Tag Archives: Discipleship

Emerging from the silos…Disability ministry as a mindset, not a program

Silos are the antithesis of inclusion. Are we truly practicing inclusion when we set aside a designated space for the special needs ministry at the expense of including most, if not all participants in age and developmentally appropriate ministry environments. Continue reading

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The Refiner’s Fire

I began to study what the Bible has to say about suffering and discovered it is more of a gift than I ever understood before. Continue reading

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Could ADHD be a blessing to some Christians?

Is it possible that in God’s Kingdom, a condition that causes as much difficulty in day to day functioning as ADHD might actually provide one of His followers with an advantage? Let’s look at how having ADHD might be of benefit to a Christian.
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The apple doesn’t fall far from the tree…ADHD in families

When kids have ADHD, we’re often relying upon parents who themselves have difficulty setting priorities, following through on tasks and maintaining focus to be their primary faith trainers. Continue reading

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Leading a spiritually disciplined life as a person with ADHD…

If God wanted cookie-cutter Christians, that’s what He would have made. We have a palette of spiritual disciplines because we won’t all grow closer to God in exactly the same way. Continue reading

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The power of stories…Dave Lynden

So here was my little guy, Micah, standing in front of the TV, wrapped in his royal blue fleece blanket jumping up and down, clapping and laughing as he watched his favorite stories over and over again, reminding me of what I do, what we do, how we strive to fill in the puzzle pieces and reach for something that brings all of the stories together into a coherent whole. Continue reading

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Obsessing on the story…Dave Lynden

The “spiritual autism” that isolates us from others is penetrated, in part, by a story God has weaved into the fabric of our very being. And in that sense, it is not only we who are obsessing over a story, but God who is drawing us in- connecting with us, telling us we are part of the story! Continue reading

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Becoming more fluid in our relationship with God…David Lynden

Many of us often relate to God through a series of activities. We read our Bibles. We pray. We show up on Sunday morning and maybe put some money in the plate. Perhaps we are even involved in some ministries. And yet, like Tom, many of us also feel like this is an “on-paper” relationship with God. We could walk through the whole routine and never make “eye contact”, so to speak, with God. It feels more like an equation than it does a give-and-take fluid system of communication. It can feel choreographed, routine, static and…well, empty. Continue reading

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Meet me at St. Mark’s Findlay THIS SUNDAY!

We’ll talk about the functional impairments associated with ADHD, anxiety disorders and Asperger’s Disorder in children and teens, and share practical ideas for addressing the challenges each condition poses to “doing church” for the affected kids and their families. Continue reading

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Square Pegs and Round Holes…The Bottom Line on Helping Kids With Asperger’s Disorder Grow Spiritually

Today’s post concludes our series on helping kids with Asperger’s Disorder and other social disabilities to grow spiritually. We’ll finish by looking at some general principles to help church staff, parents and volunteers to minister more effectively to very unique kids made in the image of God who tend to defy categorization.
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