Launch of resources for churches, ministers and everybody else
The Disability Justice Group of the Baptist Union is pleased to announce the launch of a project to develop resources to help Christians and churches explore and talk about disability, church and faith.
Disability is hugely varied and will affect almost all of our lives in one way or another. Church communities want to be inclusive, but often we feel we are poorly equipped to respond when we come across disability in church or in the Bible. We wonder what to say, do or believe. Talking About Disability, Church and Faith aims to gather resources to tackle this head on. A new part of the Baptists Together website has just been created, which is where this is happening.
There are two parts to it. One part is building up a series of posts that can be used by anyone, but particularly by discussion groups. Each post explores a topic (perhaps something from the Bible, or a theological question about disability) or gives a testimony, then asks a series of provocative questions to get the discussion going. The other part is gathering together longer, more detailed articles, as well as book and reading suggestions for those who want to delve deeper. The project is just getting under way, and the resources will build up in the coming months.
David McLachlan, a member of the disability justice group involved in the project said: “This is not a niche subject for a few people interested in disability. The whole church needs to think about how its life, faith and theology will be challenged and deepened by taking disability seriously. Hopefully these resources will help to get us all talking.”
Craig Millward, another member of the group explains the importance of this project: “I have spent the majority of my life assuming that there was a state defined as ‘normal’ and constantly aware that I was not it. So much effort was wasted either trying to deny my disabilities or compensate for my differences which is both fruitless and exhausting.
"Good Christian theology has crucial lessons to teach us about where our true identity resides. And Jesus provides us with numerous examples of the way those who seek to follow him should view themselves and others based on these core facts. We are all different from each other. To be different is to be human. To welcome and honour our differences is to be like Christ.”
Click here to find the new Talking About Disability, Church and Faith resources.