untitled
Including People with
DISABILITIES
in Faith Communities
A GUIDE FOR SERVICE PROVIDERS, FAMILIES, & CONGREGATIONS
by
Erik W. Carter, Ph.D.
Contents
About the Author ... vii
Forewords
- Signs and Invitations Bill Gaventa ... ix
- Belonging, Believing, and Becoming Rud and Ann Turnbull ... xiii
Preface ... xix
Acknowledgments ... xxi
Chapter 1 Lives of Faith: Moving Toward Full Participation ... 1
Chapter 2 A Welcoming Congregation: Signs of Hospitality ... 27
Chapter 3 Welcoming, Including, and Connecting: Becoming a Responsive Congregation ... 53
Chapter 4 Designing Inclusive Religious Education Programs ... 89
Chapter 5 Supporting Individuals with Developmental Disabilities and Their Families: The Other Six Days ... 119
Chapter 6 The Contributions of Service Providers: Supporting Spiritual Expression ... 147
Chapter 7 Launching Communitywide Efforts: Partnering Together for Inclusion ... 171
References ... 189
Appendix A Examples of Faith Group Statements Addressing Disability and Congregational Inclusion ... 203
Appendix B Resources for Service Providers, Families, and Congregations ... 209
Index ... 229
About the Author
Erik W. Carter, Ph.D., Assistant Professor, Department of Rehabilitation Psychology and Special Education, University of Wisconsin–Madison, 432 North Murray Street, Madison, Wisconsin 53706-1496
Dr. Carter received his doctorate in special education from Vanderbilt University in Nashville. His research and writing focuses on effective strategies for including children and youth with developmental disabilities more fully and meaningfully in schools and communities.
Chapter 2
A Welcoming Congregation
Signs of Hospitality
In any given week, millions of people gather together with family, friends, neighbors, and strangers in a local church, synagogue, mosque, temple, or other place of worship. What draws people through the doors of their congregation for the first time? What leads them to keep coming back?
Every person can tell their own story. They come to encounter the presence and holiness of God; to worship corporately and share in the sacraments. They come for spiritual nurture and growth; to walk alongside and lean on others as they mature in their faith. They come to satisfy deep longings; to discover who they are, to whom they belong, and what they are called to do. They come for a sense of community and belonging; to enrich and be enriched by the lives and experiences of others.
People with developmental disabilities also have stories to tell; they are fellow travelers on the very same journey of life. They hold the same desires for worship, growth, direction, and support; they share the same need for community, connectedness, and belonging.
INDICATORS OF A WELCOMING CONGREGATION
Congregations can mean very different things when they assert that they are a welcoming community.
Presence
Inclusion begins with presence. It is difficult to welcome individuals when they are not actually present among you.
Accessibility
Once they come through your doors, people must be able to participate in the activities and programs you offer.
Hospitality
Although an accessible building is essential, it is through interactions and relationships with others that welcome is truly communicated.
A Sense of Shared Lives
Sharing lives entails more than just sharing space. An inclusive congregation strives to weave people with and without disabilities into a common community.
Different Motivation
In inclusive congregations, it is not legislation or policy that compels the welcome. Their desire is not for filling empty pews or seeking public praise; they are neither responding out of pressure nor acting out of pity.
A Recognition of Contributions
An inclusive congregation recognizes the gifts of all its members, including those with developmental disabilities.
Proactive Efforts
Welcoming congregations have learned to think ahead about emerging and future needs.
A Willingness to Learn
Inclusive congregations evidence a willingness to learn from others, as well as from their own mistakes.
Reciprocity
People with developmental disabilities want opportunities to contribute to and make a difference within their congregations.
The Journey Toward Inclusion
The work of welcoming and learning to welcome better is ongoing. Congregations should always be seeking ways of becoming more inviting, intentional, and hospitable.
Conclusion
A welcoming congregation is more than a place where people with disabilities attend, but do not participate; arrive, but are not welcomed; receive, but do not serve. Becoming a congregation that is inclusive of people with developmental disabilities and their families requires an intentional and continuous commitment.