Since becoming a part of the UCC Disabilities Ministries in the early 1990's, as board member then consultant, I have witnessed a ministry that led the church:
1. To claim the spirit of the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 as a moral mandate;
2. To add to the UCC vision statement "Accessible to All (A2A);" 3. To widen our impact on persons with brain disorders/mental illnesses and on clergy with disabilities;
4. To grow a ministry where more individuals are involved than at any other point in our history.
As General Synod, July 2005, approaches, our ministry desires to involve you and your local church in building community throughout this land. Please visit our Synod exhibit to learn about a pivotal resource. "Any Body, Everybody, Christ's Body" is a study guide designed to assist your church generally with hospitality, particularly as it relates to disability. To learn more about us and become involved with this community, visit our interactive web site, www.uccdisabilitiesministries.org. "How can we grow the church?" Evangelism also takes the forms of sacraments offered in accessible ways, choir anthems sung at floor level, bulletins magnified by a copy machine, prayers encouraged from those with difficulty articulating them, sound systems that amplify our voices, and user friendly entrances and bathrooms. Evangelism is rooted in our application of the UCC vision statement "Multiracial, Multicultural, Open and Affirming, and Accessible to All (A2A)." On behalf of all involved with the UCCDM, I invite you to explore Evangelism (E) through an A2A lens. This A2A lens will sharpen the "E" vision for multiracial, multicultural, and open and affirming. Come to General Synod. Come to . David Denham From UCC DM Newsletter Archive

My youngest son, Carl, was born with Arthrogryposis Multiplex Congenita or contractures of multiple joints. All joints except for his spine are rigid to some degree, and some muscles such as biceps are absent or non-functional. This is NOT a description of Carl. He is a web designer for an advertising agency and loves his work. His talent for drawing is one of his gifts. Relating to people in an easy and forthright way is another; being self-motivated and determined are others. To Carl Were I ever to be an artist (Like you) I would step across Landscapes for the far countries Seen through others' eyes, Known in their smile or somber Gazes or tautness of skin on bone All of my studies would be portraits, All of my journeys would be of the spirit, If I were an artist like you. - Mary Avidano, aka Mom

By Mary Beth Nicholson There was a child named "Jon" in a small country church. He spoke little as he was autistic. However, he watched what went on during worship. Jon was not a "regular kid," but he had regular feelings. He listened and knew how it feels to be in a loving place. Jon was little trouble although he was restless and needed to wander around the sanctuary sometimes. His church friends understood. They were not bothered. Some people in the church were bothered, though, when Jon whistled. His whistle jumped into their hearing aids. They came to understand that this was a bit of joy bursting out from a little boy who seldom felt accepted enough to feel comfortable anywhere. His occasional whistle no longer bothered these people as much. In fact, it told them he was in touch with something far deeper than they had noted. On Communion Sunday, Jon moved to the front pew. Communion was one of those holy, special times. He found God in the spirit and actions of his minister. One Sunday, he quietly stood with her as she offered the bread and juice to the people. Some were bothered, of course, but others discerned that God had come to the small country church in the form of an unexpected, uneasy but unique gift called Jon and found him no trouble. From UCC DM Newsletter Archive

Ginny Anderson is pastor at Friedens U.C.C., Syracuse, NY I have Myasthenia Gravis (MG), my roommate has Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD), and Josh, the kid in our household, has Pervasive Developmental Disorder (PDD). Also in our little cape cod house is a collie with anger management problems (MADD), a Bichon Frise (little fuzzy dog) with three legs due to cancer (CA), and a fourteen year old cat with no diagnostic letters except (BOSS). Welcome to the Alphabet Family! None related, two are longtime friends, one is a kid. Two are over 65, one is 11. One has two masters' degrees, one a high school degree, one struggles to get through sixth grade. How we came to be a family is we just did. Josh came to live with us when he was in first grade because he could no longer function in a family with overwhelming problems. He is of normal intelligence but suffers from a mild form of autism, some developmental delays, severe depressive episodes, and emotional problems related to attachment disorder. Add to Josh's multiple problems two over sixty-fives with alphabet attachments plus the usual joys of aging and raising children today in general, and you have a challenge! Josh is a professional level manipulator. He can catalogue all of our belongings and their places of residence, a mixed blessing for two "olders" dealing with "senior moments." Mr. "Charming" alternates with "Attilla the Hun" when his every wish is not our command or we interrupt an obsession. His obsessions are many and frightening. Boundaries are nonexistent to Josh. Much of the time he is sad, angry at his limitations, and sensitive to the fact that he is different. He is learning to control a temper that flares into violence occasionally. On the up side Josh is a "sponge" learner, never forgetting anything or anyone. He is loyal to his friends, family, and his ideals. He can be "rolling on floor funny," massively affectionate, and sing his heart out. Unlike most children in the autistic spectrum he is very social. Josh has rescued us from the boredom of bridge, golf, and the endless worry about arthritis and long term care plans. Instead we read about child development, history, and anything else he is interested in. Disney movies, children's museums, etc, are more fun than AARP planned travel anyway. Josh is loved and accepted by the exceptional congregation I serve in Syracuse. He is accepted for who he is just as the rest of us are. In another year, he will be confirmed there. They understand our problems and love us anyway. The impact that Josh has had on my ministry is considerable. Raising a child has changed my perspective about many things. I did not become a full time parent until I was over sixty. I have a greater empathy and understanding of people raising children. I have become an advocate for persons with mental illnesses and other disabilities. My own physical disability has taught me patience and understanding of the problems of others. Once a perfectionist, now a parent with a disability raising a child with a disability, I have given perfectionism up permanently. This also gives others permission to be who they are. Josh is on an incredible faith journey of his own. He listens to my sermons (really) and we discuss them. Every Sunday on the way home he asks to stop at his special place along the Erie Canal where he likes to spend time "talking to God." When I am not working, we go to a Friends Meeting (I am UCC/Quaker.) There in the silence it is the custom of parents to sit and hold their children or for older ones to put a loving arm around them. Josh loves this special time together. What is the glue that holds us together? It is our faith, a wonderful church fellowship, friends and neighbors, and good mental health and school systems. We also sing a lot, drum together, and try to laugh when we are not crying or screaming. I love my little Alphabet Family. They enrich my life and my ministry. Chicken broth may be good for us at our age, but Alphabet Soup is a lot more interesting. From UCC DM Newsletter Archive

"All your children shall be taught by the Lord, and great shall be the prosperity of your children." -- Isaiah 54:13 (NRSV) Where Do Children Belong? Belong, v. 1: to feel and be a part of. 2: to enjoy a sense of contribution, value, self-worth. 3: to truly believe one is a natural and equal part of the whole. 4: comfortable, safe, cared for, welcome. (Nth degree) Through the ritual of Baptism we receive our sense of belonging in a church community. The gathered promise "love, support, and care . . . as they live and grow in Christ." What about the children we baptize with an illness or neurological disorder leaving them with an impairment? Children with learning disabilities? Youths in accidents that change capacity for learning, speaking, or walking? We promised our love, support and care. Not where, but how these children belong to our church communities is the question. As religious educators learn the philosophy and practicalities of inclusion in classrooms and curricula, some churches have a designated Inclusion Coach or committee who help adapt programming and provide awareness training. Local advocacy groups help churches support specific families to feel more like they belong. The UCC Disabilities Ministries has developied a study resource for becoming "accessible to all" because how we belong is just as important as where we belong. From UCC DM Newsletter Archive