initially anticipated. We did the service, including an older skit, at both of our services. The first, our 8:30 a.m. service, is attended mostly by older members but it also includes some of the strongest backers of Rejoicing Spirits. Although I personally was a bit concerned at how they would react, I greatly underestimated their collective imagination and willingness to embrace something different.
One of our goals this month is to start scheduling short phone conferences between host sites and the Rejoicing Spirits support team. We hope these 45-60 minutecalls will give host site leaders the opportunity to gather together, share ideas, struggles and victories and much more. Host site leaders, please watch your email for invitations to set up phone conferences. Congregations who are unable to participate in phone conferences will be required to fill out the annual survey. Please email [email protected] with questions.
This July marks the 25th anniversary of the passage of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), a civil rights law that prohibits discrimination against individuals with disabilities in all areas of public life, including jobs, schools, transportation, and all public and private places that are open to the general public.
