What are Guidelight Retreats? How do Retreats minister to families experiencing disability? Sevrin gives us a glimpse into how Guidelight retreats are structured and the impact they have on the families who attend.
In this video we introduce the top five strategies our training videos will offer to help you compassionately and skillfully minister to individuals experiencing disability.
In this video we are invited to see a person experiencing disability is as a person first. They are not a project, but instead a person who desires, gives, and receives friendship.
Beginning a disability ministry at your church can begin with very simple steps. Sherry Kidd shares with us the need for disability ministry, the goals of a healthy disability ministry, and concrete steps for creating a thriving disability ministry.
As we conclude the first part of our training, we reflect on all we’ve learned. We remember that the foundation of our relationship with those experiencing disability is kinship, compassion, and fellowship.
Scripture gives us God’s perspective of individuals in His church who experience disability. They are not to be pitied, but rather are indispensable members of His Body, receiving care and ministering to others. Knowing this truth changes the way we see our brothers and sisters.
“Therefore welcome one another as God in Christ has welcomed you, to the glory of God.” - Romans 15:7 In order to create a culture of hospitality in a church, leadership must teach about disability rightly, champion inclusion of members with disabilities, and lead their flock by example.
Emotional-Behavorial Disorder is an umbrella term for those who suffer from various struggles long-term. In this video, we explore these challenges and gain compassion for the complex factors that lead to the associated behaviors.
In 1 Corinthians 12, God tells us He arranges the Body of Christ just as it needs to be to thrive. Disability is a part of that. Because a high percentage of families experiencing disability do not feel welcome to gather with a local church, we can make a difference by embracing simple, Christlike ways of welcome.
Routine is a key strategy for providing a hospitable environment for individuals experiencing disability. Predictability is often especially comforting, and there are many practical ways to create and communicate structured time.
As we conclude this training series, we send you out equipped with good theology, useful tools, and a fresh perspective.
The gospel is beautifully simple and yet the depths of God’s grace are unfathomable. The gospel welcomes everyone to receive the unearned love of God.
We walk the road of following Jesus together with people experiencing disability. Barriers often exist within church cultures for people with disabilities. Inaccurate expectations, ableism, intellectualism, and a high value of unhealthy “excellence” can easily take root in our church families. In Christ, we have hope for a better way.
Every person in the church grows in God’s grace by communing with Christ, participating in the church, embracing the love of Christ, and enduring in long-suffering. Sevrin shares how this can look both similar and different for those experiencing disability.
What are the assumptions we bring to the table when it comes to sharing the gospel with people experiencing disability? Sevrin helps us dismantle our presuppositions and replaces them truthful and pragmatic insights.
Sevrin unpacks how disability helps us understand the image of God in all people. Looking at passages such as Genesis 1 and Psalm 139 show us that each individual is made for connection to God and reflection of Him. We can approach those experiencing disability with dignity instead of pity, relationship instead of neglect, and shalom instead of mistreatment.
Sincere welcome is not patronizing or a formality. Instead, it embraces a person as an essential part of the group. This is how God sees individuals impacted by disability His Church. Do we?
When we embrace the gospel, we see that at its heart is a theology of weakness and welcome. In this video, Sevrin explains how Scripture show us God’s redemptive purpose in disability and how we can emulate His love for those experiencing disability.
The family of a person experiencing a disability is the “front line” of loving and caring for them. The blessing and added responsibilities of providing this care mean that these families need a heightened amount of support from their church families. Instead of leaving them in isolation, which is often the case, Sevrin suggests practical ways churches can demonstrate the love of Christ to these precious families.
Diagnoses are often accompanied by spiritual wrestling and many deep questions of “why?” Sean shows us that God’s Word is a safe place to bring those hard questions as he unpacks the story of the man born blind in John 9:1-12.
In Philippians 2:3-11 we discover Christ’s posture when He came to earth. His heart toward us was shown when He emptied Himself, humbled Himself, and then was exalted by the Father. As we serve and are served by individuals experiencing disability, we can follow His example.
Making our gatherings accessible to individuals experiencing disability requires intentionality. Sevrin guides us through practical ways to ensure that individuals who come through our doors know their presence is desired and important.
Sevrin shows us God’s heart for His people in 1 Corinthians 12. Every single member of God’s family is needed. We can create local churches where each of us can say, “This is a good place to be me, here with you.”
Guidelight Training is designed to help equip God’s people to more effectively serve people experiencing disability.
One in 59 children are born today with Autism Spectrum Disorder. It is a developmental disability characterized by social struggles, communication difficulties, and/or restrictive and repetitive patterns of behavior.
This brief video provides an introduction to Down Syndrome, Intellectual Disability, and Cerebral Palsy.
In this first video on Communication, we learn how Positive Behavioral Language and Positive Reinforcement can create loving and effective ways to communicate.
Packed with helpful strategies, this second Communication video offers options for communicating in ways that are accessible to and honoring of people experiencing disability.
Being intentional with the structure of a class and the physical layout of a classroom can provide a friendly environment to a child with a disability.
In part two we are given wisdom to welcome individuals with disability into our gatherings by meeting them where they are at, giving them opportunities to respond, and by practicing helpful proximity.
Consistency is key to providing a stable and hospitable environment. In this video, we see the benefits of creating consistent expectations and learn approaches to best care for individuals during times of escalation.