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I have spent so much of my time living with a disability trying to avoid “being a burden” to others. I have answered, “I’m fine” when my soul was screaming, “I’m not sure I can make it another moment;” I have tried to manage my own accessibility concerns instead of inconveniencing others; and I have been ashamed when I haven’t been able to achieve that all-important 21st century ideal of independence.
Read MoreAre we, the Church, viewing people who have disabilities as image bearers to our Creator? Chris Hulshof writes about three common errors we see in the Church when ministering to individuals and families who have disabilities. In this blog, you’ll learn about the dangers to these conducts and how you can prevent them from taking place in the Church today.
Read More'The most wonderful time of the year’ isn’t wonderful for everyone. Many schools take a brief intermission to celebrate the season and welcome the new year. And for our children who thrive on regularity and routine, Christmas break can feel more like a Christmas breakdown. If you want to have a big impact on your community this Christmas, utilize these five tips to make your Christmas Eve service both inclusive and accessible for individuals and families impacted by disability.
Read MoreThe diagnoses we receive in life surely have an impact on us. Though they become a part of us, they can never define our true identity. We hope this article serves as a healthy reminder to why we don’t need to operate out of false strengths in our moments of weakness.
Read MoreOn Independence Day, we get to celebrate the freedoms God has granted us. As a country that highly esteems independence, individualism and self-sufficiency, we oftentimes forget the equally beneficial, scripturally-mandated privilege of being in-dependence on God and relying on others within the Body of Christ. Glenda Durano encourages readers to live as a Biblical community, rejoice in our diversity, and support one another as we discover the beauty of in-dependence from our families with disabilities.
Read MoreTom Stolle, CFO at the Baptist Convention of Maryland / Delaware (BCM/D), and avid supporter of The Banquet Network (TBN), recently met with the Baptist Press through the Southern Baptist Convention. This article discusses what Stolle has been doing through the BCM/D and TBN to equip churches to care for individuals and families affected by disabilities.
Read MoreLife is full of obstacles and road blocks, and unfortunately, individuals and families affected by disability face many barriers when it comes to the Church. Chris Hulshof talks about three barriers we see when considering the accessibility of our churches. In this blog, you’ll learn about the theological, body-life, and leadership barriers individuals whose lives are affected by disability experience in the Church.
Read MoreLoneliness kills. In an individualistic society, people who have disabilities are forced to fight against the epidemic of loneliness. Learn about how the Church can invite others out of isolation and into the loving community of Christ in this article by Co-Founder of TBN, Amberle Brown.
Read MoreThe Banquet Network’s (TBN) work in the Dominican Republic (DR) was recently highlighted in an article by the BCMD. Learn about TBN’s new partnerships in the DR through the perspective of a dedicated volunteer, Alisha Williams, and our Executive Director, Katie Matthews.
Read MoreAre we, the Church, viewing people who have disabilities as image bearers to our Creator? Chris Hulshof writes about three common errors we see in the Church when ministering to individuals and families who have disabilities. In this blog, you’ll learn about the dangers to these conducts and how you can prevent them from taking place in the Church today.
Read MorePaul’s letter to the Galatians provides essential insights to the history of the Reformers. Learn about how disability played a pivotal role in Paul's relationship with the church of Galatia and the Reformation era.
Read MoreChris Hulshof writes about how churches can reach individuals and families affected by special needs because for disability ministry to be effective it needs to be shaped by a verbal, visual, and vulnerable witness.
Read MoreI have spent so much of my time living with a disability trying to avoid “being a burden” to others. I have answered, “I’m fine” when my soul was screaming, “I’m not sure I can make it another moment;” I have tried to manage my own accessibility concerns instead of inconveniencing others; and I have been ashamed when I haven’t been able to achieve that all-important 21st century ideal of independence.
Read MoreI have found myself hurting for my fellow church shoppers. I think of families affected by disability and wonder how hard finding a church must be. Some of the families with children who have special needs have told me that when their family was searching for a church, they chose the church that best welcomed their son who has a disability. After the service, a member of the church took this family on a tour of the building and asked how their church could make his family feel welcome—and that’s what made them decide to stay.
Read MoreThe weekend of July 23rd, 2021, The Banquet Network partnered with the BCMD (Baptist Convention of Maryland and Delaware) to put on Celebrate Abilities Weekend Camp for children and young adults with disabilities. The camp was hosted at the Skycroft Baptist Convention Center in Middletown, MD. To say it was a blast is an understatement. This was the first time in The Banquet Network and BCMD history that a camp was held for individuals who have disabilities.
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