Truth in Tinsel: An Advent ebook I'm using at home & church (only $2.99 TODAY)

I love the idea of daily Advent activities with my preschool-aged children. I really do.

And I love the idea of having meaningful ornament crafts to make in special needs ministry (like at our December respite event or in our special needs ministry sensory room). Honestly, I do love the idea.

But I just don't love having to come up with the practical elements - the supply list, the craft, the Bible verse, and the activities - first. 

Which is why I love the Advent e-book that Amanda from the blog Impress Your Kids wrote. It's called Truth in Tinsel, and every day - 24 in all - has (1) a "read it together" passage (a handful of verses, nothing too long), (2) a "make it together" craft (a Christmas ornament that goes along with the passage), (3) a "talk about it" section (some kid-friendly discussion points), and (4) a "do more" suggestion (tips to extend beyond the lesson itself). 

While this was designed more for moms like me with preschool to early elementary aged kiddos, it is also a GREAT tool for children's ministry and special needs ministry. The subtitle is "An Advent Experience for Little Hands," so I will black that out with electrical tape when I print it for our sensory classroom because we'll do these activities with bigger hands too. 

I could simply say I recommend it, but that wouldn't be as powerful as these words: I'm using it. I'm going through all 24 days with my kids, and I'll be doing at least a handful of the days in a ministry setting. 

And if you want to do the same, it's $2.99 today (usually $4.99). Order it here. 

thankful

In the past year, God has done more with disability ministry at my church, across the country, and throughout the nations than I expected.

Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever. Amen.
{Ephesians 3:20-21}

But there is still much work to be done, including the work of prayer.

Then he [Jesus] said to his disciples, “The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few; therefore pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest.”

{Matthew 9:37-38}

Thanks for being a part of what God is doing to change hearts and lives, in prayer and other action.

Making This Christmas Count: Providence Baptist Church's respite care event

On December 10 from 4-7pm, families of kids with special needs (age 10 and under) and their siblings will be cared for at Providence Baptist Church at our Making This Christmas Count respite care event. While our trained volunteers love them, parents will get a respite to Christmas shop, go on a date, or do whatever other child-free activity they would like. Every child with special needs will have a one-on-one buddy for the event, and siblings will be supervised as well as they rotate through themed activity rooms. This is part of our church's Making This Christmas Count week of outreach events, and most of our guests will be families who have never visited our church before.

We're excited. If you're not in Raleigh or the surrounding area (and even if you are!), please pray

• for our preparations
• for the health of our families (at our October respite event, many had to cancel at the last minute due to sickness; plus it's cold and flu season, which doesn't bode well for little ones who may be more susceptible to illness due to their special needs)
• for energy and wisdom for our leadership team
• for God to provide the remaining volunteers needed
• for information about the event to reach the families who need it
• for stamina and protection for me, as my health has been less than ideal lately (I'm on week three of a cold, which means I might be entering my annual fall bout of pneumonia)

For local folks, there is still room for families (and volunteers, though pre-event training and background checks are required). Here is the link for registration for both families and volunteers, and here's a link to learn about the other Making This Christmas Count outreaches that week.

And, if you have happen to have friends and followers in the Raleigh area, please post a message like this on Facebook or Twitter so we can get the word out:

Have a child (birth-10) w special needs in Raleigh? FREE trained childcare at Providence Baptist on Dec. 10 from 4-7pm http://www.pray.org/news--events/providence-kids.aspx

Thanks!

the gap between local churches and the disabled population

I was planning to review the book, Why, O God?: Suffering and Disability in the Bible and Church, but I think it might be better to just let you judge for yourself based on quotes. I'll be sharing some throughout the coming weeks.

"I have worked as a physical therapist for twelve years. Approximately nine of those years have been in home health. Clearly a monumental gap exists between the local churches and the disabled population. All too often individuals and families go through the most difficult trials and circumstances of their lives in isolation from the Christian community. Available support is fleeting. Relationships are few. Stress is high. Caregiver burnout is frequent and inevitable. Marriages fall apart. Abuse sometimes settles in. Financial ruin draws nearer everyday. Who will help close this gap while helping to meet real needs? It is the prayer of the authors of this text that the current and future generations of pastors and Christian servant-leaders will lead their congregations to do just that. Typically if the shepherds do not lead, the flock will not follow."

~Daniel R. Thomson, his chapter "A Biblical Disability-Ministry Perspective" in Why, O God? Suffering and Disability in the Bible and Church, p. 24

disability ministry weekly round-up {11-21-11}

Woodbine church "adopts" autism classes: I love what this church has done, "adopting" classes in the public school system to ensure that kids with special needs in their district have the basic educational tools they need. What a great outreach!

Autism and Cyberchurch: The Easier Option: Honestly, I think the better option would be for the church to step up to make the physical church environment a more welcoming, less hostile option for these families, but - especially in areas in which churches aren't stepping up to include the indispensable parts (per 1 Corinthians 12:22) - this article and the comments give good food for thought.

Down syndrome test will enable scientists to detect condition in the womb: This article about Down syndrome testing that is less invasive than previous methods has the sub-headline, "breakthrough could prove highly controversial as it could lead to an increase in abortions."

Column: Will America cull people with Down syndrome? As a follow-up to the article above, Dr. Brian Skotko addresses the issues that come along with new testing options. Pray to the Life-Giver that life - all life, regardless of ability level - will be valued and protected.

The Bible, Disability, and The Church: I haven't gotten this book yet, but I will. I found myself agreeing and disagreeing with various points in the author's theological tome about Down syndrome.  

Accessible Church Websites: How could your church website - which is the first entry point to your church for many visitors - be more welcoming to people with disabilities?

Autism and God: This post is written by a Jewish man about his son's understanding of God, but I think it is helpful for Christians as well.

Faith and Disability: This blogger - who has Becker's Muscular Dystrophy - responds to a question about how faith in God makes a difference in the face of disability.

The Poorest of the Poor: A compelling piece about why our overseas missions efforts shouldn't leave out those with disabilities. I hope to have more to share with you in the near future about how we, as Christians in the US, can reach out to people with disabilities in other countries.

99 Balloons: As a hint to what I'll be sharing soon about international efforts, read this. 

Love is an action word: Yes. Yes. And yes. Jo is a momma of a kiddo with special needs, and her words encourage me.

Father of autistic child pleas for better ministry to the disabled: This movement isn't just happening in the US; this article is from Australia.

Fidget toys: Do they really work? Great article on how to and how not to use fidget toys in ministry settings.

Handmade gifts from special needs moms that pay for their kids' therapies: Looking for gift ideas for Christmas? Here are some options that will let you support a mom who is selling handmade items to pay for her child's needs.

Teaching tips: How can a teacher get a group of kids to settle down? Here's one strategy that worked for Katie, and I bet it will give you more ideas for similar techniques that might help kids settle - without nagging - in your Sunday school classes.

Man in the Arena: Good perspective on balancing time in the arena and times of rest.

Visiting Church with Your Special Needs Child: Great story and tips from my friend Sandra.

Ethan's first church service: A great story of one child with autism flourishing in his first "big church" experience!

And this song (via youTube, but note that the "video" is just a still of the album cover, so it's for your listening pleasure, not really viewing!) is precious in sharing truth that families with special needs can cling to. It's also precious to me on a personal level because it came out less than a year after I was diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis; I heard it for the first time as I pulled into a specialist's office for yet another complication with my health, this time one that we feared would endanger our unborn son. The outcome of that complication was not damaging to our son, but the song resonated with me then and still does now. I've never made it through with dry eyes.