Ministry Tools

 Covenant Resources:

• Newwire Story: Ministry Encourages Open Discussion on Mental Illness
• Newswire Story: Funds Available for Chicago-Area Church Accessibility Projects
• Newswire Story: Specialized Needs Ministry Content Added to Website
• Webwatch: Roll On (Disabilities)
• Newswire Story: Covenant Shores Wins National Award
• Newswire Story: Congregation Demonstrates Its Faith Through Its Actions
• Resolution on Concern for People With Disabilities, 1997

Ministry Forms:

• Special Needs Ministry Wish List - From Amy Rapada, this document suggests both what materials might be desirable for beginning a ministry to children with special needs, as well as how to go about gathering them.
• Disability Ministry Family Registration - This is a sample application/release form designed by Bayside Covenant Church for parents to sign up their children with special needs for various special needs ministry. 
• Disability Ministry Family Registration 2 - Another sample application/information form for ministry to children with special needs.  This form was submitted to us by Glen Ellyn Covenant Church.
• Special Needs Survey - This survey is designed for use with your congregation, to determine who in the church has, or has a friend or family member with, special needs, as well as who is interested in serving in special needs ministry.
• Volunteer Application for Special Needs Ministry - This application is for those who would like to volunteer to work with children with special needs.
• Respite Care Program Schedule - This is a sample schedule for a respite care program for children with special needs and their siblings.

Documents and Articles:

• Labeled Disabled - a video about anti-bias education.
• Equal Access Guide for Meetings, Conferences, Large Assemblies and Worship - A resources from the National Council on Churches
• Special Needs Confirmation Class - A narrative of how  one church created a meaningful Confirmation class for a student with special needs.
• Inclusive Church Communication with Families with Special Needs - This document helps churches be inclusive and sensitive in their communications with families with special needs.
• Aligning the Life of the Church to the Student with Special Needs - A list of ways to get your students with special needs fully incorporated into the life of the church.
• How to Stay Connected to the Special Needs Family - A help for churches in how to become and stay connected to families with special needs.
• Disability Resource Manual: A Practical Guide for Churches and Church Leaders - download this fantastic, extensive document dealing with disability definitions and accommodations and disabilities and spirituality.  The is also an annotated resource list.  
• Spiritual Issues in Chronic Illness and Disability - download the course description and see if you'd like to attend the one-week course at North Park University in June of 2008.
• Starting a Special Needs Ministry - This "12 Step Program for Disability Ministry" lists the basic steps necessary for starting a Special Needs Ministry at your church.
• "Indicators of Welcome" - Use this checklist from Erik Carter's book "Including People With Disabilities" to assess how accessible your congregation is to persons with disabilities and identify further areas for growth.
• Guidelines for Language and Images - This is a basic overview of the sensitive use of language and images as they relate to persons with disabilities.
• Meeting the Unique Concerns of Siblings and What Siblings Want Parents and Service Providers to Know - Siblings of persons with disabilities have their own unique set of needs as pertains to their own maturity and their care for and life with their sibling with special needs.
• International Day of Disabled Persons - A statement by the United Nations on December 3rd, the International Day of Disabled Persons.  

Print Resources:

These books have all been recommended by people involved in Disability Ministries, as well as our Disability Ministries Committee.

• "A Special Needs Ministry Handbook" by Amy Rapada.  Read the Covenant Newswire story about Amy's book here.
• "Sometimes Smart is Good" by Dena Luchinger of Project Down
• "Including People with Disabilities in Faith Communities: A Guide for Service Providers, Families, & Congregations" by Erik W. Carter
• Any of the National Organization on Disability's guides on welcoming people with disabilities into your congregation, such as their very popular, "That All May Worship"

Theological Resources:

• "An Easter Faith, Being Lived in a Good Friday Body: A Theological Reflection on Living with Disabilities" - John Weborg
• "Un-disabling the Church" - a sermon by Jim Swanson
• "A Church of All and For All" - a statement by the World Council of Churches
• "The Accessible Church: Towards Becoming the Whole Family of God" - an appeal to churches to re-examine ideas and attitudes about disability

Other Organizations:

These organization have good resources for those involved in ministry to and with persons with disabilities.

• Optasia Ministry: providers of biblical study tools and other ministry resources for persons with visual disabilities.
• Disaboom.com: information and networking for people dealing with disabilities.  
• National Organization on Disability: get resources and join the Accessible Congregations Campaign
• Bethesda Lutheran Homes & Services: learn more about developmental disabilities, get spiritual resources for persons with developmental disabilities and their friends and families, as well as additional awareness promotion materials
• Christian Reformed Church: get information on accessibility and awareness, ideas for an Awareness Sunday, and advice on beginning a Disability Ministry
• Evangelical Lutheran Church in America: peruse a variety of resources, including some on inclusion and accessibility.
• Friendship Ministries: Friendship Ministries is devoted to sharing God's love with persons with cognitive impairments.  Find out how you can become involved, or get ideas for your own ministry.
• Interfaith Disability Connection: resources for congregations and church leaders, persons with disabilities, and the families and caregivers of persons with disabilities.
• Joni and Friends: resources for people affected by disabilities, either their own or those of people they care about.
• SibShops: learn about the life-long concerns of siblings of persons with disabilities.