We are happy to announce the launch of our pilot project Raising Awareness and Advancing Disability Inclusion in the Christian Community, made possible by a generous Vital Worship, Vital Preaching Grant from the Calvin Institute of Christian Worship (CICW), Grand Rapids, Michigan, with funds provided by Lilly Endowment Inc.
Through our Raising Awareness and Advancing Disability Inclusion in the Christian Community program, we are bringing together four Christian congregations from Michigan, Missouri, Texas, and California. Each congregation will meet as a cohort for two virtual disability inclusion training sessions for clergy and laity over the next six months. The program also includes site visits, during which a Faith Inclusion and Belonging team member will lead in-person training through sermons, adult education forums, and site accessibility evaluations.
In our grant application to CICW, we addressed why this project is important. We wrote:
“Our primary goal is to help Christian communities embrace the spirit of inclusion and accessibility in all facets of faith life. We aim to bring about this spirit of transformation by working with pastors and lay leaders to cultivate a practice of disability awareness and belonging in their congregations. This program will begin the process of reconciliation between congregations and disabled Christians and those who love them.”
We met with our enthusiastic cohort of lay leaders and clergy representing the four congregations together for our first gathering on November 3rd. We look forward to sharing updates with our newsletter readers.
