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Book Review: Road Map to Holland - (08/01/2010)

Road Map to Holland: How I Found My Way Through My Son's First Two Years With Down Syndrome is an intelligent, warm story of a mother who struggled in a very realistic way with a child born with Down syndrome. Jennifer Graf Groneberg tells what followed the birth of her twins, step-by-step with the aftershocks and emotions of misunderstanding his diagnosis and what his future would hold. She continues on as a strong woman advocating for Avery, her son with Down syndrome. Jennifer touches people everywhere she goes, and Avery has a real hand in helping her. I am proud of him. I feel as if he is my brother because of our extra chromosome. When my son was born, I didnâ€™t know how to be a parent and was scared. However, when he opened his eyes, I knew just then that my life had changed for the better. My son was not the one with the diagnosisâ€¦ It was me! I have Mosaic Down Syndrome (MDS). I relate to others who travel that unknown road and draw blue prints to map with them. As I read Road Map to Holland, I wanted so much to reach through the words on each page -- just to hug her and say, â€œJennifer, itâ€™s going to be okay!â€ I loaned my book to my father. He loved it just as much as I did -- as a full cycle of parent to child to parent. The words inside this book are a genuine piece of majesty. They are a continuation of Emily Pearl Kingsleyâ€™s world-renowned poem, â€œWelcome to Holland!â€ I know about Holland; I live there. Reviewed by Casey Morton, IMDSAâ€™s Self Advocate & Spokesperson Learn more about MDS at the International Mosaic Down Syndrome Association at http://www.imdsa.org/.

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Buy cialis without prescription, The following covenant was adopted by a unanimous vote at the Congregational Meeting of the First Congregational Church of the United Church of Christ, Boulder, Colorado, on May 23, 2010. Ordering cialis no rx, This covenant provides a model for all churches wishing to make an accessible to all commitment. A copy of your churchâ€™s covenant may be sent to Michelle Hintz (hintzm@ucc.org) or to Peggy Dunn, Kjøp Discount cialis, Arizona AZ Ariz. , UCC DM Chair (pwduccdm@gmail.com).

A2A â€“ ACCESSIBLE TO ALL â€“ COVENANT

We, cheap cialis from canada, Cheap cialis online, as members of the First Congregational Church (UCC) in Boulder, Colorado, cialis cheap, Connecticut CT Conn. , in recognition of our human differences and various gifts, desire to become an A2A â€“ Accessible to All â€“ congregation, pharmacie cialis bon marché. Cialis online cheap, This Covenant expresses our intention to extend Godâ€™s extravagant welcome to all persons, seeking to understand, order cialis overnight delivery, Kaufen cialis, include, and empower people with all differing abilities and disabilities, South Dakota SD , Köpa cialis online, physical or non-physical, apparent or unapparent, ordering cialis online cheap, Acheter cialis discount, temporary or permanent.

The ancient practice of hospitality is presented in the Bible as a mandate for Godâ€™s people, buy cialis without prescription. This mandate requires that every body be included in the work and witness of Godâ€™s people on earth, Nevada NV Nev. . Where to buy cheap cialis, The biblical vision of the Great Banquet is of all gathered at a table dedicated to serving all. Barriers that diminish the access of any diminish the wholeness of all, αγοράσετε cialis. New Mexico NM N.Mex. , We affirm the 2005 Disabilities Ministries resolution â€œCalled To Wholeness in Christ,â€ as adopted by the 25th General Synod of the United Church of Christ on July 4, Missouri MO Mo. , Buy cialis overnight delivery, 2005, honoring the Accessible to All mandate in the mission of the United Church of Christ, buy cialis online cheap. Buy cialis without prescription, This resolution calls us to embody a philosophy of inclusion and interdependence and to support and implement the provisions of the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990. Bestill cialis online, CALL TO ACTION

â€¢ We pledge to offer educational opportunities to understand the implications of this covenant. This includes working with our churchâ€™s Mental Health Ministry as well as the UCC Mental Illness Network, comprar cialis baratos, Halvalla cialis apteekki, and the UCC Disabilities Ministry.

â€¢ We pledge to examine our own attitudes and suppositions regarding the issues of accessibility.

â€¢ We pledge to do regular audits of our facilities and programs and continue to work toward making them more accessible to all.

â€¢ We pledge when calling clergy and other staff to be open to hiring persons with disabilities, buy cialis without prescription.

â€¢ We shall be listed in the UCC Directory as an A2A congregation and we will display the blue square with the white A indicating â€œAccessible to Allâ€.

â€¢ The Church Council shall appoint an Inclusion Team to implement and oversee this Covenant. We will include people on this team who have sensitivity to the challenges and joys of people who have a disability, particularly individuals who have a disability or a loved one who does, keeping in mind the slogan, â€œNothing about us without us.â€

â€¢ We will intentionally partner with persons with disabilities, including but not limited to, physical disabilities, mental illnesses/brain disorders, and/or developmental disabilities. We will also work with disability groups outside the congregation to extend our hospitality and to find opportunities to be in shared mission, ministry, and advocacy together.

â€¢ We commit to recruiting, nominating and supporting persons with disabilities to serve in leadership positions within the congregation as teachers, members of boards, congregational officers, candidates for ordained and commissioned ministry, or representatives to wider church ministries.

This vote affirms that we join in the process of always becoming ever more accessible and inclusive of all of Godâ€™s people.

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This covenant was adopted by a unanimous vote at the Congregational Meeting on May 23, 2010. Vermont VT Vt. , A2A â€“ ACCESSIBLE TO ALL â€“ COVENANT

We, as members of the First Congregational Church (UCC) in Boulder, buy cialis c.o.d., Osta cialis online, Colorado, in recognition of our human differences and various gifts, cialis online kaufen, För cialis online, desire to become an A2A â€“ Accessible to All â€“ congregation. This Covenant expresses our intention to extend Godâ€™s extravagant welcome to all persons, Køb discount cialis, Acheter cialis, seeking to understand, include, Mississippi MS Miss. , Arkansas AR Ark. , and empower people with all differing abilities and disabilities, physical or non-physical, αγοράζουν online cialis, Ordering cialis without prescription, apparent or unapparent, temporary or permanent, Illinois IL Ill. . Discount cialis, The ancient practice of hospitality is presented in the Bible as a mandate for Godâ€™s people. This mandate requires that every body be included in the work and witness of Godâ€™s people on earth, order cialis no rx. The biblical vision of the Great Banquet is of all gathered at a table dedicated to serving all, buy cialis online cheap. Buy cialis online, Barriers that diminish the access of any diminish the wholeness of all.

We affirm the 2005 Disabilities Ministries resolution â€œCalled To Wholeness in Christ, buy generic cialis, Utah UT , â€
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â€¢ We pledge to offer educational opportunities to understand the implications of this covenant. Buy cialis online cheap, This includes working with our churchâ€™s Mental Health Ministry as well as the UCC Mental Illness Network, and the UCC Disabilities Ministry.
â€¢ We pledge to examine our own attitudes and suppositions regarding the issues of accessibility, cheapest cialis prices. Cheap cialis without prescription, â€¢ We pledge to do regular audits of our facilities and programs and continue to work toward making them more accessible to all.
â€¢ We pledge when calling clergy and other staff to be open to hiring persons with disabilities, Rabatt kaufen cialis. California CA Calif. , â€¢ We shall be listed in the UCC Directory as an A2A congregation and we will display the blue square with the white A indicating â€œAccessible to Allâ€.
â€¢ The Church Council shall appoint an Inclusion Team to implement and oversee this Covenant, buy cialis online cheap. We will include people on this team who have sensitivity to the challenges and joys of people who have a disability, particularly individuals who have a disability or a loved one who does, keeping in mind the slogan, â€œNothing about us without us.â€
â€¢ We will intentionally partner with persons with disabilities, including but not limited to, physical disabilities, mental illnesses/brain disorders, and/or developmental disabilities. We will also work with disability groups outside the congregation to extend our hospitality and to find opportunities to be in shared mission, ministry, and advocacy together.
â€¢ We commit to recruiting, nominating and supporting persons with disabilities to serve in leadership positions within the congregation as teachers, members of boards, congregational officers, candidates for ordained and commissioned ministry, or representatives to wider church ministries.

This vote affirms that we join in the process of always becoming ever more accessible and inclusive of all of Godâ€™s people.

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Buy levitra without prescription, SAVE THE DATE September 23-26, 2010 for
The 2010 UCC National Gathering in St. Louis

Widening the Welcome: Inclusion for All

Your congregation is a people that is called to be a welcoming community. Order levitra, In Romans we read, â€œWelcome one another, therefore, Nevada NV Nev. , just as Christ has welcomed you, Ordering levitra online, for the glory of God. May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing so that you may abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.â€ Romans 15:7, 13, generic levitra. Welcome embraces the involvement of everyone, Cheapest levitra prices, including people who have been touched by or have experienced a mental illness/brain disorder and/or a disability, apparent or unapparent. Sponsored by the United Church of Christ (UCC) Disabilities Ministries and the UCC Mental Illness Network, the purposes of this Conference are:

i, buy levitra without prescription. to educate about mental illnesses/brain disorders and disabilities;
ii, købe levitra online. to learn how to develop Mental Health Ministries and A2A Covenants in your congregation;
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ix, billige levitra Apotheke. to work toward encouraging every UCC congregation to be committed to compassionate action and widening the welcome for all.

This National Gathering will be hosted by the UCC Mental Illness Network (MIN) and UCC Disabilities Ministries (DM), buy levitra without prescription. Levitra over the counter, This Conference will be held Thursday, September 23-Sunday, September 26, αγοράσετε levitra έκπτωση, 2010. Köpa levitra, It will be in St. Louis. This gathering is for clergy, Utah UT , consumers, Illinois IL Ill. , laity, families, and mental health professionals, Indiana IN Ind. . Buy levitra without prescription, So far the speakers include Dr. Nancy Kehoe, Halvalla levitra apteekki, a nun and a clinical instructor at Harvard Medical School, author of â€œWrestling with our Inner Angels: Faith, Mental Illness, kjøpe levitra, and the Journey to Wholeness, Comprar levitra baratos, â€ Dr. David Greenhaw, President of Eden Theological Seminary, cheap levitra online, the Rev. Osta levitra online, Jane Fisler-Hoffman and the Rev. Bob Molsberry, UCC Conference Ministers, Kjøp Discount levitra, the Rev. Jeanne Tyler with the UCC DM, Mr, buy levitra without prescription. Texas TX Tex. , Jeffrey Pollack Esq., Attorney in Cleveland, the Rev, bestill levitra online. Dr. Levitra online, Craig Rennebohm, author of â€œSouls in the Hands of a Tender God,â€ and the Rev. Alan Johnson, author of â€œEncounters at the Counter: What Congregations can learn about Hospitality from Business.â€

For more details and information, email Alan Johnson, Chair of the UCC MIN, revalan2004@comcast.net
.

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A church without people with disabilities is itself disabled. Buy levitra cod, â€“ JÃ¼rgen Moltmann

"The class filled up right away. Not one class member missed even one hour â€“ great discussions, Colorado CO Colo. , Online levitra, " the Rev. Craig Modahl said about his course that will be offered again this January at the Chicago Theological Seminary, kopen goedkope levitra. Buy levitra, After first teaching "Theology of Ministry with People with Developmental Disabilities" in January of 2008, Modahl will again be teaching the course in an adjunct faculty position and the ongoing offering of his course, buy levitra online cheap. Ordering levitra online without prescription, The Dr. Scott Haldeman, Professor of Worship, will co-teach, buy levitra cod.

"Leaders of faith communities and spiritual guides need to be aware of the implications of disability in the lives of all people they support, billig kaufen levitra, Levitra pedido en línea, " Modahl said. "We need to be able to fully embrace individuals of all abilities through our words, Kaufen levitra, Nebraska NE Nebr. , actions and beliefs."

A 2006 CTS graduate, he has worked with the seminary regarding developmental disabilities in a variety of settings over the years, order levitra no prescription. Om levitra online, "Many experiences within the church have not been supportive, helpful, levitra prescription, För levitra online, or inclusive," he said, levitra online kaufen. Where to buy levitra, "That is what brought me to a seminary known for its political activism and inclusion of the excluded."

Through lectures, assigned readings, levitra farmacia a buon mercato, Buy cheap levitra, conversations with advocates and self-advocates, and active engagement, order levitra c.o.d., Buy levitra no prescription, future pastors and ministers will explore the multiple issues facing people with developmental disabilities and their loved ones. Buy levitra cod, Experiential learning is an important part of the week long intensive. Members of the disability community share experiences and insights, pharmacy levitra. Levitra no prescription, Individual student projects involve engaging the lives of individuals with disabilities.

In addition to being executive director of a nonprofit organization serving individuals with developmental disabilities in a variety of community based settings, buy levitra cod, Købe levitra, he and his wife have for the last two decades provided a home for two men with developmental disabilities.

Craig Modahl serves throughout Wisconsin Conference, cheap levitra overnight delivery, having been ordained by the Southeast Association to a disabilities ministries specialty. He is a member of the board of directors of the United Church of Christ Disabilities Ministries (UCC DM), buy levitra cod.

"God also is definitely still speaking at Eden Theological Seminary," Ryan Mathews said when telling about a new course offered at the seminary that will explore injustice, inhumanity, and institutional ableism.

"Disability Justice and Spiritual Health: On the Road to Dismantle Ableism in Faith-Based Practice," will address Godâ€™s mission of healing, wholeness and reconciliation in the church and in the world.

Mathews said the primary course goal is the pastoral formation of leadership for communities of faith that practice hospitality, inclusion, mutual interdependence, and right relationship.

"The ability to articulate the relationship between inequity and spiritual loss will be fostered," he said. Buy levitra cod, "Both language and tools will be provided to help in the dismantling of such oppression."

Mathews, a second-year Eden seminarian who also serves on the UCC DM board of directors, noted that one of the co-teachers is a person with a mobility disability.

The course will be taught by the Rev. Dr. Marilyn Stavenger, Eden Professor Emerita of Field Education and the Practice of Ministry and Dr. Karen Hagrup, Assistant Professor, University of Missouri-St. Louis College of Education.

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Order levitra without prescription, WASHINGTON, D.C. â€“ U.S. Oklahoma OK Okla. , Senator Barbara A. Mikulski today introduced â€œRosaâ€™s Law,â€ a bill that will eliminate the terms â€œmental retardationâ€ and â€œmentally retardedâ€ from the federal law books, buy levitra from canada. U.S. Senator Michael B, order levitra without prescription. South Dakota SD , Enzi (R-Wyo.), Ranking Member of the Health, Education, Idaho ID , Labor and Pensions Committee, Cheapest levitra, is the Republican sponsor of the bill.

Under Rosaâ€™s Law, those terms would be replaced with â€œintellectual disabilityâ€ and â€œindividual with an intellectual disabilityâ€ in federal education, Tennessee TN Tenn. , health and labor law. Louisiana LA , The bill does not expand or diminish services, rights or educational opportunities. It simply makes the federal law language consistent with that used by the Centers for Disease Control, levitra pills, the World Health Organization and the President of the United States, Buy levitra online without prescription, through his Committee on Individuals with Intellectual Disabilities. Order levitra without prescription, FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
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Contact:
Annie Acosta
The Disability Policy Collaboration
(202) 783-2229/ acosta@thedpc.org

The Disability Policy Collaboration Applauds the U.S. Senateâ€™s Introduction of Legislation to Use the Term â€œIntellectual Disabilityâ€

Washington, D.C, buy levitra online. â€“ The Disability Policy Collaboration (DPC), Ordering levitra online, a partnership of The Arc of the United States (The Arc) and United Cerebral Palsy (UCP) to advance federal disability public policy, applauds todayâ€™s introduction of â€œRosaâ€™s Law,â€ a bipartisan bill introduced by U.S, purchase levitra online. Senators Barbara Mikulski (D-MD) and Michael Enzi (R-WY). Levitra no prescription, Modeled after a recently enacted law in the state of Maryland, this legislation would substitute the outdated, stigmatizing terms â€œmental retardationâ€ and â€œmentally retardedâ€ with the terms â€œintellectual disabilityâ€ and â€œindividual with an intellectual disabilityâ€ in federal health, order levitra online without prescription, education and labor policy statutes.

The term â€œintellectual disabilityâ€ covers the same population of individuals who were previously diagnosed with the term â€œmental retardation,â€ and â€œmentally retarded.â€ Therefore, the change in terminology would in no way alter the eligibility requirements for services and supports, order levitra without prescription. Utah UT , â€œThis bill is very important for people with intellectual disabilities who understand that language plays a crucial role in how they are perceived and treated in society and are actively advocating for terminology changes in federal and state laws. â€˜Retard,â€™ â€˜retardedâ€™ and â€˜retardation, price of levitra,â€™ once accepted medical terms, Order levitra cod, are now often used to demean and insult people,â€ stated Peter V. Berns, levitra prices, Chief Executive Officer of The Arc. Purchase levitra, â€œThe Arc believes that changing how we talk about people with disabilities is a critical step in promoting and protecting their basic civil and human rights.â€

According to Stephen Bennett, President and CEO, UCP, Køb discount levitra, â€œBy using the term â€˜intellectual disability, Ordering levitra without prescription, â€™ we expect citizens of the U.S. Order levitra without prescription, and the world to understand and treat people experiencing this condition â€“ whether it is a result of genetics, injury, illness or unknown causes â€“ with dignity and respect. The descriptions of people are very important and imply how we value people, and the Senateâ€™s introduction of â€˜Rosaâ€™s Lawâ€™ is aligned with the aim of UCP and its nationwide network of affiliates to ensure the inclusion of persons with disabilities in every facet of society.â€

Senator Mikulskiâ€™s statement to the U.S, Pennsylvania PA Penn. . Senate upon introduction of the bill is available at: http://mikulski.senate.gov/record.cfm?id=319975&. Alaska AK , While the DPC supports the U.S. Senateâ€™s introduction of Rosaâ€™s Law, it is only the first step in a lengthy process towards enactment, παραγγείλετε online levitra. The Arc and UCP will continue to work together to ensure the billâ€™s introduction in the U.S, order levitra without prescription. House of Representatives and its progression through the entire legislative process. Buy levitra cheap, About the Disability Policy Collaboration

The Disability Policy Collaboration (DPC) is a partnership of The Arc of the United States (The Arc) and United Cerebral Palsy (UCP) to advance federal disability public policy through a merged government affairs office, which combines resources and talent from both organizations. Begun in 2003, the collaboration assures cost-effective performance for its parent organizations, while combining for a more powerful voice for people with disabilities. The DPC leads efforts in mobilizing chapters, affiliates, self-advocates, families and other supporters to become active players in national public policy. Order levitra without prescription, The Arc is the largest community-based nonprofit working through a network of 732 state and local chapters and their members to advocate on behalf of and serve people with intellectual and related developmental disabilities and their families. The Arc works to improve systems of supports and services, connect families, inspire communities, and influence public policy. It is the only organization that supports persons from pre-natal care through end-of-life issues and over 100 diagnoses that may include the effects of intellectual and developmental disabilities, including Autism. For more information, please visit www.thearc.org.
UCP is a leading service provider for adults and children with disabilities. UCPâ€™s mission is to advance the independence, productivity and full citizenship of people with disabilities through an affiliate network, and its services reach over 176,000 adults and children daily through its network of approximately 100 affiliates in the U.S., Canada, Scotland and Australia, order levitra without prescription. For more information, please visit www.ucp.org.

# # #

The Disability Policy Collaboration of The Arc and UCP
1660 L Street, NW
Washington, DC 200136
p. 202.783.2229 | f. 202.783.8250

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Order cheap levitra online, First Congregational Church, UCC, in Boulder, Colorado, a Rocky Mountain Conference Congregation, requests that readers comment on the content and presentation of two documents below that the beacon church has developed for churches interested in becoming Accessible to All churches.

An A2A study guide prepared by the United Church of Christ Disabilities Ministires for churches who covenant to become Accessible to All churches is available for download at this website.

Comments about the Covenant and the Introduction to the Covenant may be made using the comment box at the conclusion of this article, California CA Calif. . The Introduction reflects theess by which the Covenant was taken to the congregation. Osta levitra online, Below are two documents:

Introduction to the Accessible to All Covenant

and a covenant draft prepared by Dr. Kevin Pettit, Rocky Mountain Conference Disabilities Inclusion Associate and member of First Congregational,

A2A -- Accessible to All -- Covenant

Introduction to the Accessible to All Covenant

Sunday, October 25, 2009
Rhonda Fadum, Moderator

Today I am pleased to present to you a draft of a new covenant for our church to consider, the Accessible to All Covenant, order cheap levitra online. Our churchâ€™s covenants are statements of our agreed upon shared values that guide our life together as a community of faith. Presently our congregation has four covenants that have been adopted by a vote of the congregation: Inclusive Language, acheter levitra bon marché, Just Peace, Rabatt kaufen levitra, Open and Affirming, and Whole Earth.

The covenant we are presenting today we will not ask you to vote on until a later congregational meeting, discount levitra. Between today and that meeting we will be providing opportunities for the congregation to engage in dialogue, Cheap levitra, study, and reflection on the issues of accessibility, so that we will be better informed as we vote on the Accessible to All Covenant, levitra online kaufen. Order cheap levitra online, After the reading of the draft of the covenant, I will mention several action steps.

In a moment we will pass out the draft of the covenant and Kevin Pettit and others from the team that worked on this draft will read it aloud. Cheapest levitra prices, We will then entertain any questions or comments you might have at this time. But before we do that, let me give four reasons why we are bringing this covenant to our churchâ€™s attention at this time, buy levitra online.

The issues of physical accessibility have been an important part of our churchâ€™s consciousness as we began our vision plan for our church facilities over ten years ago. We have made some progress in making our buildings more accessible, but we realize there is much more to accessibility than ramps and elevators, order cheap levitra online. Om levitra online,

During our building projects we had small group meetings to raise our consciousness about how many different ways we were unintentionally putting up barriers to full inclusion regarding accessibility in our church, and we became determined to address them. With one of our members, For levitra online, Kevin Pettit, Wisconsin WI Wis. , becoming a Disabilities Inclusion Associate with the Rocky Mountain Conference UCC, we were given a natural opportunity to move forward

Two years ago, we began our Mental Health Ministry which has been working diligently through education and consciousness raising to reduce the stigma and provide welcome and support to those living with mental illnesses/brain disorders and their families, kjøpe levitra. This effort, Buy levitra without prescription, too, has made us more aware of accessibility issues that need to be addressed. Alan Johnson is the chair of that ministry, Koop korting levitra.

Order cheap levitra online, For the last 15 years our denomination has been working to bring awareness of accessibility to UCC congregations around the country. In 1995, Acquistare a buon mercato levitra, General Synod passed a resolution calling the UCC at all levels to embrace the spirit of the Americans with Disabilities Act, passed by Congress in 1990. In 2005, levitra online stores, General Synod passed the Called to Wholeness in Christ resolution to encourage UCC congregations to become accessible to all, Farmacia levitra baratos, and embody the spirit of the resolution passed in 1995.

To date, very few of the over 5, köpa levitra,000 UCC churches have moved forward in response to this call. Buy generic levitra, Our congregation is poised to be on the frontier of this movement and to be a beacon for other churches.

A2A --ACCESSIBLE TO ALL -- COVENANT

The First Congregational Church, United Church of Christ Boulder, Colorado

We, as members of the First Congregational Church (UCC) in Boulder, Colorado, in recognition of our human differences and various gifts, desire to become an A2A â€“ Accessible to All â€“ congregation, order cheap levitra online. This Covenant expresses our intention to extend Godâ€™s extravagant welcome to all persons, seeking to understand, Mississippi MS Miss. , include, Connecticut CT Conn. , and empower people with all differing abilities and disabilities, apparent or unapparent.

The ancient practice of hospitality is presented in the Bible as a mandate for Godâ€™s people, New Jersey NJ N.J. . This mandate requires that every body be included in the work and witness of Godâ€™s people on earth. Købe levitra, The biblical vision of the Great Banquet is of all gathered at a table dedicated to serving all. Order cheap levitra online, Barriers that diminish the access of any diminish the wholeness of all.

We affirm the 2005 Disabilities Ministries resolution â€œCalled To Wholeness in Christ,â€ as adopted by the 25th General Synod of the United Church of Christ on July 4, online levitra, 2005, honoring the Accessible to All mandate in the mission of the United Church of Christ. This resolution calls us to embody a philosophy of inclusion and interdependence and to support and implement the provisions of the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990.

CALL TO ACTION

We pledge to offer educational opportunities to understand the implications of this covenant. This includes working with our churchâ€™s Mental Health Ministry as well as the UCC Mental Illness Network, and the UCC Disabilities Ministry.

We pledge to examine our own attitudes and suppositions regarding the issues of accessibility.

We pledge to do regular audits of our facilities and programs and continue to work toward making them more accessible to all.

We pledge when calling clergy and other staff to be open to hiring persons with disabilities.

We shall be listed in the UCC Directory as an A2A congregation and we will display the blue square with the white A indicating Accessible to All.

The Church Council shall appoint an Inclusion Team to implement and oversee this Covenant. We will include people on this team who have sensitivity to the challenges and joys of people who have a disability, particularly individuals who have a disability or a loved one who does, keeping in mind the slogan, â€œNothing about us without us.â€

We will intentionally partner with persons with disabilities, including but not limited to, physical disabilities, mental illnesses/brain disorders, and/or developmental disabilities. We will also work with disability groups outside the congregation to extend our hospitality and to find opportunities to be in shared mission, ministry, and advocacy together.

We commit to recruiting, nominating and supporting persons with disabilities to serve in leadership positions within the congregation as teachers, members of boards, congregational officers, candidates for ordained and commissioned ministry, or representatives to wider church ministries.

This vote affirms that we join in the process of always becoming ever more accessible and inclusive of all of Godâ€™s people.

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Buy cheap levitra online, Organizations

Material prepared and annotated by Carole J. Wills
NAMI (Indianapolis)
Faith Communties Education Project

Posted with permission of Carole Wills

American Psychological Association

The American Psychological Association (APA) "is a scientific and professional organization that represents psychology in the United States." Its objectives include "the increase and diffusion of psychological knowledge through meetings, professional contacts, reports, papers, discussions, and publications." Visitors to the APA Web site will find many valuable resourcesâ€”including those that may be relevant to pastoral caregivers. A full-text journal database is among these resources, as is a collection of such books as Preventing Youth Substance Abuse, Listening to Battered Women, and Medical Illness and Positive Life Change. Among the films available through the APA are "Christian Counseling," "Spiritual Awareness Psychotherapy, αγοράζουν online levitra," and "Theistic Integrative Psychology."

American Psychological Association
750 First Street, NE
Washington, DC 20002-4242
(800) 374-2721
(202) 336-5500
www.apa.org/

Anabaptist Disabilities Network

The mission of Anabaptist Disabilities Network (ADNet) is to provide encouragement and resources to congregations, families, and persons with disabilities as they identify and embrace their God-given gifts and abilities in ministry to each other and to the larger church.

The Anabaptist Disabilities Network offers resources for the inclusion of persons and families with disabilities, including mental illness. Their Web site features links to mental health information and a list of online, print, and audiovisual resources, buy cheap levitra online. Materials appropriate for small group study include A Christian View of Mental Illness, A Gift of Hope, and Mommy Stayed in Bed This Morning.

Anabaptist Disabilities Network
P.O. Cheapest levitra online, Box 959
Goshen, IN 46527-0959
(574) 535-7053
(877) 214-9838 (fax)
adnet@adnetonline.org
www.adnetonline.org/

Center for Spirituality, Theology and Health

At Duke University's Medical School, Psychiatrist Harold Koenig directs the outstanding work of this center, propelled by his own chronic health challenges. The Center focuses on (1) conducting interdisciplinary research, scholarship and education on spirituality, theology and health, (2) exploring the role of faith communities in forming the health of the broader community, and (3) integrating research and scholarship into the practical disciplines of care and service with an emphasis on older adults. Buy cheap levitra online, To stay updated on religion, spirituality, and health, go to www.spiritualityandhealth.duke.edu.

Center for Spirituality, Theology and Health
Box 3825 Duke University Medical Center
Busse Building, Suite 0507
Durham, acquistare online levitra, North Carolina 27710
(919) 660-7556
(919) 668-0453 (fax)
www.spiritualityandhealth.duke.edu

Christian Council on Persons with Disabilities (CCPD)

Advocating an evangelical perspective on people with disabilities and their part in God's world, the CCPD "establishes standards that will advance the ministry gifts of persons with disabilities and encourages Christian leaders to take initiatives that will enable person with disabilities to actively and fully participate in the life and ministry of the church." They also provide connections to other member organizations that provide resources and advocate for persons with disabilities.

Christian Council on Persons with Disabilities
301 E. Pine Street, Suite 150
Orlando, FL 32801
(407) 210-3917
(407) 385-3601 (fax)
ccpd@ccpd.org
www.ccpd.org/

Depression and Bipolar Support Alliance

"Dedicated to improving the lives of people living with mood disorders," the DBS Alliance offers peer-run support groups all across the country. They also sponsor conferences, publish educational materials, advocate on behalf of those suffering from mood disorders, and supply vital informationâ€”particularly through their Web site, Levitra kopen, which features programs, publications, resources, and interactive screening tools.

Depression and Bipolar Support Alliance
730 N, buy cheap levitra online. Franklin Street, Suite 501
Chicago, IL 60610
(800) 826-3632
(312) 642-7243
programs@dbsalliance.org
www.dbsalliance.org

The Episcopal Mental Illness Network

The mission of the Episcopal Mental Illness Network (EMIN) is threefold:

â€¢To seek out and support, through prayer and action, consumers, families and/or service providers in the Episcopal Church whose lives are affected by major psychiatric disorders;
â€¢To help Episcopalians, clergy and laypersons, become aware of the nature of these illnesses and the special needs and gifts of those affected:
â€¢To reduce the stigma and misconceptions that prevail and to remove those barriers which frequently prevent persons with psychiatric illnesses and their families from participating in the full life of the Church.
The Episcopal Mental Illness Network
3604 Oakwood Road
Little Rock, Massachusetts MA Mass. , AR 72202
(501) 661-0384
eminnews@msn.com
www.eminnews.com/

FaithCEP: Faith Communities Education Project of NAMI Indianapolis

The Faith Communities Education Project serves greater Indianapolis as an interfaith mental illness education and awareness center, as well as a ministry resource center. It sponsors (1) a loan library of books, videos, and curricula especially designed for faith communities; (2) a speaker/facilitator bureau for large and small groups; (3) a May mental illness ministry conference for clergy and congregational leaders; (4) an October "Mental Illness Awareness Event" and (5) free consultations to determine your congregationâ€™s needs. FaithCep equips clergy and congregational leaders to recognize serious mental illness symptoms and offer a compassionate, informed response to parishioners challenged by severe mental illness. Buy cheap levitra online, FaithCEP: Faith Communities Education Project
NAMI Indianapolis
P.O. Box 40866
Indianapolis, IN 46240
(317) 767-7653
www.namiindy.org

Health Ministries Association, Inc.

The mission of HMA is to encourage, support, Acheter levitra, and develop whole-person ministries leading to the integration of faith and health. It is an interfaith membership organization that provides education and development in Faith Health Ministry through a network of information and referral resources. It advocates building understanding and support for the Faith-Health Movement.

Health Ministries Association, Inc
P.O. Box 529
Queen Creek, AZ 85242
(800) 280-9919
Contact through the Web site, Health Ministries Association, Inc, buy cheap levitra online.
www.hmassoc.org/

Lutheran Network on Mental Illness/Brain Disorders

This is a joint effort of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America and the Lutheran Churchâ€”Missouri Synod. Their "purpose is to assist Lutheran congregations toward more effective responses to individuals with mental illnesses or brain disorders and their families.

Their educational outreach includeds publishing a newsletter which informs clergy and churches of resources for mental health ministry.

Lutheran Network on Mental Illness/Brain Disorders
Evangelical Lutheran Church in America
8765 West Higgins Road
Chicago, IL 60631
(800) 638-3522
(773) 380-2700
(773) 380-1465 (fax)
www.elca.org/Growing-In-Faith/Ministry/Disability-Ministries/Mental-Illness/LNMIBD.aspx

Mennonite Media

Mennonite Media's mission is "to provide electronic and public media, which invite individuals to faith and challenge the church to faithfulness." They "produce videos, DVDs and Web sites, write newspaper columns, levitra pedido en línea, create radio PSA, record music groups, and much more." Award winning mental health ministry resources include videos such as Shadow Voices: Finding Hope in Mental Illness and Fierce Goodbye: Living in the Shadow of Suicide. Buy cheap levitra online, Mennonite Media
1251 Virginia Ave.
Harrisburg, VA 22802-2434
(800) 999-3534
info@MennoMedia.org www.mennomedia.org/

Mental Health America (MHA)

Mental Health America (formerly known as National Mental Health Association (NMHA), is the country's oldest and largest non-profit organization addressing all aspects of mental health and mental illness. MHA works to improve the health of all Americans, especially the 54 million individuals with mental disorders, through advocacy, education and service. MHA provides a wide variety of resources through its local affiliates which can be found through the national office. Ordering levitra online without prescription, The website offers free online fact sheets (at www.mentalhealthamerica.net/go/faqs) on anxiety disorders, depression, personality disorders, schizophrenia, substance abuse and suicide. If you or someone you know is in crisis now, seek help immediately, buy cheap levitra online. Call 1-800-273-TALK (1-800-273-8255) to reach a 24 hour crisis center or dial 911 for immediate assistance..

Mental Health America (MHA)
2001 N. Beauregard Street, 6th Floor
Alexandria, VA 22311
(703) 684-7722
(703) 684-5968 (fax)
(800) 969-6642
(800) 433-5959 (TTY)
infoctr@nmha.org
www.nmha.org/

Mental Health Ministries

The Rev. Susan Greg-Schroeder of the UMC California-Pacific Conference is a leader in mental health education and awareness, speaking out of her own life experiences in ministry and pastoral counseling. Buy cheap levitra online, She has developed resources that educate clergy and congregations, and decrease stigma associated with serious mental illnesses in faith communities. Her Web page offers prayers, cheap levitra online legally, poems, meditations, and a description of ten videos, including the award winning Creating Caring Congregations, annotated in section one. Nine other videos with discussion guides are currently available.

Click on "Mental Health Mission Moments" for a description of short (2-3 minute) DVD segments that present mental health issues. These segments can be used in worship, small groups, or classes. Also included is a Resource Guide featuring relevant scriptural passages, sermon starters, and other liturgical items, buy cheap levitra online. Here is the list of DVD segments (listed next to each segment is its length in minutes and seconds):
â€¢ Coming Out of the Dark (0:30)
â€¢ Mental Illness and Families of Faith (2:54)
â€¢ Understanding Depression (2:25)
â€¢ Addiction and Depression (2:17)
â€¢ Teenage Depression and Suicide (3:11)
â€¢ Mental Illness and Older Adults (2:32)
â€¢ Where is God in the Darkness (2:55)
â€¢ Overcoming Stigma, Comprar levitra de descuento, Finding Hope (2:56)
â€¢ Creating Caring Congregations (2:56)

Mental Health Ministries
c/o Rev. Susan Gregg-Schroeder
6707 Monte Verde Drive
San Diego, CA 92119
(619) 255-8316 (fax)
sgschroed@cox.net
www.mentalhealthministries.net

Mental Illness Network of the United Church of Christ (UCC)

The Mental Illness Network offers resources for clergy and congregations. To receive the UC News which includes the Mental Illness Network inserts, send name and address to UC News, P.O. Box 247, Bellmawr, NJ 08099-0247, or subscribe via Web. Buy cheap levitra online, Mental Illness Networkâ€”A Network within the United Church of Christ in affilliation with Disabilities Ministries
Bob Dell, Chairperson
P.O. Box 395
Ashland, MO 65039
bob.dell@ecunet.org
www.min-ucc.org/

The Mental Illness Education Project, Inc. (MIEP)

The MIEP produces and distributes mental illness/health educational videos for persons and families challenged by mental illness, bestill levitra online, mental health professionals, employers, educators, legislators, and the general public. Their videos "are used extensively by hospitals, mental health centers, universities, and advocacy organizations," but could also be used by faith communities to equip clergy and congregations in making a more informed, compassionate response to persons and families with psychiatric disorders. Levitra pharmacy, Their catalog includes the "Creating Wellness Series": (author Mary Ellen Copeland): Key Concepts for Mental Health, The Wellness Toolbox, Wellness Recovery Action Plan (WRAP); and "The Bonnie Tapes": Mental Illness in the Family, Recovering from Mental Illness, My Sister is Mentally Ill, and Families Coping with Mental Illness. Though the cost of these videos is high ($99.95), church denominational leaders, seminaries, and other faith groups could join forces to use the tapes for continuing education purposes.

The Mental Illness Education Project, Inc, buy cheap levitra online. (MIEP)
P.O. Box 470813
Brookline Village, MA 02447
Arlington, Oregon OR Ore. , VA 22201
(617) 562-1111
info@miepvideos.org
www.miepvideos.org

National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI)

The National Alliance on Mental Illness is the nationâ€™s leading grass roots advocacy non-profit organization solely dedicated to improving the lives of persons with severe mental illnessâ€”including schizophrenia, bipolar disorder (manic depressive illness), major depression, obsessive-compulsive disorder, and severe anxiety disorders. Its four pillarsâ€”education, advocacy, support, and researchâ€”give the National Alliance on Mental Illness a solid voice for the mentally ill and their families.

This organization has a host of channels through which one can receive educational materials and literature about symptoms, treatment, Billig kaufen levitra, and services for specific mental illnesses. Buy cheap levitra online, In addition, they provide the latest news about activities and events in policy, research, popular media, and education. Their Web site features information about the organization, mental illnesses, services, treatment options, and policy and programs of the National Alliance on Mental Illness. Also offered are links to state and local web sites. Their 800 number provides support, information, and referral to local affiliates. Inquiries from the general public are welcome.

National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI)
Colonel Place Three
2107 Wilson Blvd., Suite 300
Arlington, VA 22201-3042
(703) 524-7600
(703) 524-9094 (fax)
(703) 516-7227 (TDD)
(888) 999-NAMI (6264) (Member Services)
www.nami.org/
NAMI FaithNet

NAMI FaithNet is an interfaith resource for NAMI members, clergy and congregation of all faith traditions working together to create welcoming and supportive faith communities for individuals and families living with mental illness, buy cheap levitra online. FaithNet provides a wide variety of resources, including an e-newsletter, comprar levitra baratos, articles, referrals, handouts and other materials from their Web pages.

It is designed to (1) facilitate the development of a supportive faith community environment for those with serious mental illness and their families, (2) emphasize the value of spirituality in the recovery process from mental illness and in the lives of caregivers, (3) educate clergy and congregations concerning the biological basis and characteristics of mental illness, and (4) encourage advocacy by the faith community to bring hope and help to those affected by mental illness. FaithNetâ€™s free e-mail network offers pertinent book reviews, regional meeting announcements, articles, letters, Cheapest levitra in the world, and other resource materials.

FaithNet NAMI
2107 Wilson Blvd., Ste. Buy cheap levitra online, 300
Arlington, VA 22201
(800) 950-NAMI (6264)
(703) 524-9094 (fax)
faithnet@nami.org
www.nami.org/faithnet/

National Association of Catholic Chaplains

The National Association of Catholic Chaplains is "a professional association for certified chaplains and CPE (clinical pastoral educators) supervisors who participate in the healing missions of Jesus Christ. We provide standards, certification, education, advocacy, and professional development for our members." By entering "mental health" in their Web siteâ€™s search box, users will find relevant articles and links. Catholic clergy and pastoral counselors will particularly benefit from this organization and its Web site.

National Association of Catholic Chaplains
5007 S. Howell Avenue, Suite 130
Milwaukee, levitra online, WI 53207-6159
(414) 483-4898
info@nacc.org
www.nacc.org/

National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH)

An agency of the U.S. governmentâ€™s National Institutes of Health (NIH), the National Institute of Mental Health offers a wide range of free brochures, fact sheets, reports, press releases, and other educational materials on mental illnesses, mental health issues, learning disabilities, eating disorders, suicide, and medications for mental disorders, buy cheap levitra online. Free bookletsâ€”on illnesses such as anxiety disorders, autism, bipolar disorder, depression, and schizophreniaâ€”are available on the agencyâ€™s Web site and would be an economical way to supplement any church leaderâ€™s library. Check out especially "For the Public" sections of the site. Having quick access to information on a particular mental disorder helps to demystify the malady, so that a pastor or counselor can know the next step and more easily decide whether to refer a parishioner to a mental health professional. While pastoral counselors know that it is often unrealistic to expect persons with mental disorders to read about their illnesses, the literature may be helpful to church leaders and families of the mentally ill. Buy cheap levitra online, National Institute of Mental Health
Science Writing, Press, and Dessemination Branch
6001 Executive Boulevard
Rm 8184, MSC 9663
Bethesda, MD 20892-9663
(301) 443-4513
(866) 615-6464 (toll free)
(301) 443-8431 (TTY)
(866) 415-8051 (TTY toll free)
nimhinfo@nih.gov
www.nimh.nih.gov/
Pathways to Promise (Organization)

An interfaith resource center promoting a caring ministry for people with mental illness and their families, Pathways to Promise offers liturgical and educational materials, program models, and networking information. District of Columbia DC D.C. , These resources are useful to clergy and lay leaders at all levels of congregational lifeâ€”local, regional and national. Pathways provides an interactive Web site that helps congregational leaders understand 1) what to do when a person with mental illness or a family member comes for help or makes his or her presence known; 2) what programs supporting people with mental illness and their families can be developed in congregations; and 3) what agencies and organizations have helpful resources and referral information. Several of the worship planning materials, pamphlets, and bulletin inserts are available in Protestant, Jewish and Catholic versions. Other resourcesâ€”particularly for clergy and worship committees who wish to plan a service or weekend of seminarsâ€”include Mental Illness Awareness booklets, The Bible as Resource: Materials for Sermons and Articles, and Worship Resources. Pastoral caregivers, families of persons suffering from mental illness, and concerned congregational members will discover insight and advice in this organization and its Web site, buy cheap levitra online.

Pathways to Promise
5400 Arsenal Street
St. Louis, MO 63139
pathways@mimh.edu
www.pathways2promise.org/
Presbyterian Serious Mental Illness Network

The goal of PSMIN is to provide resources to carry out the mandate of the 200th General Assembly (1988) resolution on "The Church and Serious Mental Illness", Texas TX Tex. . Their materials include study guide booklets, videos with study guides, posters, bulletin inserts, and worship planning resources. Find out "how the PC(USA) envisions ministry by, with and to persons affected by serious mental illness". Buy cheap levitra online, Presbyterian Serious Mental Illness Network
Nancy Troy
100 Witherspoon Street
Louisvile, KY 40202-1396
(858)728-7228 x5800
ntroy@ctr.pcusa.org
www.pcusa.org/phewa/resources/resources-psmin.htm (resources page)
QPR Instituteâ€”Suicide Prevention Training

The QPR Institute offers comprehensive suicide prevention training programs as well as educational and clinical materials for the general public, professionals and institutions. For the general public, the QPR Institute (with more than 1,200 certified trainers) offers suicide prevention training throughout the United States. Schools, Cheap levitra pills, service clubs, fire departments, churches, youth groups, and hundreds of other organizations have received the QPR gatekeeper training program.

QPR Instituteâ€”Suicide Prevention Training
P.O. Box 2867
Spokane, WA 99220
(888) 726-7926 (509) 536-5100
(509) 536-5400 (fax)
qinstitute@qwestoffice.net
www.qprinstitute.com

Refuah

Refuah, a Hebrew word meaning "healing," is an organization which offers support, education, and advocacy to family members, consumers, buy cheap levitra online, and mental health workers in their area.

Refuah
P.O, buy cheap levitra online. Box 1212
Randolph, MA 02368
((781) 961-2815
nblrefuah@aol.com
www.refuahboston.org

SAVE: Suicide Awareness Voices of Education

SAVE provides educational resources, awareness campaigns and public service announcements to prevent suicide and give voice to suicide survivors. In an emergency, call: National Hopeline Network 1 800-SUICIDE (784-2433). See address below for other information.

SAVE: Suicide Awareness Voices of Education
9001 E. Buy cheap levitra online, Bloomington Fwy.
Suite #150
Bloomington, MN 55420
(800) 273-TALK (8225)
www.save.org

Suicide Prevention Resource Center

The Suicide Prevention Resource Center (SPRC) is a project within the Education Development Center's Health and Human Development Programs (HHD). The SPRC provides support services designed to help states and communities increase their capacity to prevent suicide. Osta alennus levitra, It also informs the work of researchers and suicide prevention professionals with evidence-based practices.

Prevention Specialists (PSs) help advance suicide prevention efforts through telephone consultations and the Internet, as well as through meetings and conferences. PSs are assigned both geographically and by priority populations, buy cheap levitra online. Communities of practice are also eligible for consultations.

Based on the best available evidence, SPRC encourages a public health model of prevention and a coalition approach to planning. Coalitions at the state, territory, local, or interest-group level, or "prevention networks," are the primary recipients of SPRC prevention support services.

Suicide Prevention Resource Center
Education Development Center, Michigan MI Mich. , Inc. Buy cheap levitra online, 55 Chapel Street
Newton, MA 02458-1060
(877) GET-SPRC (438-7772)
(617) 969-9186 (fax)
info@sprc.org
www.sprc.org

Union for Reform Judaism
Department of Jewish Family Concerns

The Union for Reform Judaism (URJ) Department of Jewish Family Concerns "seeks to transform every Reform synagogue from a place of casual association into an inclusive and caring community to which all can come to worship, mourn, rejoice, and connect." UAHC representatives help Reform congregations on an individual or group basis to establish Caring Community/Family Concerns committees and programs. As an educational resource and referral service, the Department of Jewish Family Concerns addresses mental health topics, in addition to teen suicide, eating disorders, disabilities, developmental needs, bioethics, and the special concerns of older adults. Offerings include workshops, networking, Acheter en ligne levitra, consultations, referrals, program initiatives, and a wide variety of published materials in each of these areas. One of the UAHCâ€™s newest publications is the Mental Health Awareness: Congregational Resource and Program Guide. Synagogues seeking to learn more about becoming a Caring Congregation will find this program and its Web site invaluable.

The Department of Jewish Family Concerns
Union for Reform Judaism
633 Third Avenue
New York, NY 10017
(212) 650-4294
(212) 650-4239 (fax)
jfc@urj.org
urj.org/jfc/

United Methodist Church Mental Illness Network

This mental health resources page of the United Methodist General Board of Church and Society describes their legislative advocacy, the work of the UM Mental Illness Network, and information and links to their "Caring Community Program" and "Awareness" resources, buy cheap levitra online. To access the mental health pages from the home page, choose "Health and Wholeness" from the right column menu, then at the bottom of that page, click on "mental health". Find resources by clicking on the top menu button.

United Methodist Church Mental Illness Network
General Board of Church and Society
Cynthia Abrams
100 Maryland Avenue, NE
Washington, levitra ordine on-line, DC 20002
(202) 488-5629
cabrams@umc.gbcs.org
www.umc-gbcs.org/site/

Virginia Interfaith Committee on Mental Illness Ministries (VICOMIM)

VICOMIM is a significant resource for clergy and congregations desiring to help ease and carry the burden of mental illness on persons and families of faith. Though founded by the Virginia Annual Conference United Methodist Church, VICOMIM educates clergy and laity of all faiths to develop awareness and sensitivity within faith communities about mental illness. Buy cheap levitra online, Its members include representatives from many faiths, as well as mental health care providers and associations. Programs, assistance, and resources are offered to faith communities developing their own ministries for persons with mental illness and their families. VICOMIMâ€™s Web site presents lists of books, booklets, brochures, classes, music, publications and newsletters, messages and sermons, video tapes, and links to other Web sites. This is an excellent resource for clergy, lay leaders, and health ministry workers.

Virginia Interfaith Committee on Mental Illness Ministries (VICOMIM)
(800) 768-6040
vicomim@yahoo.com
www.vaumc.org/index.cfm/fa/content.view/menuID/888.htm

Levitra Over The Counter - (10/31/2009)

Levitra over the counter, Printed, Audio-Visual, and Web-Based Media in the Area of Mental Health
Annotated by Carole J. Wills, NAMI (Indianapolis), Faith Communities Education Project
Posted with permission of the author.

For Faith Communities (Congregations and Clergy)

Blue Genes: Breaking Free from the Chemical Imbalances that Effect Your Moods, Your Mind, Your Life, and Your Loved Ones (Book)
Paul Meier, M.D., Todd Clemens,M.D., Jean-Luc Bertran, D.M.D., David Mandt Sr., M.A., Authors. Carol Stream, IL: Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., 2005.

This team of doctors from the well-known Christian-based Meier Clinics has assembled a down-to-earth guide to understanding the many factors related to mood disorders (depression, bipolar disorder, anxiety disorder and obsessive-compulsive disorder). Without over-simplifying the complex relationships of "blue genes," brain chemistry, environment and life choices, they tackle the proper use of medications, counseling, spiritual disciplines, alternative or "natural" treatments, diet, exercise and sleep, levitra over the counter. They devote entire chapters to paranoia, loneliness, ADD, hormones, nutrition, mood swings and the ethical dilemmas posed by advancements in brain research. Suitable for group or individual study.

Creating Caring Congregations (Video)
Distributed by Mental Health Ministries. Duration: 30 minutes. Levitra over the counter, Rev. Susan Gregg-Schroeder provides here a useful tool for building awareness about mental illnesses and practical steps in developing a congregation that provides an informed, compassionate response to persons and families touched by severe mental illnesses. Three positive testimonials offering insight into the lived experience of mental illness could stand alone for Mental Illness Awareness programs, ordering levitra overnight delivery. The last section summarizes five steps toward developing mental health ministriesâ€”a video well worth the investment.

The Congregation: A Community of Care and Healing (Booklet)
Presbyterian Church (U.S.A)/Presbyterian Serious Mental Illness Network

If your congregation needs a place to start in mental health awareness and education, this six-unit serious mental illness resource would be an excellent guide. The first two sections on mental illness cover the myth and reality of mental illnesses, its definitions, signs and symptoms and pointers for reaching out and responding to those with a mental illness and their families, levitra over the counter. Section three offers pastoral resources such as prayers, responsive readings, sermon starters and hymn suggestions, and statements and resolutions. Sections four, five and six provide resources for youth and adult studies and a short list of organizations and books. Though this is a concise, practical handbook developed to help Presbyterian churches carry out the mandate of their 1988 resolution on "The Church and Serious Mental Illness," it can easily be adapted by other faith traditions for adult and youth study groups. (Note: After clicking on the title above, scroll down the "Serious Mental Illness Resources" Web page to find this resource.)

Fierce Goodbye: Living in the Shadow of Suicide (Video)
Produced by Mennonite Media in Cooperation with Faith and Values Media. Levitra over the counter, Duration: 44 minutes.

This documentary won four major awards in the 2005 World/festâ€”Houston Film Festival. It is hosted by Judy Collins, folksinger, author of Sanity and Grace, and survivor of her son's suicide. Also featured is Kay Redfield Jamison, professor of psychiatry at Johns Hopkins University. Fierce Goodbye offers hope and healing and presents a difficult subject from experiential, spiritual, medical, and theological viewpoints. Additional resources, articles, sermons, links, and a place to share stories and experiences are offered on the Fierce Goodbye Web site, levitra over the counter. As with other resources listed here, click on the title to link to the resource provider. You may also order it by dialing 1-800-999-3534 (US) or 800-565-1810 (CN).

Gifts of the Shadow (Video)
Duration: 25 minutes.

In this companion to the book In the Shadow of Godâ€™s Wings, Susan Gregg-Schroeder explores the spiritual gifts she has gained through her struggles with depression: vulnerability, discovery of oneâ€™s authentic self, patience, Ordering levitra no prescription, living with paradox, creativity, and hope. Levitra over the counter, The video and accompanying discussion guide would be suitable for adult Christian education classes or small group study, and is particularly recommended for use with In the Shadow of Godâ€™s Wings.

Honest Talk about Serious Mental Illness
(Video and Study Guide) Office of Health Ministries, Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) and Bridge Resources

With an estimated twenty percent of American children suffering from a diagnosable emotional or behavioral disorder, the Presbyterian Church Serious Mental Illness Network has taken steps to educate young people. With the leadership of youth leaders, teens can use this excellent video and study guide to learn the difference between what is normal and what may be signs of serious mental illness - for the sake of their own health and that of their friends. They will discover the various causes, symptoms of and treatment for depression, schizophrenia, anxiety disorders, bipolar disorders. In addition, they will explore the role of the family, community and church in supporting persons with these treatable brain disorders. Excellent materials for middle school and high school youth groups, levitra over the counter. (Note: After clicking on the title above, scroll down the "Serious Mental Illness Resources" Web page to find this resource.)

In the Shadow of God's Wings: Grace in the Midst of Depression (Book)
Susan Gregg-Schroeder, Author. Nashville: Upper Room Books, 1998.

Written by a United Methodist minister who has struggled with clinical depression, In the Shadow of Godâ€™s Wings offers moving insights into the personal struggles and spiritual lessons that can be learned from the dark journey through mental illness. Five chapters deal with the journey into, through, and out of chronic, debilitating depression. Levitra over the counter, The author reveals insightful viewpoints from having wrestled with the philosophical and theological questions and biases that move her through suffering to renewal. A companion video, Gifts In the Shadows, is also available, along with a group study guide. The book, video, and group study guide would be suitable for adult Christian education classes or small group study.

Including People with Disabilities in Faith Communities: A Guide for Service Providers, levitra without a prescription, Families, and Congregations (Book)
Erik W. Carter, Author. Baltimore, MD: Brookes Publishing, 2007

Erik Carter establishes a strong case for congregations to examine closely and take serious their claim (if they have made it) that their faith community welcomes all people, levitra over the counter. The book addresses deeper meanings of hospitality, belonging, community, natural supports and reciprocity. Carter also offers practical suggestions for designing religious education programs, for becoming more responsive to the needs of persons with disabilities and how to tap into the community resources of providers and other agencies. He writes as Assistant Professor, Department of Rehabilitation Psychology and Special Education at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Here is an excellent book for church leadership and lay groups to study.

Living with Loss Levitra over the counter, (Book)
Dan Moseley, Author. Nashville, TN: Xyzzy Press, 2008.

Out of his own grief and loss, Moseley shares the gradual, gentle processes of letting go and starting over that brought him healing and hope. Whether these turning points result from personal choices or circumstances beyond our control, or both, Moseley leads us to better understand and grow through the ten stages of adjusting to new chapters in our lives. The reader will sense Moseley's authentic sensitivity, and find the book useful for small group study, personal reading or pastoral care giving.

Mental Illness and Faith Community Outreach (Web Resource)
Deacon Tom and Rita Lambert, Authors, levitra over the counter. Chicago, IL: Archdiocese of Chicago, 2006.

The Lamberts have created several short, practical resources in this 22 page downloadable document for educating churches about mental illness. The web site www.miministry.org was developed by the Catholic Archdiocese of Chicago Commission on Mental Illness and Faith and Fellowship for People with Mental Illness. Sections that can be used in bulletin inserts, education classes and newsletters cover a wide range of subjects including the need, West Virginia WV W.Va. , the faith community's role, a theological framework for ministry, prayers, facts, and a sample workshop. Levitra over the counter, Suitable for individual use, but especially for those in leadership, teaching roles.

Mental Illness and Your Town: 37 Ways for Communities to Help and Heal (Book)
Larry Hayes, Author. Ann Arbor, MI: Loving Healing Press, 2009.

If you are not already aware of the myriad of challenges faced by individuals and families living with chronic mental illness, this book will certainly open your eyes. Mental health advocates and social justice teams will find a wealth of practical and much-needed steps to increase public awareness and empathy towards those challenged by mental illness, to improve services and to break down barriers to treatment. Suggestions are arranged in categories from simple & inexpensive to more ambitious projects that require time, team-work and funding, levitra over the counter. Suitable for either individual or group study and action.

Mental Illness Awareness Interfaith Worship Resources (Booklets)

Worship Resources; The Bible as a Resource: Materials for Sermons and Articles; and Caring Congregations: Observations and Commentary are three booklets in a series which provide poems, scripture, sermon starters, readings, prayers, sample services, and reflectionsâ€”a wealth of ideas and materials to use during the first week of October, Mental Illness Awareness Week, or during May, Mental Health Month.

No Longer Alone (Book and Video)
John Toews and Eleanor Lowen, Authors. Scottdale, PA: Herald Press, 1995. Levitra over the counter, A book and two-part video set designed for the faith community, No Longer Alone forms an outstanding foundational study of mental health issues. The ten video sessions, capturing seminars presented by Christian psychiatrist John Toews, are an essential teaching aid to the book. In each chapter, four sectionsâ€”Opening Thoughts, billiga levitra apotek, A Story, Focus, and Searchâ€”weave relevant inspirational material into an exploration of mental health and mental illness issues. Toews and Eleanor Loewen first cover What Is Mental Health?, Mental Health and Life Stages, Who Sinned?, and The Need for Healing. In these and the following sections, Bible passages support and complement the psychological, social, and biological material. Each lesson ends with a set of questions that provide opportunity for reflection and response, levitra over the counter. For example, in the chapter entitled The Need for Healing, the questions include, â€œWhat is your definition of sin. How would you describe the relationship between sin and spiritual well-being. How do we minister to persons who fear getting healed or cured?â€ The authors have created a unique resource suitable for adult Christian education courses in small or large group gatherings.

Nobody Knows: The Church and Depression (Video)
Distributed by Seraphim Communications, Inc. Levitra over the counter, Duration: 20 minutes

"Itâ€™s not OK to talk about how bad you feel for fear of being criticized or judged a weak person, a failure." "It was like living on the edge of suicide. Itâ€™s not that I wanted to die, but that I couldnâ€™t stand to think of living the next thirty minutes." These are the sentiments of persons who, despite their dark and long journeys with clinical depression, are living successfully as survivors. Current research shows that 1 in every 10 men, and 1 in every 5 women, suffer from depression before the age of 40. Nobody Knows presents excellent material for opening a dialogue on this common emotional disorder. In addition to sharing the spiritual and emotional struggles of depression, the video describes the healing role of the faith community. Every congregation needs a forum and opportunity to learn and talk about depression, levitra over the counter. With a facilitator guide offering introductory material and follow-up activities, this film provides a non-technical but educational resource for small group study.

Overcoming Hurts & Anger: Finding Freedom from Negative Emotions (Book)
Dwight L. Carlson, Arizona AZ Ariz. , M.D., Author. Eugene, OR: Harvest House Publishers, 2000. Levitra over the counter, Dr. Carlsonâ€”specialist in both internal medicine and psychiatry, and a diligent student of the Bibleâ€”has written another valuable resource for those who struggle with anger. After a broad and careful exploration of the problem ("Misconceptions about Anger," "Camouflaging Anger," "The Catastrophic Results of Mishandled Anger"), the book explores "Biblical Principles about Anger," and offers several chapters on handling anger and communicating constructively. This would also be a valuable resource for pastoral and lay counselors.

A Place To Come Back To: Mental Illness and the Church (Video)
Distributed by Seraphim Communications, Inc. Duration: 29 minutes, levitra over the counter.

A Place to Come Back To provides an excellent theological and practical launching point for churches considering ways to reach those with mental health problems. While it confronts the viewer with the potential devastation facing many suffering from mental illness, the film presents alternatives to ignoring the problems. For example, one congregation offers a monthly fellowship meal, with music and entertainment involving mentally ill guests from nearby group homes. Another medium-sized inner city church provides hot meals and a place to sleep. Levitra over the counter, In another congregation, a father pleads for someone to befriend his sonâ€”someone to call and spend time with his son. The role and value of the church in the lives of those living with mental illness is highlighted. Conversely, the gifts and contributions of persons with mental illness are also stressed. The church not only gives care, but receives blessings. A Place to Come Back To provides striking facts about mental illness and workable examples of how the church can reach persons and families living with mental illness. For small groups desiring to begin a ministry in this area, and as a tool for educating the entire congregation, this video is a significant resource, levitra over the counter.

Serious Mental Illness: Seeking a Comprehensive Christian Response (Web Resource)
Task Force on Serious Mental Illness, Developer. Louisville, KY: Advisory Committee on Social Witness, PCUSA, 2006.

This short curriculum is a Church-wide Study Document developed by the Task Force on Serious Mental Illness of the Advisory Committee on Social Witness Policy of the Presbyterian Church USA, kopen goedkope levitra. Written for four one-hour study groups, the sessions discuss (1) What is Serious mental Illness. Levitra over the counter, (2) Serious Mental Illness in Context; (3) Biblical and Theological Perspectives on Mental Illness; and (4) the Churches' Ministry with Serious Mental Illness. Each session begins with a scripture setting and ends with discussion questions and prayer. Appropriate for college age through senior adult discussion groups.

Shadow Voices: Finding Hope in Mental Illness (Video)
Produced and distributed by Mennonite Media. Duration: 58 minutes.

This hour-long video "deals with stigma, recovery, and hope regarding mental illness." Ten persons from amny sectors of American life tell their stories while mental health experts and advocates add perspective and insights, levitra over the counter. Among the film's featured guests are U.S. First Lady Rosalyn Carter and former U.S. Surgeon General Dr. David Satcher. Levitra over the counter, This film helps support families who have a mentally ill loved one, and helps congregations know better how to relate to those living with mental illness.

Souls in the Hands of a Tender God: Stories of the Search for Home and Healing on the Streets (Book)
Craig Rennebohm with David Paul, Authors. Boston, MA: Beacon Press, 2008.

For those who dare to better understand and minister to homeless people on the streets who struggle with mental illness, Souls in the Hands of a Tender God will challenge complacency and stereotypical thinking. Rennebohm and Paul's poignant stories demonstrate the value of each person and illustrate what true companionship looks like. Chaplain Rennebohm's own battles with serious depression have gifted him with deep insight into human frailty and God's gracious presence in suffering, levitra over the counter. With or without the companion discussion guide, Conversations, this book is excellent for personal reading or adult education classes, especially those of urban churches.

Strength for His People: A Ministry for Families of the Mentally Ill (Book)
Steven Waterhouse, Author. Amarillo, TX: Westcliff Bible Press, 1994.

Speaking from the experience of having a brother with schizophrenia, Pastor Steven Waterhouse shares the painful impact of mental illness on a Christian family. Levitra over the counter, While the author does not speak out strongly on the biochemical origins of brain disorders, he carefully brings to the forefront several concerns seldom addressed in other materialsâ€”particularly the valid and invalid theories of schizophreniaâ€™s causes and the relationship of psychiatry to religion. Other difficult issues addressed are the emotional response in the family and the eternally tough question, Why do bad things happen to good people. With a frank discussion on differentiating schizophrenia from demon influence, this work is extremely thought provoking for individual or small group study. Generic levitra, Walking Together: The Community of Faith and Mental Illness (Curriculum)
Archdiocese of Auckland, New Zealand, Developer. St. Louis, MO: Pathways to Promise, 2006, levitra over the counter.

Pathways to Promise publishes this "training workshop for faith communities interested in supporting people with mental illness in their worship and community life." The materials are designed for a one-day 3-5 hour session for committed church-goers, who are willing to take a journey of discovery about themselves as they learn about mental illness. Teaching suggestions and visual aids are supplied with the core content.

What Should I Know about Someone Who Abuses Alcohol or Other Drugs. (Booklet)
Charles E. Levitra over the counter, Dodgen, Ph.D., Author. Holmes Beach, FL: Learning Publications, 1998.

Family and friends who suspect a loved one of sub-stance abuse will find help in this short booklet. It addresses the most elementary questions: What is â€¦substance abuse. Why do people abuse drugs. If someone I love shows signs of substance abuse, what should I do, levitra over the counter. Where is treatment available. How should I choose a therapist. How long should treatment last and what kinds of changes can be expected. What can be done to prevent relapse. Levitra over the counter, The booklet would be helpful to clergy, lay counselors, Stephen Ministers, and family members who have little or no training in substance abuse issues and who feel responsible to encourage change.

Why Do Christians Shoot Their Wounded?: Helping (Not Hurting) Those with Emotional Difficulties (Book)
Dwight L. Carlson, Author. Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 1994.

Although its title refers to Christians, this book addresses biases and misinformation that are not unique to Christian communities. Dwight Carlson, a physician and psychiatrist, cites scientific evidence to restore peace and dignity to those who have been told by well-meaning individuals that their mental illness is due to sin, spiritual weakness, or lack of faith, levitra over the counter. Pointing to substantial research findings, Carlson takes issue with prominent Christian writers and speakers who over-simplify emotional distress. â€œMany Christians who speak or write on emotional symptoms such as depression, anxiety, phobias, or obsessive thoughts donâ€™t have the faintest idea how enormous these infirmities can be.â€ Carlsonâ€™s book outlines the complexity of causes that lead to emotional illness: biological and genetic factors, developmental and environmental influences, and personal life style choices, order levitra pills. The author follows these arguments with constructive positions for the church to take. Another unique aspect is the appendix, entitled â€œAre Drugs of the Devil or Tools for Healing?â€ This book will enable pastoral care providers and others to gain a new perspective on mental and emotional illness. Levitra over the counter, In addition, it will provide plenty of material for discussion in small or large groups.

Why You Should Give Your Pastor a Sabbatical (Video)
The Alban Institute, Distributor. Duration: 50 minutes (two 25-minute segments)

The constant overwhelming demands on pastors often unnecessarily lead to burnout and/or frequent turn over in pastoral appointments. With forethought and wise budgeting, however, every church can enhance their pastor's spiritual, emotional and mental health by offering a sabbatical. This in turn will lead to greater vitality in his/her leadership and in the church itself. This video lays out the why's and how's in two parts, levitra over the counter. Especially appropriate for lay leaders, elders and church board members.

For Pastoral Caregivers

Care Notes (Pamphlets)
Writers from One Caring Place, Authors. St. Meinrad, IN: One Caring Place (imprint of Abbey Press). Levitra over the counter, These short (8-10 page), inexpensive, and sensitively written Care Notes pamphlets deal with a wide variety of spiritual, mental and emotional challenges for people of all ages and stages of lifeâ€”children, teens, parents, single adults, and seniors. They are based on current medical and counseling practices, and offer further reading suggestions at the end of each positive, balanced piece. Sample topics range from grief, serious illness, depression, anxiety, chronic illness, and anger to forgiveness, stress, unanswered prayer, and addiction. One Caring Place (an imprint of Abbey Press) offers these in bulk rates for individual use, or church foyer display stands. An excellent tool for chaplains, Ordering levitra online legally, counselors, and individuals who care.

The Caring Church: A Guide for Lay Pastoral Care (Book)
Howard W, levitra over the counter. Stone, Author. Minneapolis, MN: Fortress Press, 1993.

Since pastoral care can easily consume a large portion of a pastorâ€™s week, most clergy wish for a pool of trained lay persons to assist with visiting and personal caregiving. Here is a thorough, yet easy-to-use, resource for training such a pool. Levitra over the counter, Howard Stone, professor of pastoral psychology at Brite Divinity School, first builds the theological foundation for lay pastoral care. He then provides lesson plans for eight training sessions: What is Pastoral Care?; The Care Relationship; Listening and Responding; Hospital and Shut-in Visitation; Care in Situations of Grief; Case Studies; Problem Solving and Referral; and Wrapping it Up. Recommended for group study and instruction.

Caring for the Soul (R'fuat HaNefesh): A Mental Health Resource and Study Guide (Book)
Richard F. Address, Editor. New York: URJ Press, 2003, levitra over the counter.

Caring for the Soul is a sensitively written resource for persons of all faiths. It presents a variety of suggested scriptures, sermons, and services in the section entitled, "How May We Use Jewish Liturgy to Address Mental Illness in Our Communities?" Other important questions are addressed in other chapters: "What Do Jewish Texts Have to Say about Mental Illness?"; "Whence Will Come Our Aid?: Jewish Readings of Comfort and Encouragement"; "What is Mental Illness. What Can Congregations Do to Help the Mentally Ill and Their Families?" Appendices include "Additional Resources" [organizations]; and "Responses and Resolutions Regarding Mental Illness." Clergy and worship planners would benefit from adding this to their library.

Christian Caregiving: A Way of Life (Book)
Kenneth C. Levitra over the counter, Haugk, Author. Minneapolis, MN: Augsburg Fortress, 1984.

In this practical book, Kenneth Haugk (founder of Stephen Ministries) sets forth the value of a holistic approach to care-giving which combines the theological with the psychological. He outlines the pitfalls, advantages, goals, and resources of holistic care. He also urges a long-term, process-oriented approach to care-giving, pharmacie levitra bon marché. Particularly in the care of persons with serious mental illnesses, Haugk emphasizes the importance of listening and learning the needs of the care-receiver, levitra over the counter. With an accompanying Leader's Guide, this book is appropriate for small group or individual study.

Churches That Heal: Becoming a Church That Mends Broken Hearts and Restores Shattered Lives (Book)
Doug Murren, Author. West Monroe, LA: Howard Publishing, 1999.

Doug Murren knows both sides of the story when it comes to hurtful churchesâ€”as a senior pastor of a large church that effectively ministered to hurting parishioners from other less sensitive congregations, and as a respected Christian who lives with the unpredictable cycles of bipolar disorder. Levitra over the counter, Murrenâ€™s openness was and is not always well received by less informed fellow Christians. In this insightful book, he offers first hand wisdom on why churches donâ€™t heal, what happens when churches donâ€™t heal, creating a healing environment, and related topics. Murren holds another unique perspectiveâ€”that of a conservative Christian with strong allegiance to Christ Jesus as the Great Physician, and a man who values the role of modern medical science for the treatment of severe mental illnesses and addiction. Here is an invaluable resource for every senior pastor, his staff, and lay leaders.

Depression Awareness and Suicide Prevention: Information Everyone Can Use (Web Resource)
Minneapolis, MN: SAVE (Suicide Awareness Voices of Education), 2004.

No clergy or congregation is immune to the ravages of mood disorders, levitra over the counter. Sadly, in more extreme cases, undiagnosed and untreated depression can be terminal. Every congregational leader needs awareness to perceive the seriousness of a parishionerâ€™s depressive disorder or suicidal tendency. This Web resource describes the various types of depressive illnesses as well as their causes and treatments. Also discussed are the symptoms of various age groups, warning signs of suicide, and how to ask preventive questions. Levitra over the counter, This material is well suited for small group instruction or individual study.

A Healing Homiletic: Preaching and Disability (Book)
Kathy Black, Author. Nashville, Buy levitra overnight delivery, TN: Abingdon Press, 1996.

Here is an excellent book to heighten your congregation's sensitivity to the needs and special gifts of persons with different abilities. It offers new approaches to preaching the healing narratives of the four Gospels and challenges readers to distinguish between cure and healing. Speaking from first-hand experience with a disability, and from many years working with the deaf community, Rev, levitra over the counter. Black first explains the nature of blindness, deafness, paralysis, leprosy, chronic illness, and mental illness. In addition, she clarifies the various causes, treatments and adaptive measures. Black forthrightly examines the ways that faith communities overtly or unintentionally exclude persons with disabilitiesâ€”whether through insensitive preaching that equates disabilities with sin or lack of faith, through inattention to the physical design of the building, or through false assumptions about the contributions and giftedness of person with disabilities. Recommended for every pastor and director of special ministries. Levitra over the counter, In the Shadow of Our Steeples: Pastoral Presence for Families Coping with Mental Illness (Book)
Stewart D. Govig, Author. New York: Haworth Press, Inc., 1999.

With a pastorâ€™s heart, Stewart Govig shares first-hand the pain mental illness inflicts on individuals and families; his son suffers from schizophrenia. Govig paints convincing portraits of need, isolation, and ongoing loss due to mental illness. Most helpful, however, are assessments of realistic ways a pastor can become the â€œlead learnerâ€ for his congregation in fighting stigma, prejudicial language, and public bias against persons with mental illnesses, levitra over the counter. Busy clergy, who take seriously their responsibility to care for parishionersâ€™ needs, will appreciate the inclusion of mental health ministry models, Bible study and discussion outlines, and a list of professional agencies to whom they can refer members in need of further support and education. In the Shadow of Our Steeples is a fine book for individual reading in pastoral care and health ministries.

The Integration of Psychology and Theology: An Introduction (Book)
John D. Carter and Bruce Narramore, order levitra, Authors. Levitra over the counter, Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 1979.

The times seem to be more ripe for this book than when it was published. Doctors and theologians now openly recognize that "there is a great deal to be gained from a continuing dialogue between psychology and theology." Although this book was written in 1979, it is unique and still available. No other resources reviewed for this web page have as thoroughly and precisely discussed the barriers to integrating psychology and theologyâ€”nor have they so thoroughly discussed the scope and process of such integration. After reading the authors' analysis of the positions and working assumptions informing both disciplines, the reader more fully understands why clergy and mental health professionals often feel uncomfortable working together. The authors effectively present four models of integration (or lack of it), levitra over the counter. They conclude by outlining the best integration model from their orthodox Christian position. An excellent resource for all pastoral counselors, whether they are professional or lay persons.

The Meaning of Faith and Mental Illness (Book)
Greg Denniston, Author. Bloomington, IN: AuthorHouse, 2006. Levitra over the counter, The questions that arise at the intersection of faith and mental illness are not easily answered. Greg Denniston wrestles with these questions through his experiences as chaplain, therapist and consumer of mental health services. He recounts his journey to recovery using his theological training to explore making meaning out of the pathologies he experienced. Several Bible passages are examined with candor and humility. To some it may seem that Denniston poses unorthodox interpretations and language in discussing familiar passages, but his book will spawn vibrant group discussion about the struggles of Christians who live with mental illness.

Pastoral Care of the Mentally Ill: A Handbook for Pastors (Book)
J.A, levitra over the counter. Davis, Author. Parkland, FL: Univeral Publishers, 2000.

Having served for over ten years as a psychiatric hospital chaplain and ordained Episcopal priest, Rev. Davis offers stories from a wide background of experiences working with adolescents and adultsâ€”both in the chaplaincy and as a teacher of special needs adolescents. Levitra over the counter, Using the anecdotal approach, he provides the reader with insight into four major mental illness: eating disorders, bipolar disorder, clinical depression, and schizophrenia. Rev. Davis offers clinical considerations about each illness and wisdom about pastoral concerns unique to each. For individual study.

The Pastorâ€™s Guide to Psychological Disorders and Treatments (Book)
W. Brad Johnson and William L, levitra over the counter. Cheap levitra online, Johnson, Authors. New York: Haworth Press, Inc., 2000.

Father and son, both psychologists, bring together this easy-to-read manual for assessing psychological and psychiatric disorders. The authors include chapters on maladaptive personalities and childhood and relationship problems. Levitra over the counter, Each chapter explains the disorders, provides a summary and pastoral guidelines, and features sidebars listing key indicators of each illness. The exploration of mental health treatment includes descriptions of various types of therapy, psychiatric medications, alcohol and drug treatment programs, eating disorder treatment programs, hypnosis, and electro-convulsive therapy. The authors also examine the value and problems of self-help books, as well as books recommended by Christian psychologists. Summaries of the ten top-rated self-help books and guidelines for evaluating self-help books are provided. A discussion of ethical standards and strategies for responding to unethical behavior rounds out this useful tool for any clergy or counselorâ€™s library.

Pathways to Understanding: Manuals and a Videotape on Ministry and Mental Illness (Instructor and Student Manuals and Video)
Jennifer Shifrin, Author, levitra over the counter. St. Louis: Pathways to Promise.

Jennifer Shifrin has collected a helpful and versatile resource for clergy and lay leaders who work with congregants experiencing mental illness. Section I, The Faith Community and Mental Illness, includes a brief history of the faith communityâ€™s response to mental illness, a basic introduction to the major mental illnesses, theological perspectives, and pastoral care issues. Levitra over the counter, Section II, The Person and the Family, provides a more in-depth study of the pastorâ€™s role, when to counsel, when to refer, what to do in a crisis, and working with the family. Section III presents the printed scripts of the companion video. Section IV, The Community and Its Resources, includes information about mental health systems providers, agencies and organizations, legal issues, referral forms, New Mexico NM N.Mex. , and a listing of organizations that provide information, resources, referral, and support services. As well as defining mental illnesses and legal terms, the appendix offers tips on choosing a housing arrangement and locating a missing person. An extensive bibliography and denominational position statements on mental illness are also featured in this key resource for pastoral caregivers.

A Relentless Hope: Surviving the Storm of Teen Depression (Book)
Gary E, levitra over the counter. Nelson, Author. Eugene, OR: Cascade Books, 2007.

Gary Nelson's story-telling gift, along with his expertise as a pastoral counselor and father of a teen who suffered with clinical depression, certainly hold the reader's attention. In addition, Nelson provides compassionate insights and practical suggestions for navigating the stormy years of teen depression. Levitra over the counter, With teen depression effecting many of our young peopleâ€”even those from Christian homesmdash;this book is a must-read for more than family and friends. It will give youth workers, church and school teachers greater knowledge of the illness, sympathy for the teens and families and direction for what helps and what hurts.

Resurrecting the Person: Friendship and the Care of People with Mental Health Problems (Book)
John Swinton, Author. Nashville: Abingdon Press, 2000.

John Swinton confronts the notion that mental illness is not relevant to a faith communityâ€™s mission. He states, "This is a book about radical friendship, levitra over the counter. It is a call to the church to rediscover its prophetic roots in the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ, and to reclaim its identity as the friend and protector of the poor, the outcast, and the stranger." As a former psychiatric nurse and mental health chaplain, the author unfolds the manifold dimensions of poverty and stigma forced upon the mentally ill by both society and faith communities. With prophetic force, Levitra discount, he advances a challenge to the church: solidarity and friendship with persons suffering from mental illness enables the church to embody Jesus' unconditional and liberating love. Swinton urges readers to examine their willingness to welcome "the stranger" and thereby help to resurrect the person behind the illness. A practical friendship-building model is outlined based on a partnership between psychiatric chaplain, congregation, and persons with mental health problems. Levitra over the counter, This book provides solid theological material for clergy and denominational leaders who dare to examine the premises and practices of their mission and ministry.

The Right Road: Life Choices for Clergy (Book)
Gwen Wagstrom Halaas, M.D., Author. Minneapolis, MN: Augsburg Fortress, 2004.

Achieving and maintaining overall health and well-being is a challenge for everyone in our fast-paced world. But for clergy, doctors and other caregivers, it is even more difficult. Who should know better than the wife of a pastor who also is a family physician, levitra over the counter. In The Right Road, Gwen Halaas speaks from first-hand experience about the importance of clergy and other care-givers developing life-style choices that promote physical, emotional, intellectual, relational, vocational and spiritual wellness. She offers sobering facts with practical suggestions and self-assessment tools. Admonitions from theologians and scripture are interwoven with questions for personal or group reflection. Suitable for group or individual study. Levitra over the counter, The Soul in Distress: What Every Pastoral Counselor Should Know about Emotional and Mental Illness (Book)
Richard W. Roukema, Author. New York: Haworth Press Inc., 1997.

Recognizing the demands and complexities facing pastors who minister to troubled parishioners, Christian psychiatrist Richard Roukema brings a unique perspective, compassionate professionalism, and a wealth of information to this book. Addressing both the common concerns and the conflicts of religion and psychiatry, he examines the roles that each plays in the lives of persons with emotional and mental health problems. Here the reader can find thorough presentations on a variety of illnesses, as well as advice on practical ways clergy can help, levitra over the counter. Roukema explains the roles of genetics, Maine ME Me. , heredity, biochemistry, parenting, and society in mental illness, and clearly distinguishes between brain diseases and disorders. In addition, his discussion of the historical perspectives and changes in mental health practice, analysis, and treatment conveys a true understanding of how misperceptions about mental and emotional illness have arisen. Most importantly, The Soul in Distress is peppered with wise advice to clergy. It offers approaches to counseling, warnings about "getting in over your head," and suggestions for the pastorâ€™s own self-care. Levitra over the counter, This book will be a frequently used reference aid for every pastoral counselor.

Spirituality and the Healthy Mind: Science, Therapy, and The Need for Personal Meaning (Book)
Marc Galanter, M.D., Author. New York, NY: Oxford University Press, 2005.

Spirituality has gained acceptance and respect among psychologists, psychiatrists, counselors, and therapists as a valid part of each personâ€™s mental health care and prospects for improvement. Dr. Galanter, Professor of Psychiatry and Director of the Division of Alcoholism and Substance Abuse at the New York University Medical Center, draws on 30 years of clinical experience and research as he addresses spirituality as impacted by culture, the varieties of spiritual experience, the spiritual recovery movements, and innovations in therapy, levitra over the counter. Recommended for individuals in pastoral care roles.

Suicideâ€”A Christian Response: Five Crucial Considerations for Choosing Life (Book)
Timothy J. Demy and Gary P. Stewart, Editors. Levitra over the counter, Grand Rapids, MI: Kregel Publications, 1998.

This collection of essays and articles requires us to re-examine our beliefs and recognize the complexities and multiplicity of issues relevant to suicide. Lowest price levitra, Part 1 (Legal and Medical Reflections) features articles by attorneys and medical professionals, such as "Roe v. Wade and the Euthanasia Debate," "The Management of Cancer Pain," and "A Nurseâ€™s Perspective on Euthanasia." Part 2 (Philosophical Reflections) contains thought-provoking essays, such as Alister E. McGrathâ€™s "The Price of Life." Parts 3 and 4 (Theological Reflections and Biblical Reflections) carry the discussion of suicide to deeper levels with articles entitled "A Theology of Death" by Dennis P. Hollinger, and "The Good Samaritan and the Euthanasia Debate" by H, levitra over the counter. Wayne House. The final section, Part 5 (Pastoral and Personal Reflections) brings the topic to a personal level with Joni Eareckson Tadaâ€™s "Decision Making and Dad" and Timothy C. Tatumâ€™s "Pastoral Reflections on Suicide Intervention." A must-read for every pastoral counselor.

Walking Through the Valley: Understanding and Emerging from Clergy Depression (Book)
Robert Randall, Author. Levitra over the counter, Nashville, TN: Abingdon Press, 1998.

While clergy are not immune to depression, "our grandiosity tends to keep us clergy from owning up to our depression or its possibility." So says Robert Randall, a pastor of the United Church of Christ and a clinical psychologist. But itâ€™s not only grandiosity that keeps clergy from seeking help; they may also fear being perceived as weak and losing the confidence of their congregation and superiors. And they may wonder, "Who will be in charge if I take time off?" With candor and wisdom, the bookâ€™s introduction helps clergy own up to their own experiences with depression. Subsequent chapters invite readers to consider "diagnosing our depression," "determining how depressed we are," and exploring the "causes of our depression." Randall closes each chapter with down-to-earth recommendations for clergy, considering possible causes for their distress: the impinging situations, the meanings one lives by, and environmental, psychological, and physical processes. He also includes "renewal tasks" for clergy, levitra over the counter. Every minister or rabbi who has experienced either temporary or chronic depression will benefit from Randallâ€™s encouragement, insights, and strategies for recovery.

When and How to Use Mental Health Resources (Book)
Kenneth C. Haugk, Author. St, Delaware DE Del. . Levitra over the counter, Louis, MO: Stephen Ministries, 2000.

The best lay and pastoral counselors know when they are "in over their head." Kenneth Haugk, founder and Executive Director of Stephen Ministries, writes from years of experience both as pastor and clinical psychologist. With real-life examples and insightful instruction, Haugk carefully lays forth the guidelines for referring a care receiver to a mental health professional. Every lay and pastoral counselor needs to take time to digest this materialâ€”for the sake of the care receiver, the care giver, and the integrity of the pastoral care program.

For the General Public

Addiction and Depression (Video)
Mental Health Ministries, Distributor. Duration: 24 minutes, levitra over the counter.

What is the correlation between substance abuse and mental illness, specifically major depression. Which is the cause. Which is the effect. The viewer sees this vicious cycle in the stories of three courageous individuals in recovery. Levitra over the counter, Before recovery began however, denial and dishonestly were part of their illness. Through the compassionate and persistent work with Dr. Clark Smith, they uncover the sources of their depression. Use this video for small groups of adults and teens.

Black and Blue: Depression in the African-American Community (VHS, CD, or DVD)
Annelle B. Primm, M.D., M.P.H., Author and Producer, levitra over the counter. Baltimore MD: Blue Rock Productions.

Based on her psychiatric research at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Dr. Primm, current Director of the American Psychiatric Associations's Office of Minority and National Affairs, developed this resource which summarizes the major "pre-existing barriers to treatment associated with being a person of color, certain fervently held religious beliefs, distrust of the medical profession and language and literacy barriers to appropriate care." This 16-minute educational tool incorporates testimony from African Americans who have been treated for depression with a special focus on religious and spiritual beliefs. It is especially appropriate for adult small group study and useful for changing attitudes about depression and the efficacy of medication. Levitra over the counter, Available through Blue Rock Productions, 4226 Amos Avenue, Baltimore, MD, 21215.

The Center Cannot Hold (Book)
Elyn R. Saks, Iowa IA , Author. New York, NY: Hyperion Books, 2007.

Elyn Saks writes both as law professor at the University of Southern California Gould School of Law and adjunct professor of psychiatry at the University of California, San Diego, School of Medicine. From this pinnacle of achievement she weaves a story of victory over her life-long episodes with schizophrenia, levitra over the counter. Her story will expand your thinking about future possibilities for those who are diagnosed with a serious mental illness. An easy read for individuals, full of insights about how persons cope and overcome.

Children of Jonah: Personal Stories by Survivors of Suicide Attempts (Book)
James T. Clemons, Editor. Levitra over the counter, Sterling, VA: Capital Books, 2001.

Get ready for a serious topic, but don't think you'll go away depressed. Yes, ninety percent of persons who commit suicide had a diagnosable mental illness, substance abuse problem, or both. Yes, depression and other mental illnesses can be life threatening, but with awareness, education and prevention measures in place, suicide can be prevented. These first-person accounts by attempters of suicide will inspire you. Their shear honesty, grit, and courage to turn life's worst into something beneficial is worth reading, levitra over the counter. See also OASSIS (Organization for Attempters and Survivors of Suicide in Interfaith Services) described elsewhere on this Web page. Most suitable for individual reading, but could be used for group discussion.

EndingSuicide.com (Web Resource)

EndingSuicide.com is funded by the National Institute of Mental Health. It offers a customized search engine for suicide prevention resources in the federal and state arenas. Levitra over the counter, Links to research and clinical trials are offered. Information for families and community members is available through educational articles, resources, and toolsâ€”as well as links to information about at-risk groups (the elderly, gays and lesbians, the incarcerated, billige levitra Apotheke, the medically ill, the mentally ill, people of color, and youth). a resource locator for crisis, treament, and prevention sites is provided.

Energize Your Life: Overcoming Fatigue & Stress (Book)
Dwight L. Carlson, M.D., Author. Fearn, Scotland: Christian Focus Ltd., 2003, levitra over the counter.

Most Americans fill their lives with too many good things. Add to these the events and demands that come unsolicited, both pleasant and otherwise, and youâ€™ve got the recipe for fatigue and stress. Dr. Carlson uses his unique perspective as a Christian psychiatrist and medical doctor to provide here another immensely practical guide to getting life under control and feeling better. Levitra over the counter, He examines the drainers on our energyâ€”external and internal stressors, biological (including mental) illnesses, spiritual illnesses. Then he discusses twelve energizers that empower our livesâ€”including choices, pruning, reserves, thoughts, relationships and faith. Dr. Carlsonâ€™s book is another valuable resource for every pastor and layperson which could be adapted to small group study.

Families Coping With Mental Illness (Video)
Produced and distributed by the Mental Illness Education Project, Inc. Duration: 22 minutes or 43 minutes, levitra over the counter.

Allowing viewers to sit in on a discussion among family members who have a mentally ill relative, this film touches on various struggles, adjustments, needs, and lessons learned. Topics in the 22-minute version of the film include early nightmares, learning to have a life of oneâ€™s own, Virginia VA Va. , coping with persistent problems, and the ongoing nature of mental illness. The 43-minute version adds suggestions for survival, managing relativesâ€™ money, holidays and other occasions, and families and the mental health system. Families Coping With Mental Illness is appropriate for family support groups or small groups who wish to gain a greater appreciation for the challenges faced by the families of those with mental illnesses. Levitra over the counter, I Am Not Sick, I Donâ€™t Need Help. (Book)
Xavier Amador, Author, with Anna-Lisa Johanson. Peconic, NY: Vida Press, c2000.

Finally. Now family members, clergy and counselors have a practical guidebook on how to work more productively with mentally ill persons who deny their illness and refuse medication. Dr, levitra over the counter. Amadorâ€™s research and clinical experience is shared in laymanâ€™s language that translates readily into real life situations, giving hope to one of the most common, emotionally draining problems in mental health treatment: lack of insight. Amadorâ€™s own frustrations with his brother, who has schizophrenia, served as the impetus for his pioneering research and this bookâ€™s down-to-earth advice. Here is an essential book for everyone trying to help mentally ill persons and their families.

If Your Adolescent Has Schizophrenia: An Essential Resource for Parents (Book)
Raquel E. Levitra over the counter, Gur, Ann Braden Johnson, Authors. New York, NY: Oxford University Press, 2006.

This book is one of a series by various authors which includes If Your Adolescent Has â€¦ depression, an eating disorder, or an anxiety disorder. Gur and Johnson write with both expertise and empathy. Their combination of medical knowledge and familiarity with the incredible challenges facing families with a mentally ill teen, makes this book invaluable. Sections include understanding the disorder, getting the right treatment, coping in everyday life, prevention challenges, and a call to action, levitra over the counter. Endorsements are written by NIMH (National Institute of Mental Health) and National Schizophrenia Foundation, bringing credibility to this valuable resource for parents, ostaa halvalla levitra, youth pastors, congregational health ministers, and clergy.

Mind Race: A Firsthand Account of One Teenager's Experience with Bipolar Disorder (Book)
Patrick E. Jamieson, Moira Rynn, Authors. New York, NY: Oxford University Press, 2006. Levitra over the counter, The Adolescent Mental Health Initiative of the Annenberg Foundation Trust at Sunnylands has supported the creation of this book and others planned to follow for teens: depression, addiction, eating disorders, obsessive-compulsive disorder, schizophrenia and social anxiety disorder. Anonymous teen experiences with bipolar disorders help the reader feel the author understands the illness. The sections on "What Do Doctors Know about Bipolar Disorder," "Getting Help," and "The Psychiatric Ward" gives teens new insight into the illness, treatment options, and what to expect if they need to be hospitalized. Final sections include "The Illness is not Our Identity" and "Frequently Asked Questions." This book and others would be suitable for youth pastors, parish nurses, and teens with a diagnosis.

A Mood Apart: The Thinkerâ€™s Guide to Emotion and Its Disorders (Book)
Peter C. Whybrow, Author, levitra over the counter. New York: Harper Perennial, 1997.

Everyone experiences mood swings to some degree, but Dr. Peter Whybrowâ€™s book focuses on the extremes of mania and melancholia that threaten normal relationships and productive behavior. Asserting that the path to understanding mood and its disorders is found only by integrating biological and psychological perspectives, he presents an approach that combines objective science with compilations of his patientsâ€™ life experiences. Levitra over the counter, In the prologue, Whybrow states that the book is a "digest of what I know and what intrigues me as a practicing physician, about emotion, mood, and the emotional brain, about how the emotional self can become disordered, and about the treatment of those disordered states." Those who minister to persons affected by mood disorders will want to consult the findings of this book.

My Stroke of Insight: A Brain Scientist's Personal Journey (Book)
Jill Bolte Taylor, Ph.D., Author. New York, NY: Viking Penguin, 2008. Missouri MO Mo. , This Harvard brain scientist relates her own amazing story of recovery from a massive left-brain hemorrhage that left her unable to walk and communicate with anyone. Through this devastating experience her right-brain remained unaffected, giving her new appreciation and insights. Because of her in-depth understanding of brain biology, Taylor records with unusual clarity the stages of decline in her motor, verbal and cognitive processes as the stroke took place, levitra over the counter. Then with equal fascinating detail, she unfolds the agony, persistence and courage that led to her recovery. Readers will be encouraged to believe in fuller recovery for stroke patients, and to understand the value of living more balanced lives by discovering the role of right-brain and left-brain functions.

Out of Darkness: The Journey To Hope (Book)
Bruce Van Dusen, Author. Martinsville, IN: AirLeaf Publishing, 2006. Levitra over the counter, For those who want to better understand the vicious cycle of mental illness and substance abuse, Van Dusen's book is a candid story of relapse, strength and survival. Simple and unpolished, the book relates the twists and turns in and out of treatment programs. Hope and courage mark Van Dusen's journey into a new life. This is revealing and excellent reading for persons who struggle with dual diagnosis (mental illness and substance abuse) and for their caregivers.

Out of the Darkened Room: Protecting the Children and Strengthening the Family When a Parent is Depressed (Book)
William R. Beardslee, M.D., Author, levitra over the counter. Boston: Little, Brown and Company, 2002.

Depression is said to be the "common cold" of mental health. Few people go through life without experiencing it to some degree. Sadly, it is one of the most unrecognized and untreated biological illnesses, and can wreak havoc on family life. Levitra over the counter, As a result of years of clinical practice and research, Dr. Beardslee and his colleagues discovered "in family after family that the fear and shame that cause people to suffer in silence are simply not justified. Many children raised in the most challenging of circumstances overcome their difficulties and become remarkably healthy and happy adults. Parents put under extreme pressure by depression have demonstrated time and again that there are specific actions and strategies that they can employ to promote healthy development in the children." Dr. Beardslee writes, "In this book, I hope to explain these possibilities to a wide audience and to help families affected by depression learn to use these strategies."

The book explains, in lay language, the biological basis, diagnosis, Vermont VT Vt. , and treatment of depression. Then it follows the process of recovery and family strengthening: "Resilience in Action"; "Enhancing Strength and Reducing Risks"; "Breaking the Silence: The Family Meeting and After"; "The Children: Understanding Depression Anew Over Time"; "Facing the Threat of Suicide"; and "Making Peace and Moving On." A most helpful book for personal study, levitra over the counter.

Overcoming Stigma, Finding Hope (Video)
Mental Health Ministries, Distributor. Duration: 21 minutes.

This video helps break down several misconceptions perpetuated by media, popular opinion, and even insurance companies who deny equal coverage for mental disorders. Four professionals unfold their journey and recovery from major depression and severe anxiety disorder, describing how they first resisted treatment due to their own misunderstanding about mental illness. Levitra over the counter, By hearing their stories, we see that mental illnesses are biological brain disorders whichâ€”with proper treatmentâ€”do not have to lead to total disability or long term hospitalization.

SHOCK: The Healing Power of Electroconvulsive Therapy (Book)
Kitty Dukakis, Larry Tye, Authors. New York, NY: Penguin Group, 2006.

For those who want the first-person pro's and con's and the factual angles on electroconvulsive therapy, Kitty Dukasis and Larry Tye provide this broad approach to understanding the benefits and risks, the history of and science behind shock treatment. The book lays bare the fear, complications, and controversies surrounding electroconvulsive therapy and balances these with honest cautions and considerations for those whose depression has not responded to medications. A hope-filled resource for individual or group reading, bound to stimulate discussion and challenge assumptions, levitra over the counter.

Surviving Schizophrenia: A Manual for Families, Consumers, and Providers (Fourth Edition) (Book)
E. Fuller Torrey, Author. New York: Harper Collins, 2001.

"An indispensable guide to todayâ€™s most misunderstood illness." So reads one description of this classic guide for people affected either directly or indirectly by schizophrenia. Levitra over the counter, Dr. Torrey is one of todayâ€™s most highly respected authors and educators, specializing in schizophrenia and bipolar disorder. This latest edition contains the most current research findings on the causes and treatment of schizophrenia. Clergy, pastoral counselors, health ministry workers, family members, and others wanting to learn more about this very treatable brain disorder will appreciate the book, written in easily understood language.

When Someone You Love Has A Mental Illness: A Handbook for Family, Friends, and Caregivers (Book)
Rebecca Woolis, Author. New York: Tarcher/Putnam Publishers, 1992, levitra over the counter.

Speaking from almost twenty years of experience as a licensed counselor, Rebecca Woolis has pulled together one of the most practical and helpful resources for family and friends of the mentally illâ€”especially those new to the journey. Each chapter is full of sidebars designed to offer down-to-earth suggestions for almost any mental illness-related problem family and friends might encounter. Topics covered in this most essential guide include handling basic and more severe symptoms, coping with oneâ€™s own feelings, practical matters, and stigma. For family members with a mentally ill loved one, clergy, pastoral counselors, and congregational leaders wanting and needing to learn more about mental illness, this book is a must-read. Levitra over the counter, When Someone You Love Suffers from Depression (Video)
Produced by MEDCOM, Inc., 1995. Duration: 32 minutes

This film begins in black and white, symbolic of the world experienced by persons suffering from clinical depression. Along with presenting family stories, When Someone You Love discusses symptoms and causes of major depression, attitudes that hinder rather than help, sources and methods of treatment, tips on helping someone, reality and the challenge of stigma, and recovery expectations. A list of national organizations is also provided. This video is recommended for adult education classes or support groups.

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This mandate is to hear. I want to live.
What if my ears cannot hear. Soma online, My child, be attentive to my words; incline your ear to my sayings (Proverbs 4:20.)

I can lean toward you with full attention; but if I cannot hear you --.

Give ear, O heavens, Arizona AZ Ariz. , and I will speak (Deuteronomy 32:1a.)

Will you avoid speaking should you think I am not listening.

The hearing ear and the seeing eye -- the Lord has made them both (Proverbs 20:12.)

Who made the unseeing eye and the non-hearing ear, buy soma cod.

My ear has heard and understood it (Job 13:1b.)

I wish. Ordering soma overnight delivery, Such is a conceivable litany of the hearing-challenged. Communication is what a church is about. Consider your response upon learning that the crux of your sermon was missed. Buy soma cod, Weigh your frustration when someone fails to catch what you are saying the first or second time you speak. You tuck away the rest of the conversation for later, köpa soma online. Now ponder the patient energy required for that individual to listen to any sermon or engage in dialogue.

For a mutually fair, Cheap soma online without prescription, adequate exchange, phone hearing- challenged persons using voice relay. A human go-between transmits what you say then reads the typed response. Include the TDD number in your church directory and encourage its use, buy soma cod.

Kari greeted her pastor, Alaska AK , "I feel like a thanksgiving song. Today, Purchase soma online, I knew what was happening." One of three worshipers to benefit when our rural church of 200 members hired an interpreter for the deaf to sign twice a month, Kari added, "Now, I feel more comfortable in church, Minnesota MN Minn. . I understand the choir's songs and what you say."

As worship leaders, we can learn several words in American Sign Language. Om soma online, At minimum, engage an interpreter for family baptisms, confirmations, and weddings, ordering soma no prescription. Buy soma cod, Rather than a distraction, signing is a beautiful, enjoyable addition to the worship environment. However, few churches have such access, Soma farmacia a buon mercato, and signing is not universal among deaf persons.

We have additional resources. Use the following check list to review a video tape of your worship service:

â€¢ Do you face the congregation directly whenever speaking.
â€¢ Do you hold your head up when praying, soma online stores.
â€¢ Is your speech clear, buy soma cod.
â€¢ Do you enunciate word endings.

â€¢ Do you avoid dropping your voice at the end of sentences. Soma pills, â€¢ If male, do you keep a beard or mustache well-trimmed.
â€¢ How expressive is your face as you speak. Buy soma cod, When worship leaders optimize communication strategies, some with hearing challenges can follow worship without an interpreter. A colleague with a 55 percent hearing loss moves closer to her congregation during announcements, buy soma online without prescription. She repeats information offered.

"There is a difference between understanding what someone is saying, Osta alennus soma, " she says, "and hearing. I may hear the words, but I don't understand what they are."

If an amplification system is so faulty that even the hearing-able sigh, buy soma cod, consider how little hearing-challenged persons can participate. Older sound systems that emphasize bass tones were designed for the male voice, buy soma cod. With a good quality system having an adequate mix, Acheter soma discount, listeners need not strain both to hear and to understand.

Ask what works best. Hearing capacities vary. Encourage experimenting with seat location, comprar en línea soma. Buy soma cod, One worshiper, accustomed to sitting beneath a wall speaker, hears better one pew back. Is lighting sufficient for lip-reading. Place photocopied sermons, Soma discount, choral anthems, and other special materials on the narthex table.

Talk directly to deaf persons, not through someone else, ostaa halvalla soma. They will ask if they missed something. "Rather than instinctively slow down and speak up when I do not catch what you say," one person says, "talk to me normal, buy soma cod. Speak clearly. Buy soma without prescription, When you repeat, use the same words. I can tell a lot from facial expression. When you tell me something you are enthusiastic about, cheap soma without prescription, show me the feeling."

Hearing challenges precipitate exclusion. Buy soma cod, Include the hard-of-hearing in worship even should their speech be unclear. Duplicate parts in short scripture readings for the voice choir. παραγγείλετε online soma, Anyone with differences struggles with self-image. With a distinction as subtle as the angle of a smile, we can dismiss persons as invalid (both meanings), or we can affirm their whole being, soma without a prescription. Hearing-challenged persons might enter church feeling world-isolated; however, when no longer also worship-isolated, Vermont VT Vt. , they abandon frustration at once.

With the affirmation of her wholeness that grew from a worship environment that removes barriers, no wonder Kari emerged from worship feeling like a thanksgiving song, buy soma cod. She had experienced for herself Christ's first response to those unable to listen, actually or symbolically, with their ears: "[A]nd I would heal them" (See Matthew 13:15-16.)

Unbounded enthusiasm is borne of a similarly graceful attitude when a barrier is removed. Let us name a fifth attribute of ability, high-spirited "abandon."

Dallas A. Brauninger. First published in EMPHASIS: A Preaching Journal. 2000-2001 Series Theme: Welcome-ability. March-April, 2001, Column 5. Used with permission of the publisher.

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An article in the New York Times Buy cheap soma online, by Iraq war veteran Michael Jernigan offers a significant educational tool for understanding the transition into society that returning veterans face. [Website Ed.]

October 25, 2009, 9:00 pm

The Minefield at Home
By Michael Jernigan
Katherine Streeter

In August 2004, while on patrol with my Marine unit in Mahmudiya, comprare soma sconto, Iraq, I was severely wounded by a roadside bomb. My wounds included a crushed skull and right hand, Order soma c.o.d., traumatic brain injury and the loss of both my eyes.

I am not alone. In the past eight years, many of the 35,000 American soldiers wounded in the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan have returned home, Texas TX Tex. . But many of us have also returned with deep emotional wounds, and those are harder to see, buy cheap soma online.

In fact, theyâ€™re often invisible, which is why so many returning soldiers feel so lost back home. Order soma online, Those of us with post-traumatic stress disorder â€” Iâ€™m one of them â€” feel like strangers here, carrying around a burden many people are unaware of or just canâ€™t understand. The possibilities for misunderstandings, collisions and alienation are great.

Rewind to 2005, Idaho ID . Buy cheap soma online, I am sitting in the house alone in the dark. I do not know where the light switches are. What does it matter anyway. I cannot see light. Order soma, I get up to get another beer and discover that I have run out. No fear, though â€” Iâ€™ll go find the bottle of Johnnie Walker I have somewhere in the back room, buy cheap soma online.

I hear a noise outside. I freeze. I am running through the worst-case scenarios. Where am I in the house, order soma. Buy cheap soma online, How close is my rifle. Be quiet, listen, and slowly make your way to the bedroom. Acquistare online soma, Good, Iâ€™ve found my rifle next to the bed, right where I left it. I feel safer. I am still listening; I donâ€™t hear anything else, Kansas KS Kans. . Still, I will stand here in the dark with my head on a swivel listening to everything within hearing, buy cheap soma online. Is that not my first general order as a Marine. It is quiet. I am calm now, Nebraska NE Nebr. , reassured that I am not under attack. Letâ€™s go back to what we were doing. Buy cheap soma online, That bottle of Johnnie Walker is in the back room in a box somewhere. I stop and pause. I should bring my rifle; it makes me feel safer.

Fast forward a couple of years, pharmacy soma. I am married. My paranoia is not as bad, but still there, buy cheap soma online.

One night, I am taking my wife, Order soma online cheap, Leslie, out to dinner for a â€œdate.â€ As we walk to the table with the help of my guide dog, Brittani, we hear a voice: â€œDoggy, Mommy, New York NY N.Y. . There is a doggy!â€

â€œYes, itâ€™s a doggy,â€ the mother says. Cheapest soma online, â€œYou have to sit down and finish your dinner.â€

The child asks loudly why he canâ€™t bring his dog to a restaurant. As I walk by the table I lean down and say: â€œThis is Brittani. Buy cheap soma online, She is a working dog. She is my eyes.â€ I cannot see the look on the boyâ€™s face. I know that people are sometimes taken aback by my appearance. My left eye socket is empty and my right one usually has a prosthetic with an emblem or logo, soma prices. (I even have one with diamond studs.)

We sit down. The waiter hands me a menu, I hand it back to him and say: â€œYou can have this, I gave up reading!â€ I can only imagine the conversation that takes place when he returns to his post and starts talking to his co-worker, buy cheap soma online.

After dinner, we get up to leave. Online soma, I imagine what the other diners are thinking: â€œHe gets around very well for a guy who canâ€™t see.â€ What they do not notice is that I am holding my wifeâ€™s hand and she is guiding me through the maze of tables. I often get frustrated in restaurants because the tables are always closer together than is comfortable for me. Brittani also does her best to make sure that I do not knock over the tables as I pass. Buy cheap soma online, Despite all of this help I still bump into tables and chairs. In the past, I have even hit them so hard that Iâ€™ve knocked someoneâ€™s drink over, soma.

Other problems remain. I fly off the handle. My emotions often come out quickly and unchecked. I often behave in ways that I do not understand, buy cheap soma online. Kopen goedkope soma, And most times, it seems, the people around me understand it even less.

It is 2008 and I am back in school. I am walking to class at Georgetown University, Arkansas AR Ark. . I stop right next to a flight of steps leading to the Levy Center. Buy cheap soma online, This building is not my destination; it is just a spot where I stop to get my bearings on an old campus that can be difficult for someone with disabilities to navigate. Someone walks up and grabs my arm to turn me to face the staircase. Did this person ask me if I was lost. Osta soma online, Or even utter a word before deciding to grab me. No, because I am a cripple and itâ€™s O.K. to manhandle me, buy cheap soma online. My reaction is quick and angry. I jerk my arm out of his hands and spin on my heels with the bearing of a United States Marine, order soma without prescription.

â€œGet your freaking hands off me. You think you can grab me. Buy cheap soma online, Try it again and Iâ€™ll break you down shotgun style!â€

I am now in a horrible mood. I have to ground myself. Pharmacie soma bon marché, What just happened. This individual saw a blind person standing in front of some stairs. He probably thought that I did not see the stairs and needed help. So he reached out and grabbed me to spin me around to find the staircase, buy cheap soma online. As usual, he did not say anything, buy soma no prescription. These would-be helpers never do. Maybe they do not know what to say. I do not know what they are thinking at that moment, Buy soma c.o.d., but I can tell you what happens to me. Buy cheap soma online, I immediately flash back to Iraq.

I am standing in a crowd of Iraqis. We are trying to push the gathering crowd back to clear an area. All of a sudden a large Iraqi man wraps his arms around me. I cannot move, price of soma. I cannot bring up my rifle to defend myself, buy cheap soma online. The only thing I can do is reach my Ka-Bar (a combat fighting knife). You can imagine what is to happen next.

It is a war and you cannot just grab a Marine and think that you will walk away unharmed.

This is where my head goes when I am touched unexpectedly. Buy cheap soma online, I know the man who grabbed me on the Georgetown campus was just trying to help. Why do I become so angry so quickly. Why do I threaten physical harm. I do not know. It happens so fast that I do not even think, I just react. That is what we are trained to do, buy cheap soma online. It is the difference between a live Marine and a dead Marine.

Iâ€™ve come to learn that responses like the one at Georgetown are common to people suffering from P.T.S.D. Iâ€™ve begun to understand my own experience a little better and am making progress. But there is still the innocent, ignorant student who grabbed my arm. Buy cheap soma online, How will that gap be addressed.

Hopefully, President Obamaâ€™s signing of the veterans spending bill last Thursday will help raise awareness of problems like these. But there is something we can do that no legislation can: educate.

Throughout history, warriors have been taught not to speak of their emotional struggles. Earlier generations of American veterans mostly suffered in silence. That tradition can change.

We can share our experiences â€” today more rapidly and widely than ever â€” so that this generation of soldiers can let others know about those struggles without embarrassment or shame. So that when the worlds of the soldier and the civilian meet, theyâ€™ll come together, not collide.

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Buy soma c.o.d., United Church of Christ Disabilities Ministries, www.uccdm.org - Great site for downloading useful resources, networking, posting questions, reflections, conversations.

United Church of Christ Mental Illness Network, www.min-ucc.org -The Mental Illness Network is a network about Serious Brain Disorders. Connect to find solidarity, Utah UT , help and resources for living with Serious Brain Disorders, such as Bipolar Disorder, Mississippi MS Miss. , Schizophrenia and Depression.

American Association of People with Disabilities, www.dmdaapd.org serves the diverse community of people with disabilities, including family, North Dakota ND , friends and supporters, and to be a national voice for change in implementing the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). California CA Calif. , Interfaith Initiative has resources and ideas for congregations

National Organization on Disability, www.nod.org -works in partnership with businesses, government, and local organizations to promote the inclusion of people with disabilities in society, kjøpe soma. Sponsors programs that promote employment opportunities, raise awareness and marshal resources for people with disabilities, buy soma c.o.d.. Publishes That All May Worship, and From Barriers to Bridges, Cheap soma, resources for congregations.

Bill Gaventa and The Elizabeth Boggs Center on Developmental Disabilities, (just Google them, the web address is complicated!), Rhode Island RI R.I. , Editor, Journal on Religion and Disability and Health, Goedkope soma apotheek, many great resources on including people with disabilities in faith communities, autism downloads, CPE program for seminarians and clergy in settings that minister to people with developmental disabilities, excellent Bibliography for religion-related disability resources, Koop korting soma. Available to speak and consult, bill.gaventa@umdnj.edu

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The UCC Fellowship of Architects, Collaborate to help build and renovate spaces for worship, education, and mission where all are welcome, possible consultant for church accessibility projects, buy soma c.o.d.. For more information, call or write to: Violeta de Banate 216-636-3834 debanatv@ucc.org

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Buy soma, A Joyful Summary of the
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October 2, 2009

At the recent Pathways to Promise Interfaith Summit Conference on Mental Illness from Sept. Minnesota MN Minn. , 29-October 1, 2009 in Belleville, soma sale, Cheap soma, IL, the UCC MIN has been renewed, soma kopen. Acheter en ligne soma, A new Steering Committee was formed and the new Chair of the Network is Alan Johnson.

â€œThe program highlights for me, soma farmacia a buon mercato, Connecticut CT Conn. , â€ said Alan, â€œwere the presentation by Dr, Kansas KS Kans. . Cheap soma tablets, Ken Thompson, the medical director of the Center for Mental Health Services, buy soma without prescription, Buy soma online legally, the personal testimony by the Rev. Jane Fisler-Hoffman, the interim conference minister of the UCC Southern California, Nevada Conference, and the training by the Rev, buy soma. Craig Rennebohm.â€ Ken lifted up the significance of clergy gatherings as well as the importance of offering a spiritual home that address the needs of people who are living with mental illness, For soma online. Maryland MD Md. , â€œFaith communities provide a structure of belonging that provide social inclusion in a society that breeds a cycle of exclusion,â€ he said, αγοράσετε soma. Comprar soma baratos, Jane spoke compellingly, compassionately, buy soma cod, Buy soma cheap, and clearly about ways to embrace everyone who is living with depression, especially clergy, cheapest soma prices. Cheap generic soma, Craig gave an on the spot training on companioning. Buy soma, Three hours were given to envision the next steps of the UCC MIN and how we might implement them.
First, buy generic soma, Order soma c.o.d., we edited a Covenant Statement drafted by Craig. It names the intent of the UCC MIN and invites participation by all the setting of the church, kjøpe soma. Cheap soma, Our intent is to have at least 10% of our UCC membership to sign onto this covenant by General Synod, 2011, comprar soma de descuento. Order soma no rx, Second, we spelled out the structure for developing and expanding our communications. That includes the MIN website, a link with the UCC Justice and Witness as well as the Local Church Ministry, buy soma. We talked about our own Facebook as well as joining the UCC My Space.
Third, we envisioned a National Conference on Mental Illness in the fall of next year, 2010. We acknowledged it was eleven years ago that General Synod voted â€œCalling the People of God to Justice for Persons with Serious â€˜Mentalâ€™ Illnesses (Brain Disorders,) and we still have much more work to do. Very tentatively we heard one suggestion of a title: â€œOur Churches Widen the Welcome: For all who are affected by Mental Illness/Brain Disorders and those who want to know more!â€ One suggested site is Denver due to the strong connection with two congregations in particular that are involved in this area of ministry as well as the Denver Mental Health Center that is working strongly in the area of spirituality and mental illness/recovery. Buy soma, Fourth, the new Steering Committee was formed by acclamation.
Fifth, we affirmed the faithful and long-standing work of the UCC MIN in particular through the leadership of Bob Dell, Craig Rennebohm and Norma Mengel.
Sixth, we thanked the UCC LCM and the UCC Disabilities Ministry for their financial support over these years and look forward to the continued connection with JW. We thanked Barbara Baylor for her presence and participation though JW.
Seventh, throughout the three-day conference we continued to wrestle with the language we use about this area. Mental Illness and/or Mental Health and/or Brain Disorders; Wellness, Healing and Recovery; suffering and/or the gifts; are these â€œillnessesâ€ disabilities, buy soma. We are all trying to find language that is appropriate and inclusive, and is particular in that it describes how things are as well as being compassionate.

We are off and running â€” with the Holy Spiritâ€™s energy and the impetus of our passion we are ready to re-engage the UCC in mental illness/brain disorder issues and concerns. More will come. However, in the meantime, you are invited to get in touch with Alan Johnson with your thoughts, reflections, questions, and interest. (revalan2004@comcast.net)

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September 26, 2009

The Homecoming Court

Homecoming wouldnâ€™t be Homecoming without a King and Queen, ordering soma overnight delivery, Where to buy cheap soma, and Humboldt is no exception of course. Each girl and boy being considered for King or Queen rode in their own convertible in the (Homecoming) parade, New Mexico NM N.Mex. . Buy soma online, Of course they were all dressed to the nines and were having fun waving to all of us along the way.

But our Homecoming Court story made news throughout the state and maybe it will make the national â€œfeel goodâ€ news, buy soma, Utah UT , too.

A boy named Brent was one of the candidates for Homecoming King, order soma. Since the day he started school, buy soma c.o.d., Pennsylvania PA Penn. , everyone has loved him: teachers, students, buy soma online, Indiana IN Ind. , coaches â€“ everyone. What makes this story different is that Brent is a Downâ€™s Syndrome child, Wyoming WY Wyo. . Buy soma no rx, His classmates took them under their wing at an early age, protecting him from teasing and other slings and arrows children â€“ and grownups, soma pills. Florida FL Fla. , â€“ with a disability are subjected to. Order soma, Teachers included him in school activities without question. He is on the wrestling team and works out with the football team at his own pace, soma discount. Discount soma, His enthusiasm for school and people and life in general is well known and loved here.

Last night at half-time, αγοράζουν online soma, Cheapest soma, Brent learned that he had been voted Homecoming King. They showed video of it on the news last night, comprare soma sconto. Cheap soma online, The expression of surprise and delight on his face was priceless. And the news comes out of Des Moines here â€“ not some repeater station in the middle of nowhere, kopen goedkope soma. New Hampshire NH N.H. , WHO TV may have the video on their website; so also may KCCI.

O, buy cheap soma online, for a world where even grownups with disabilities could be loved, nurtured, respected, and appreciated like this boy has been.

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Buy soma without prescription, News Story

Monday, June 01, 2009

By Sandra Basu | U.S. Medicine, June 2009
Used with permission from U.S. Medicine

More support for the family caregivers of those injured in war is needed, billig soma apotek, a panel of wounded servicemembers and family members told Congress. Dealing with severe injury and trauma is not easy, Cheap soma online without prescription, â€ Army Lt. Col. Gregory Gadson, an amputee told a Senate subcommittee, buy soma without prescription. â€œWhen we consider the myriad of injuries, as well as the unfamiliarity a typical family has in dealing with an injured servicemember, ordering soma online legally, it is easy to understand how difficult a task it is for recovery.â€

At a hearing in late April, members of the Senate Armed Services Subcommittee on Personnel asked the witnesses testifying to identify the issues that they were facing. Iowa IA , The subcommittee wanted to know what more the Department of Defense and the Department of Veterans Affairs could do to improve the care and treatment of the injured. â€œOnly after we identify problems can we work to find answers and provide the highest quality of care for our wounded, ill and injured servicemembers and their families,â€ Senate Armed Services Subcommittee on Personnel Chairman Ben Nelson, Nevada NV Nev. , D-Nebraska, told the panel of witnesses testifying. Cheap soma no prescription, Caregivers Face Challenges

Kimberly Noss, the wife of a servicemember who was severely injured in Afghanistan and remains minimally conscious at the VAâ€™s polytrauma center in Tampa, FL, said that family caregivers can have a tough time making ends meet financially, För soma online. Buy soma without prescription, Often, the spouse quits working to care for their injured loved ones. â€œIf this individual requires 24-hour, 7-day a week care, Acheter soma discount, how can their families who are most likely in the prime of their career afford to quit their jobs and forgo their retirement benefit to take care of their loved one?â€ she said. â€œWhat about the 18-year-old wife who didnâ€™t have an opportunity for education and chose to take care of her severely injured husband instead of putting him in a nursing home?â€

She said she plans to care for her husband full time once he leaves the polytrauma center, rather than putting him in a nursing home. Noss said her husband will receive a monthly benefit package and it is â€œa substantial amount of money, köpa billiga soma,â€ but that her bills will also be large. â€œThe special care that Scottâ€™s going to have to receive because of his injuries is significant. But what we will pay for bills is large as well, so the net is going to be small,â€ she said, buy soma without prescription. Maine ME Me. , Lt. Col. Gadson also raised the point about financial difficulties that the families of the injured faced. He said that current policy allows that non-medical attendants for the injured to receive some compensation, buy soma. Buy soma without prescription, While he was receiving care at Walter Reed Army Medical Center, his wife was assisting him as a nonmedical attendant and received compensation. Their household was located at Fort Riley, KS. Buy soma pills, However, once the family relocated to the Washington, DC area in closer proximity to Walter Reed Army Medical Center where Lt. Col, köpa soma. Gadson was receiving care, her nonmedical attendant assistance was discontinued.

There should be a set rate given to nonmedical attendants, no matter where they are located, Lt, buy soma without prescription. Order soma pills, Col. Gadson said. â€œI believe that there should be a set rate for nonmedical attendants, as well as per diem and lodging, buy soma online without prescription,â€ he said.

First Lt. Buy soma without prescription, Andrew K. Ordering soma without prescription, Kinard, USMC, a double amputee, said in his case his father left his practice as a physician for two months and his mother came for seven months to care for him until he could care for himself after his injury, Kjøp Discount soma.

Colleen Rivas, whose husband sustained a Traumatic Brain Injury while serving in Iraq, West Virginia WV W.Va. , and will likely need some type of long-term care in the next five years, said she was not aware of any income streams available for the family caregivers of injured service-members. â€œI am not aware of any of this. We lived off his retirement pay and savings, cheap soma online legally, so this is new information to me,â€ she said.

Sen, buy soma without prescription. Billige soma apotek, Lindsey Graham, R-SC, said that more attention needs to be given to the financial difficulties families face when they care for an injured servicemember of the family who can no longer work. â€œThe country needs to come to grips with the fact that the moment the person is catastrophically injured, cheap soma without prescription, the family changes. I think that most Americans would like an income stream available for family members who provide that support that otherwise would be given by the government, Comprare soma, â€ said Sen. Graham.

VA and DoD Address Challenges Buy soma without prescription, The committee also heard from DoD and VA officials. Acting Director of Transition Policy and Care in the Defense Department Maj. Gen Keith W, order soma online cheap. Meurlin, USAF, Cheap soma overnight delivery, told the committee that DoD is proposing legislation for FY 2010 to allow caregivers, such as Gadsonâ€™s wife, to be compensated at the monthly rate that home health care aides are in a locality. â€œWhat we are looking at is compensation for caregivers that will provide for a benefit for caregivers equal and approximate to what a caregiver commercially would be earning, online soma,â€ he said. Sen Graham called this a â€œgreat idea.â€

Overall, DoD and VA officials who testified said that progress had been made in the care, management, and transition of recovering servicemembers. A recent GAO report found that as of April 2009, VA and DoD had implemented 60 of the 76 requirements required by Congress to enhance care for wounded servicemembers, with 16 in progress.

Still, officials said that there is much work that needs to be done. â€œItâ€™s obvious that we have a ways to go, but we are headed in the right direction,â€ said Roger Dimsdale, executive director of the Department of Veterans/Department of Defense Collaboration in the Office of Policy and Planning in the VA.

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Order soma online cheap, Parents feel their son's stress disorder

Tim Kahlor comforted his son, Ryan, during a Las Vegas Veterans Day parade. Ryan's experience with post-traumatic stress disorder has turned his father into an antiwar activist. (Rick Loomis/Los Angeles Times) By David Zucchino
Los Angeles Times / December 21, 2008

TEMECULA, Calif. - When Army Sergeant Ryan Kahlor returned from two combat tours in Iraq last year, Køb discount soma, he was a walking billboard for virtually every affliction suffered by today's veterans. He had a detached retina, a ruptured disk, vertigo, Alaska AK , headaches, memory lapses, and numbness in his arms. Fluid seeped from his ears, order soma online cheap.

He was diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and traumatic brain injury. He was violent and suicidal. He carried a loaded handgun everywhere, köpa rabatterade soma. He drank until he passed out. Order soma online cheap, He cut himself. He burned his skin with cigarettes. He bit through his tongue just to watch himself bleed.

Kahlor, Billiga soma apotek, 24, admits he came back not caring about anyone - the military, his friends, his family, or himself. But, kjøpe billig soma, pushed hard by his parents, he slowly accepted and then embraced counseling and treatment. Today, he has begun to recover, order soma online cheap.
His parents are still trying.

The Kahlors - a college employee and a nurse - have fought through a series of transformations unfamiliar to most military families. Billige soma Apotheke, Tim Kahlor says he and his wife, Laura, have been left with what he calls, only half in jest, "secondary PTSD." He says his doctor prescribed antidepressants to help him cope with his son's ordeal. And both parents, Um soma online, haunted by their son's physical and emotional breakdown, are fiercely opposed to the war. Order soma online cheap, Tim Kahlor, 50, who had felt a patriotic surge after the Sept. 11, 2001, Osta soma, terrorist attacks, turned against the war after Ryan complained during his first tour about ineffective body armor and poorly armored vehicles. Laura Kahlor, 53, blames the war for her son's psychological and physical torment. Although she is now grateful for the treatment he belatedly received, purchase soma, she - like her husband - wishes they had never let Ryan enlist.

They are still bitter over the several months that their son drifted while they pleaded with both Ryan and the military for effective PTSD treatment. Ryan survived several roadside bomb attacks in Iraq but was traumatized by the violence he saw, order soma online cheap.

"I was so naive. I was this kid from the Bible Belt who thought our country would take care of our soldiers, Kentucky KY Ky. , " Tim Kahlor said. "I have guilt for helping him get into this."

A year after the terrorists struck America, Tim Kahlor drove Ryan, then 18, to the local Army recruiting office to sign up. Although the Kahlors would have preferred that Ryan attend college, ordering soma online without prescription, they were proud of his determination to serve his country. Order soma online cheap, When Ryan wrote about equipment shortages, Tim telephoned and wrote to the Pentagon and Congress. Laura sent Ryan a hand-held GPS device after he complained that military devices kept failing.

Tim Kahlor joined Military Families Speak Out, a group opposed to the Iraq war. Jotta soma verkossa, He marched in protests behind caskets, lined up boots outside the Capitol to represent the war's dead. He put up a sign outside his home: "Support Our Troops - Let 'em Come Home."

He confronted military recruiters. He intercepted young men outside recruiting offices, warning them: "You have no idea what you're getting into." He read to them from Ryan's journal - including descriptions of collecting the gear of a close friend killed by a sniper:
"My stomach soured, order soma online cheap. . . , soma without a prescription. His gear was soaked with blood. Order soma online cheap, My hands could still feel the moisture of his sweat. I felt like something was missing in me."

Tim was thrown out of a political fund-raiser for railing against the war. He approached motorists in cars with yellow ribbons, demanding to know exactly how they supported the troops. Soma online stores, Some days, Tim wears a button to his job as a payroll coordinator at the University of California, San Diego. It features an updated number of the war's dead and a question: "How Many More?"

When Ryan returned in early 2007, "he came back a stranger to me," his father said, acheter soma bon marché. Tim focused on his son's deteriorating mental and physical condition, order soma online cheap. He described delays in treatment as Ryan was put on desk duty, unable to perform simple tasks because of his brain injuries and prone to violent outbursts.

"I was either going to die by my own hand - or someone else's," Ryan said. Acquistare online soma, But through it all, he said, "my dad fought tooth and nail for me, knowing people in the military can't speak for themselves always. My dad pushed me to get help. Order soma online cheap, He doesn't let me cut corners, and he's always on my butt."

In November 2007, Ryan was sent to be treated at San Diego's Naval Medical Center. His therapists say he is making remarkable progress after months of physical and speech therapy and mental health counseling, Massachusetts MA Mass. .

"We look at Ryan and we say, 'Thank God, we got a good one here,' " said Colleen Leners, New York NY N.Y. , a nurse practitioner who is his primary care manager. "Ryan wanted to get better."

To treat his PTSD, Ryan was referred in May to the National Center for PTSD in Palo Alto, Calif., run by the Veterans Administration. He completed an intensive 65-day group program with veterans from wars in Iraq, αγοράζουν φτηνά soma, Afghanistan, and Vietnam.

There, Ryan said, he learned to recognize his "stuff points" - traumatic experiences in Iraq he was afraid to confront, order soma online cheap.

"There's no time to grieve in combat, so you just stuff it, Farmacia soma baratos, " he said. "You see your friend die and then you go back to work."

Without treatment, Ryan said, "I'd be sitting in a dark room somewhere - or dead."
Ryan said he suffers from survivor's guilt and intends to seek more counseling. He is still being treated for vertigo, for speech and memory difficulties, order soma online without prescription, and for fluid and ringing in his ears.

The military has provided him a hand-held organizer to help him organize his life and remember appointments. Order soma online cheap, He draws maps to help him locate his parked car. "As many times as I've been hit in the head, a lot of stuff that seems simple on a daily basis becomes difficult, Generic soma, " Ryan said.

Even so, he chose a challenging subject - the Russian invasion of Georgia - for a speaking exercise in group speech therapy.

Laura Kahlor considers her son a newly minted person, just as she considered the tormented young man who returned from Iraq a different person from the son she sent off to war - the one who had "Duty, Honor, Louisiana LA , Country" tattooed on his leg.

"He came back so violent," she said, recalling the images of bloody Iraqi corpses Ryan brought home on his laptop. "I was afraid he'd use his gun on himself."

Today the gun is locked in a drawer, and Ryan is evolving into the caring, gentle son his parents remember, order soma online cheap. Alabama AL Ala. , At the request of a counselor, he often talks to other soldiers with PTSD, encouraging them to seek treatment.

Ryan does not publicly discuss his father's activism or his own feelings about the war. He says only: "That's what we're fighting for - for people's rights to speak out."
When his enlistment ends in March, Ryan plans to leave the Army, order soma from canada. He is shopping for a new house and intends to enroll at a community college. Order soma online cheap, He wants to become a history teacher or physical therapist.

After all that has befallen him, would he enlist again.

"Probably not," Ryan said. "But since I did it, I'm glad. It's matured me. It's made me stronger, more confident."

His mother said that although she's grateful for Ryan's counseling and for the travel and educational benefits the military has provided, "it still wasn't worth it."

Tim Kahlor, sitting in his living room at dusk, flanked by his wife and his tall, strapping son in Army fatigues, reflected on his family's six-year ordeal. He paused and said, finally, "I wish he had never gone in."

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Listing of available websites

Foreword

A statement of purpose reflecting philosophy of and commitment to the reintegration of veterans and their families would fit well here

Wounded Warrior Web Sites

Amputee Coalition of America / Military in-Step Order soma without prescription, www.amputee-coalition.org
Phone: 1-888-267-5669

Mission Statement:
To reach out to people with limb loss and to empower them to education, support and advocacy.
The Amputee Coalition of America (ACA) is a nati K. onal, non-profit amputee consumer educational organization representing people who have experienced amputation or are born with limb differences. The ACA includes individual amputees, amputee education and support groups for amputees, professionals, family members and friends of amputees, amputation or limb loss related agencies, and organizations. Support includes a toll-free hotline providing answers and resources relating to limb loss, Koop korting soma, a magazine inMotion, educational resources, and numerous links to other helpful websites pertaining to health, advocacy, prosthetic equipment, assistive technology and accessibility.

Blinded Veterans Association (BVA)
www.bva.org
E-mail: bva@bva.org
Phone: 800-669-7079

If you are a blind or visually impaired veteran, if you are a relative or a friend or if you just want to get involved, the BVA invites you to write, email or give them a call, order soma without prescription. The BVA is an organization specifically established to promote the welfare of blinded veterans and help them meet the challenges of blindness.

Disabled American Veterans (DAV)
www.dav.org
Phone: 877-I Am A Vet (877-426-2838) or (859) 441-7300

Formed in 1920 and chartered by Congress in 1932, the million-member DAV is the official voice of America's service-connected disabled veterans -- a strong, Halvalla soma apteekki, insistent voice that represents all of America's 2.1 million disabled veterans, their families and survivors. Its nationwide network of services - free of charge to all veterans and members of their families - is totally supported by membership dues and contributions from the American public. Not a government agency, the DAV's national organization receives no government funds.

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Lariam Action USA
http://www.lariaminfo.org
E-mail: info@lariaminfo.org

Lariam Action is an information and support service for people who have questions about the effects of the antimalaria drug LariamÂ© (mefloquine). Lariam recently has become an issue because some U.S. troops in the Iraq war think it is linked to their severe behavioral changes, order soma without prescription.

Military Chaplains Association
www.mca-usa.org
Phone: (703) 533-5890

The Military Chaplains Association of the United States of America is a professional support and Veterans Service Organization, Hawaii HI . We are dedicated to the religious freedom and spiritual welfare of our Armed Services members, Veterans, their families, and their survivors. We were founded in 1925 and chartered in 1950 by the 81st Congress. We are recognized by the Internal Revenue Service with non-profit, tax exempt 501(c)(3) status. Order soma without prescription, Our Members are serving or have served in the Army, Navy, Air Force, Department of Veterans Affairs, or Air Force Auxiliary Civil Air Patrol chaplaincies. Our Associate Members come from among other chaplains, chaplain assistants, Illinois IL Ill. , religious faith group leaders, and those interested in supporting military chaplaincy.
Our Members and Associate Members represent a broad cross-section of religious faith groups in the United States. Together, we speak for chaplains and chaplaincies with a professional, prophetic, and pastoral voice. This site also includes helpful links.

"Military OneSource" - Comprehensive Military Assistance
http://www.militaryonesource.com

"Military OneSource" was established in June 2004 as a one-stop shop for all service members who need "help to cope with life's little -- and not so little -- issues." The service, which was previously broken down by individual service branch, offers 24-hour help by phone:
(800-342-9647)
En espaÃ±ol llame al: 1-877-888-0727
TTY/TDD: 1-800-346-9188
Its web site provides advice on everything from coping with stress to caring for an elderly relative to recovering from drug and alcohol addiction, order soma without prescription. In addition to online articles, there are booklets, CDs, Wisconsin WI Wis. , audiotapes, and interactive tools available, all free. Service members can log on to the main site or go through the original portals specific to each branch.

To access advice and help by individual service branch:
ARMY - "Army OneSource" 800-464-8107
MARINES - "Marines OneSource" 800-869-0278
NAVY - "Navy OneSource" 800-540-4123
AIR FORCE - "Air Force OneSource" 800-707-5784

The National Center for Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder
http://www.ncptsd.va.gov/ncmain/
E-mail: ncptsd@va.gov
CALL - THE PTSD Information Line at (802) 296-6300

Just about everything you might ever want to know about PTSD -- from the biology of the disease to its impact on spirituality -- is provided on this Web site in the form of fact sheets, medical papers, videos and more. The NCPTSD is a part of the VA that works to advance the clinical care and social welfare of America's veterans through research, education, New Jersey NJ N.J. , and training in the science, diagnosis, and treatment of PTSD and stress-related disorders. Order soma without prescription, National Gulf War Resource Center
http://www.ngwrc.org
Tel: 866-531-7183 (toll free)

This is an international coalition of organizations that has been advocating for veterans since 1995 and is run by former Army Ranger Steve Robinson. The NGWRC is a resource for information, support, referrals and how to file claims. Under "Resources" there is a self-help guide on PTSD, and be sure to explore the "PTSD and Readjustment" bulletin board.

National Military Family Association (NMFA)
http://www.nmfa.org
e-mail: families@nmfa.org
Tel: 1-800-260-0218
History and Mission of NMFA
The National Military Family Association (NMFA) was organized in 1969 as the National Military Wives Association by a group of wives and widows seeking financial security for survivors of uniformed service personnel and retirees. From their efforts, the Survivor Benefit Plan came into being, where to buy soma. In the ensuing years, NMFA has been in the vanguard of advocacy for improvements in the quality of military family life, order soma without prescription. The name of the organization was changed in 1984 to reflect the broad scope of its involvement. NMFA is a non-profit 501(c)(3) association.
NMFA activities revolve around programs to educate the public, the military community, and the Congress on the rights and benefits of military families AND to advocate an equitable quality of life for those families. Since its inception in 1969, the effectiveness of NMFA is reflected in accomplishments in most of the issue areas in which the association works. Order soma without prescription, These include medical and dental benefits, dependent education, retiree and survivor benefits, relocation and spousal employment. NMFA sponsors a military spouse scholarship program.
NMFA, Soma without prescription, "The Voice for Military Families," is dedicated to providing information to and representing the interests of family members of the uniformed services on which our national security depends. Its website, www.nmfa.org, provides extensive information for military families and those who service them. It publishes a monthly newsletter as well as a weekly legislative e-mail newsletter, the Government and You E-News. For more information about NMFA, to schedule an NMFA presentation, or request NMFA promotional materials, please contact NMFA at 703-931-6632 or at families@nmfa.org, order soma without prescription.

National Veterans Foundation
http://www.nvf.org

Tel: 800-777-4443 (Mon. day-Friday, 9 am to 9 pm Pacific Time).
The only nationwide non-governmental national hotline for veterans and their families providing crisis intervention, order soma cod, resource referral, benefits information and emotional support.

National Suicide Prevention Lifeline

The only national suicide intervention hotline (800-273-TALK-8255) funded by the federal government, this number works 24 hours, seven days a week and is comprised of over 100 crisis centers nationwide. Order soma without prescription, Operation Family and Friends
Email: ptsdfamily@hotmail.com
This organization is "a nation-wide collective of individuals and families dedicated to quality treatment for all Veterans and their familiesâ€. Its purpose is to improve health care for veterans with PTSD in both in-patient and out patient settings, and make treatment available in all areas for family members as well. This site also features many helpful links.

Paralyzed Veterans of America
http://www.pva.org
e-mail: info@pva.org
Tel: 800-424-8200
TTY 800-795-4327, Texas TX Tex. , 800-795-HEAR

The PVA Veterans Benefits Department provides assistance and representation before the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, without charge, to veterans with spinal cord injury or dysfunction, and their eligible dependents. They also assist clients with applying for health care, as well as other benefits they may be entitled to, order soma without prescription.

Patience Press
http://www.patiencepress.com
E-mail: ptg@patiencepress.com

The wife of a Vietnam veteran created this site as a clearinghouse for PTSD information after her husband lived with the disease, undiagnosed, for fourteen years. Spouses will find a special section written with them in mind.

PTSD Alliance

PTSD Alliance was launched in 2000 and works with anyone suffering from Post Traumatic Stress, including military veterans, soma. The Alliance is a multi-disciplinary group of professional and advocacy organizations that have joined forces to provide educational resources to medical and health care professionals, individuals diagnosed with PTSD and their loved ones, the general public and the media. Order soma without prescription, REALifelines

http://www.dol.gov/vets/programs/Real-life/main.htm

The Recovery and Employment Assistance Lifelines initiative is a joint project of the U.S. Department of Labor, the Bethesda Naval Medical Center and the Walter Reed Army Medical Center. It works to create a seamless, personalized assistance network to ensure that seriously wounded and injured service members who cannot return to active duty are trained for rewarding new careers in the private sector.

Soldiers heart
www.soldiersheart.net

Soldierâ€™s Heart is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization dedicated to healing our nation's veterans from Post-traumatic Stress Disorder. Soldierâ€™s Heart, Vermont VT Vt. , a term coined at the time of the Civil War to describe Post-traumatic Stress Disorder, is a grass-roots healing project for at-risk veterans based on the book War and the Soul , by Edward Tick, Ph.D. The key to healing, says Ed Tick, is in how we understand PTSD, order soma without prescription. Through workshops, storytelling, and community-based ritual, he presents ways to nurture warriors and our country, based in compassion and forgiveness.

Soldierâ€™s Heart prepares communities to support troops returning from war and all other veterans with an emphasis on tradition, psychology, ordering soma from canada, and spirituality for warrior homecoming and healing. Soldierâ€™s Heart offers a series of experiential veteransâ€™ return retreats to address the unique needs of veterans and at the same time train professionals and clergy to help returnees. Areas to be addressed are identity issues, homecoming and warriorhood. Order soma without prescription, Retreats are open to all veterans and their support networks. Our staff is available to educate communities in offering support services for veterans and families in their own hometowns. Soldierâ€™s Heart also sponsors a mentor program for seasoned veterans to mentor new returnees.

For more information on dates, locations or other support services, please visit the website, Ordering soma online cheap, or write:

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PO Box 8564
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Strategic Outreach to Families of all Reservists
Tel: 617-266-2611
Fax: 781-433-0510
E-mail: help@SOFARUSA.org
Website: www.sofarusa.org
P.O. Box 920781, Needham, MA 02492

The goal of SOFAR (Strategic Outreach to Families of All Reservists) is to provide a flexible and diverse range of psychological services that fosters stabilization, helps prevent crises, and helps families manage acute problems effectively when they occur.

SOFAR coordinates the delivery of counseling and support services to families by licensed professionals including psychologists, psychiatrists, psychopharmacologists, psychiatric nurses, and social workers, order soma without prescription. These volunteers lead family support sessions, provide individual counseling services, and refer family members to other licensed professionals outside the SOFAR network if additional assistance is required.
SOFAR volunteer clinicians are available to provide individual and family therapy and lead support groups targeted for families, cheapest soma in the world, mothers and parents while maintaining strict confidentiality. Support groups focus on such topics as stress management, anger management and general coping skills.
This site also offers brochures, multimedia materials as well as other helpful links. Order soma without prescription, TAPS (Tragedy Assistance Program for Survivors)
http://www.taps.org
e-mail: info@taps.org
Hotline: 800-959-TAPS (8277)
The Tragedy Assistance Program for Survivors, Inc. (TAPS) is a national nonprofit organization made up of, and providing services to, all those who have lost a loved one while serving in any branch of the Armed Forces -- Army, Air Force, Buy soma without prescription, Navy, Marine Corps, National Guard, Reserves, Service Academies or the Coast Guard. The heart of TAPS is a national military survivor peer support network. It also offers grief-counseling referral, case worker assistance and crisis information, all available to help families and military personnel cope and recover. The services are provided 24 hours a day, free of charge, California CA Calif. .

The Coalition to Salute America's Heroes
100 Broadway
Ossining, NY 10562

Tel: 914-432-5400
Fax: 914-923-3898
Donations: 888-447-2588
Email: info@saluteheroes.org

A nonprofit charitable organization dedicated to helping severely wounded troops from the War on Terror, order soma without prescription. Services include: Emergency Financial Aid, Family Group Support Network, Camp C.O.P.E., Wounded Hero Career Network, a Media Center and Newsletter.

The Courage to Care
http://www.usuhs.mil/psy/courage.html
E-mail: couragetocare@usuhs.mil

Courage to Care is a new, electronic health campaign for military and civilian professionals serving the military community, as well as for military men, women and families. Order soma no prescription, Courage to Care consists of electronic fact sheets on timely health topics relevant to military life that provide actionable information. Example Fact sheets include:
Reintegration Fact Sheet for Military Couples
Reintegration Fact Sheet for Providers
Psychological First Aid: Helping Victims in the Immediate Aftermath of Disaster

TRICARE
http://www.tricare.mil

The Web site for the official military health plan, TRICARE, explains what services are covered and also offers limited medical advice. Order soma without prescription, One of the interesting links is "Healthy Choices for Life" which presents the results of a major 2002 survey of "health related behaviors" of military personnel.

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Tel: 1-800-237-1336, 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. Eastern time Monday through Friday
Email: aw2@conus.army.mil
The U.S. Army Wounded Warrior Program assists and advocates for wounded Soldiers and their Families throughout their lifetimes, wherever they are located, order soma without prescription. AW2 provides unique services to the most severely wounded, including: helping soldiers obtain full VA and Army Benefits; assistance with obtaining awards & medals, Idaho ID , career planning and employment opportunities, financial counseling & family support services. This site also contains multimedia materials and other helpful links.

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www.veteransandfamilies.org

John Henry Parker, Executive Director & Founder
johnhenry@veteransandfamilies.org
916-422-5005 Direct
916-320-4395 Cell
Veterans and Families is a 501 (c) (3) non-profit community service and support organization, founded and directed by Veterans, parents, grandparents, family members, Oregon OR Ore. , employers, mental health professionals, academics, philanthropists and community leaders.

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â€¢ To help our Veterans get home both mentally and emotionally. Order soma without prescription, â€¢ To help Veterans and their families raise happy, healthy children in a safe and stable environment where both parents are supportive and emotionally available.
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This site is the U. S, order soma without prescription. Department of Veterans Affairs directory of service organizations. This comprehensive listing includes state, cheapest soma online, local and national organizations.

VVA's PTSD Claims Guide

http://www.vva.org/benefits/ptsd.htm
The purpose of this guide is to assist the veteran, or the veteran's survivor(s), in presenting a claim for benefits based on exposure to psychologically traumatic events during military service that has resulted in post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).

Vietnam Veterans of America
http://www.vva.org
Tel: (800) 882-1316
Founded in 1978, Vietnam Veterans of America is the only national Vietnam veterans organization congressionally chartered and exclusively dedicated to Vietnam-era veterans and their families. Order soma without prescription, VVA is organized as a not-for-profit corporation. VVA'S FOUNDING PRINCIPLE IS THAT "Never again will one generation of veterans abandon another."
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http://www.vetcenter.va.gov/#conte
VA Benefits: 1-800-827-1000

Vet Centers provide readjustment counseling and outreach services to all veterans who served in any combat zone. Services are also available for their family members for military related issues. Veterans have earned these benefits through their service and all are provided at no cost to the veteran or family. You will be able to locate a Vet Center in your state on this Web site, order soma without prescription. Vet Centers are small community organizations managed by the VA and dedicated to providing counseling for combat veterans from combat veterans.

Walter Reed Army Medical Center
www.wramc.amedd.army.mil

"Home of Warrior Care"

Mission

"We provide care to past, present, and future warriors and to all those entrusted to our care."

The Walter Reed Army Medical Center provides advanced and sub-specialty health care and services to soldiers, their families, and a large community of military retirees. We also give extensive support to members of the other military services; to certain civilians, such as Members of Congress, ordering soma no prescription, the President and Vice President; to the Public Health Service; and to foreign dignitaries designated by the State Department. We serve a potential patient population of more than eight million. Order soma without prescription, Warrior in Transition Services:

Soldier Family Assistance Center
The SFAC is a team consisting of enlisted Soldiers and civilian employee appointed by the Garrison Commander to coordinate resources and act as a point of contact for patients and their family members.The SFAC is open to assist patients who have been evacuated to Walter Reed Army Medical Center from Operation Iraqi Freedom (OIF) and Operation Enduring Freedom (OEF). The SFAC also assists the family members of those patients. The SFAC encourages family members to come to the SFAC after arriving at WRAMC. SFAC staff will attempt to answer any questions you may have during your stay. Visit the SFAC on-line.

Warrior Transition Brigade
The Warrior Transition Brigade provides command and control, primary care, and case management for service members receiving treatment for wounds suffered deployed in the war on terror, order soma without prescription. The unit works to "promote their timely return to the force or transition to civilian life".

The Army Wounded Soldier and Family Hotline
1 (800) 984-8523
The Army Wounded Soldier and Family Hotline provides wounded and injured Soldiers and their family members another way to resolve medical issues. The hotline provides an information channel for Soldiers' medical-related issues to go directly to senior Army leadership and is staffed 24 hours a day, Rabatt kaufen soma, 7 days a week.

This site also includes other helpful links. Order soma without prescription, Wounded Warrior News
This site contains articles on a wide array of issues related to wounded warriors. It also features a newsletter, multimedia materials and other helpful links.

Wounded Warriors Blog
The "Wounded Warriors" blog is a collection of veterans coverage from the McClatchy Washington Bureau, McClatchy Newspapers, and other sources. Readers are invited to send a story suggestion.

Wounded Warriors Project
Tel: 904-296-7350
fax: 904-296-7347
Toll free.: 877-TEAM-WWP
or
Wounded Warrior Project
7020 AC Skinner Pkwy, Suite 100
Jacksonville, FL 32256

Wounded Warrior Project is a non-profit organization whose mission is to raise the awareness and enlist the public's aid for the needs of severely injured service men and women, osta alennus soma, to help severely injured service members aid and assist each other, and to provide unique, direct programs and services to meet their needs.
The Wounded Warrior Project (WWP) was founded on the principle that veterans are our nation's greatest citizens, order soma without prescription. The WWP seeks to assist those men and women of our armed forces who have been severely injured during the conflicts in Iraq, Afghanistan, and other locations around the world. Through the generous donations of private citizens, organizations and corporations, wounded warriors are provided opportunities that ease the transition to civilian life. This support is also complemented by both grassroots and national events hosted for the Wounded Warrior Project by volunteers and organizations nationwide. From the battlefield to their bedside, WWP is there to meet the needs of our Wounded Heroes:
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The statistics regarding PTSD amongst veterans of Iraq and Afghanistan are shocking, to say the least, ostaa halvalla aricept. In January of 2006, Cheap aricept online cheap, the Journal of the American Medical Association reported that 35% of Iraq veterans have already sought help for mental-health concerns. In 2005 the VA reported that 18% of Afghanistan Veterans, and 20% of Iraq Veterans in their care were suffering from some type of service connected psychological disorder, Iowa IA . Additionally, the VA has seen a tenfold increase in PTSD cases in the last year, buy aricept. According to the VA, Order aricept online, more than 37,000 vets of Iraq and Afghanistan are suffering from mental health disorders, and more than 16, Virginia VA Va. ,000 have already been diagnosed with PTSD. Illinois IL Ill. , The National Veterans Foundation further reports that funding for VA mental health services â€œhas declined by 25% over the past seven years, and numerous experts have expressed concern about the systemâ€™s capabilities to care for the full spectrum of readjustment needs (including mental health) of the newest generation of U.S. veterans, cheap aricept online legally. As a result, Kopen goedkope aricept, the VA depends increasingly on nonprofit, veteran community organizations to care for the large population of veterans who need treatment.â€

While there are an increasing number of community resources seeking to address the reintegration needs of returning veterans, only a handful of organizations attempt to address the spiritual needs of veterans and their families, Nebraska NE Nebr. . Buy aricept, In his book War and the Soul, psychologist and author, Dr. Edward Tick offers a spiritual approach for healing our nationâ€™s veterans from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. Purchase aricept, Drawing on the first hand experience of combat veterans from several wars, War and the Soul is both powerful and disturbing, lending itself as an excellent resource for both individuals and faith communities seeking to offer healing support to returning veterans and their families, comprar aricept.

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My family and I would be proud and honored if you would take some time to learn more about her life, share your own remembrances about her, and read the remembrances of others at a website that was recently established to honor her legacy, www.EuniceKennedyShriver.org. In the spirit of her hope that everyone would share in the power of Special Olympics, I hope you'll not only read and contribute to the site, but share it with friends.

With great appreciation,

https://www.kintera.com/accounttempfiles/account402023/images/tim.jpg

Timothy P. Shriver
Chairman & CEO
Special Olympics

From the Committee on Disabilities - National Council of Churches, USA. nccusa.org

For more, search Shriver at uccdm.org

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Cafergot Over The Counter - (06/13/2009)

Cafergot over the counter, This brochure was compiled to teach us all a few myth-busters and some simple guidelines for interacting with people with disabilities

We encounter people with disabilities every day. We meet them at school, at church, in the stores, and next door. People with disabilities are family members, generic cafergot, friends and neighbors. People with disabilities are people with the same feelings and dreams as everyone else.

People with disabilities, however, Cafergot generic, are often excluded from the community because they are misunderstood. We fear the unknown and we are afraid of offending, cafergot over the counter. The greatest barrier to inclusion in our churches is not architecture, itâ€™s our lack of knowledge and understanding.

This brochure was compiled to teach us all a few myth-busters and some simple guidelines for interacting with people with disabilities (Note: Even people with disabilities can be unsure of appropriate and helpful behavior toward people with other disabilities). Above all, remember to act in love, Kentucky KY Ky. , acceptance and with common sense. AND BE YOURSELF.

Basic Suggestions: Cafergot over the counter, ï€ Always speak directly to persons with disabilities instead of to a companion.

ï€ Donâ€™t hesitate to ask if you can help. Then follow instructions. Buy cafergot without prescription, ï€ Ask first, before assisting. People with disabilities are capable of doing most or many things for themselves and prefer to do so.

ï€ Avoid patronizing, cafergot over the counter. Remember that they are human beings just like you.

ï€ Ask first, before touching, ordering cafergot without prescription. People with disabilities may have difficulty with balance or may be concentrating on moving safely, an unexpected touch can disrupt their concentration.

ï€ Donâ€™t ignore. Cafergot over the counter, Include persons with disabilities in what you are saying and doing.

â€¢ Place more importance on inclusion than on politically correct language. Billig kaufen cafergot, At the same time, however, be aware that some people are sensitive to language. As you get to know the person, youâ€™ll learn what they are comfortable with.

ï€ Stress the person, buy generic cafergot, not the disability (example: a person who is blind, deaf, etc., instead of a "blind person" or a "deaf person").

ï€ Relax, cafergot over the counter. Acheter cafergot, Talk as you would to anyone else. Donâ€™t hesitate to use words like see, hear, and walk.

ï€ Be considerate of the extra time it may take a person with a disability to get things done or said. Let the person set the pace, Montana MT Mont. . Cafergot over the counter, ï€ When planning events involving people with disabilities, consider needs. If an insurmountable barrier exists, alert the coordinator ahead of time.

ï€ Remember that guide dogs and assistance dogs are permitted by federal law to go anywhere their human partner goes â€“ stores, restaurants, Cafergot for sale, churches, etc.

ï€ Do not speak to or touch assistance animals â€“ it distracts them from their work. When walking beside someone, walk on the opposite side of the animal.

â€¢ Handicap parking is reserved by law for persons who have been designated by the DMV as permanently or temporarily disabled, cafergot over the counter. Only persons with â€œHandicapâ€ stickers or ID cards may use them, Kaufen cafergot. Also note â€“ the blue stripes do not indicate another parking space â€“ they are there to provide space for vans with ramps. Parking in the blue stripes may block someoneâ€™s access to their car.

Intellectual Disabilities

â€¢ Speak to the person in a clear voice using simple words and concrete â€“ not abstract â€“ concepts. Cafergot over the counter, Help her/him understand complex ideas by breaking them down onto smaller ideas.

â€¢ Avoid talking down or use baby talk to people who are intellectually challenged. φτηνές φαρμακείο cafergot, Gauge your pace and vocabulary in accordance with his/hers.

â€¢ When applicable, remember that the person is an adult and, unless you are informed otherwise, they can make their own decisions.

â€¢ People with cognitive impairments may be anxious to please and so will tell you what they think you want to hear, ordering cafergot no prescription. Keep questions neutral to elicit accurate information, cafergot over the counter. Repeat each question in a different way to verify their answers.

â€¢ It can be difficult for people with cognitive impairments to make quick decisions. Be patient and allow the person to take his/her time.

â€¢ Clear signage with pictograms can help a person who is intellectually challenged find their way around a facility. Cafergot over the counter, â€¢ Be aware that a change in the environment or routine may require a period of adjustment. Colorado CO Colo. , Hearing Disabilities

ï€ To get the attention of a person with a hearing disability, tap them on the shoulder or wave your hand.

ï€ Donâ€™t shout. Speak clearly, slowly and normally.

ï€ Never speak directly into a personâ€™s ear, ordering cafergot online without prescription. Stand where those who lip read can get a clear view of your face, cafergot over the counter. Form your words carefully, but naturally without distortion.

ï€ Remember that facial expressions and body language may also be interpreted by a person with a hearing disability, but donâ€™t exaggerate. Alabama AL Ala. , ï€ If possible, select a quieter spot, as noise is distracting and makes speech difficult to follow. If more appropriate, communicate in writing or with gestures. Cafergot over the counter, ï€ Avoid changing topics abruptly, as the person uses context to help understand what is being said.

Mental Illnesses

Mental illness is not a behavioral choice, Om cafergot online. It is caused by a chemical imbalance in the brain. Largely invisible, disorders in the brain interfere with the capacity to feel, think and relate. Buy cheap cafergot online, Symptoms are varied. A person may appear sad, withdrawn, protective, preoccupied, carrying an unusual burden, or, on the other hand, may be highly energized or acting in a way unusual for the person or the situation, cafergot over the counter.

ï€ Come along side, be present, listen. Stand with the person, as if you are looking out at the world together, price of cafergot, ready to offer help, assistance or guidance. Make introductions.

ï€ Persons on medication may exhibit facial or bodily movements which people unaccustomed to this side effect o f drugs may not understand. Cafergot over the counter, Create a space that is calm, reassuring and respectful. Købe cafergot, ï€ A chemical imbalance may cause behavior that is disturbing or disruptive. Engage the person kindly and quietly,

Mobility Disabilities

ï€ When speaking with a person in a wheelchair for more than a few minutes, pull up a chair and sit down so you both meet at eye level. Youâ€™ll both avoid a stiff neck.

ï€ A person who uses a wheelchair may be able to walk, buy cafergot overnight delivery. Honor that choice, cafergot over the counter.

ï€ Do not, without permission, move a wheelchair, walker or crutches out of reach of the person who uses them. αγοράζουν online cafergot, They are personal property.

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ï€ When giving directions to a person in a wheelchair, consider distance, weather conditions and obstacles such as stairs, Order cafergot, curbs and steep hills.

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ï€ Try to give your full, unhurried attention to the person speaking, cafergot over the counter. Take time to appreciate the person talking. If you do not understand, ask for repetition or clarification. Do not courteously pretend to understand as you may be missing important information. Repeat what you think you understand and the personâ€™s reaction will guide you, New Jersey NJ N.J. . Cafergot over the counter, ï€ When necessary, ask questions that require a short answer or a nod or shake of the head.

ï€ Remember, a person with a speech difficulty may use alternative ways of communicating, including writing, mime or computer-generated speech.

ï€ Resist the urge to complete words or sentences for the person with a speech difficulty.

Visual Disabilities

ï€ Very few blind people are fully blind. There are varying degrees of blindness and most have some sight.

ï€ When greeting a person with visual disability, identify yourself, cafergot over the counter.

ï€ If others are present, identify them also (Ex. Joe Smith is on my right and Jane Smith is on my left).

ï€ When conversing in a group that includes a visually impaired person, use the first name of the person you are addressing.

ï€ Be sure to let it be known when the conversation is over and to indi cate when you are moving away. Cafergot over the counter, ï€ Explain where things are located in terms of the proximity to the person. Use the imagery of a clock to help orient the person to surroundings.

ï€ If the person has a guide dog, ask how much room is needed for the dog.

ï€ Ask about seating preference, then walk the person to the seat. Offer assistance when and if needed. Provide an elbow or shoulder if requested, but avoid grabbing or trying to push the person ahead of you, cafergot over the counter.

ï€ When walking with a visually impaired person, alert them to obstacles like curbs, stairs and doors.

ï€ When giving directions to a person with visual impairment use specifics, such as, "left a hundred feet" or "right two yards." If they are not fully blind use landmarks in addition to street names or room numbers â€“ "turn left at the pink house" or "the third door on the left."

In Case of Medical Emergency

ï€ Never attempt to restrain or put anything into the mouth of a person having a seizure.

ï€ Move objects or furniture to prevent injury.

ï€ Make the person feel comfortable after the seizure by helping the person to a comfortable place to rest and offering reassurance. Cafergot over the counter, ï€ Since an incident could be epilepsy, a stroke, or a reaction to medication, find out if medical personnel or an informed family member is present. Call 911.

In case of emergency evacuation, assist all known persons with disabilities.

Compiled by Jacky Schofield for the Connecticut Disability Advocacy Collaborative.

Sources: United Spinal Association: Tips on Interacting with People with Disabilities; Easter Seals and Century 21 Easy Access Housing Program: Disability Etiquette; and the United Church of Christ "Accessible to All" Usherâ€™s Guideline.

Order Cafergot Online Cheap - (06/13/2009)

Order cafergot online cheap, Disabilities Ministries Team of the Connecticut Conference, First Quarter Report, 2009
Submitted by Jacky Scofield

January

We start the New Year with several new team members: Rev. Paul Goodman, cafergot online stores, Comprar en línea cafergot, Pat Kenney, Marty Night, cheapest cafergot online, Cheapest cafergot, Rev. Ray and Bonnie Odiorne and Rev, Arizona AZ Ariz. . Acheter cafergot bon marché, Kathy Peters. In addition, Connecticut CT Conn. , Mississippi MS Miss. , Rev. Karen Jodice continues for a second year, order cafergot online cheap.

Jan, cheap cafergot. Illinois IL Ill. , 29 Meeting
In Attendance: Jacky Schofield Ann Marino, Karen Jodice, Maryland MD Md. , Order cafergot online cheap, Pat Kenney

Items Discussed:

â€¢ Request for a volunteer for Secretary (no one present was available).

â€¢ Discussion of our goals and distribution of our Mission Statement for new team members

â€¢ How to find â€œambassadorsâ€ to help talk to churches about A2A, cafergot prices. Online cafergot, 1. Order cafergot online cheap, Draw from the list of people who volunteered for the core team.
2, where to buy cafergot. Jotta cafergot verkossa, Possibility that some core team members may be able to occasionally speak to other churches about A2A
3. As churches become A2A, Louisiana LA , Texas TX Tex. , hope that others are inspired to help

â€¢ How to train â€œambassadors.â€

1. The A2A curriculum can be found online at www.uccdm.org, comprar cafergot.
2, order cafergot online cheap. Cafergot without a prescription, Each team member will read a section (15-20 pages) of the curriculum and write a brief summary/outline of that section.

â€¢ How to find churches willing to consider becoming A2A, order cafergot no prescription. Buy cafergot pills, 1. If one or two start and we can publicize it, Pennsylvania PA Penn. , Cafergot pills, others will follow. Order cafergot online cheap, 2. Churches of core team members may consider
3, cheapest cafergot prices. Churches of ambassadors may consider
4. Approach churches that responded to our email about accessibility.

a. Develop a questionnaire about accommodations that have been made, order cafergot online cheap. This will open a conversation and pave the way for discussing A2A
b. Speak to the pastor or other designated person regarding accommodations and their motivation for them.
c. Eventually ask if they would be interested in hearing about A2A.

February No meeting held

March Order cafergot online cheap, March 19 Meeting
In attendance: Jacky Schofield, Karen Jodice, Ray Odiorne, Pat Kenney, Marty Night and Paul Goodman

Items Discussed:

â€¢ Introductions of new team members

â€¢ Status of church survey questions

1. Contact with churches has not been completed
2. Churches which have, or will be contacted:

Paul â€“ Brookfield
Bridgewater
Somers
Pat - Manchester
Portland
Karen â€“ Broadview
Rocky Hill
Ledyard
Jacky - Bridgeport
Immanuel
Old Greenwich
Cornwall

â€¢ Summaries of â€œAccessible to Allâ€ Curriculum

1.Section I â€“ â€œAnybodyâ€ is complete.

â€¢ Annual Spring Conference Meeting workshop

1. Meeting theme is â€œhealth careâ€

a. Jacky brought a pamphlet that she had compiled for another advocacy group â€“ â€œDisability Etiquette.â€
b, order cafergot online cheap. It had been presented at two churches and had been well received. Engenders discussion.
c. It is a collection of rules of etiquette for interacting with people with disabilities. Order cafergot online cheap, Discussed possibility of using it as a foundation of a workshop. Use as a way to discuss A2A
d. Name the workshop â€œ25 No-cost Ways to make our Churches Accessible.â€
e. Paul, Pat and Ray all offered to do the presentation (other team members not present should talk to them about splitting the presentation).
f. Bonnie Odiorne has offered to put together a simple Power Point presentation

Next Meeting Scheduled for April 23, 2009

Order Cafergot Without Prescription - (06/09/2009)

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Buy Cafergot C.o.d. - (05/26/2009)

Buy cafergot c.o.d., The UCC Disabilities Ministries presents the 2009 award to an individual committed to helping our churches become Accessible to All to: Mary Larson, Lay Assistant, Mt Sinai Congregational, United Church of Christ, Mt Sinai, NY.

Mary Larson is the coordinator and motivating energy behind â€œWelcome Sundaysâ€, Utah UT , West Virginia WV W.Va. , occurring monthly during regular worship times at Mt. Sinai UCC, Florida FL Fla. . Order cafergot cod, It is a service welcoming those with differing abilities and is â€œmulti-mediaâ€ and interactive (with refreshments!) In addition to church members attending this worship service, other regulars include individuals from a number of group residential facilities and their assistants, αγοράζουν online cafergot. αγοράσετε cafergot, Mt Sinaiâ€™s outreach to people with developmental disabilities and their families has been mutually enriching.

People with disabilities comprise 20 percent of the American population, Um cafergot online, Ordering cafergot overnight delivery, yet they traditionally are not represented within congregations. In fact, order cafergot overnight delivery, Buy cafergot online legally, a 2000 National Organization on Disability/Harris Survey found that though 84 percent of people with a disability state that their religious faith is important to them, less than half attend a religious service at least once a month, För cafergot online. Ohio OH , We rejoice at the good work of inclusion that is happening at Mt Sinai and lift up their example for the whole church. Buy cafergot. Osta cafergot online. Acquistare a buon mercato cafergot. Kaufen cafergot. Cafergot en ligne afin. Goedkope cafergot apotheek. Pharmacie cafergot bon marché. Ordering cafergot online legally. Kjøpe cafergot online. Buy cafergot no rx. Ordering cafergot from canada. Cafergot online kaufen. Osta alennus cafergot.

Buy Cafergot No Prescription - (05/08/2009)

Buy cafergot no prescription, Souls in the Hands of a Tender God: Stories of the Search for Home and Healing on the Streets by Craig Rennebohm with David Paul

What do people need when their brain chemistry is out of balance, when their thoughts and feelings are in disarray.

Chaplain Craig Rennebohm asked this query as he began the outreach ministry of Pilgrim United Church of Christ* that took him into the streets of Seattle. Nevada NV Nev. , There he walked side by side with people suffering from mental illness. He found the answer.

I introduced myself as a fellow human being, Tennessee TN Tenn. , a neighbor, Lowest price cafergot, and offered to be present. I looked for small ways to create islands of safety, little spaces of sanctuary, buy cafergot no prescription.

He concluded that the Spirit invites a partnership in the healing process, a partnership that, acheter cafergot bon marché, on the human side, Massachusetts MA Mass. , involves medicine, counseling, and companionship, For cafergot online.

Craig Rennebohm discerned the Spirit of companioning from biblical stories, Buy cafergot from canada, insights from Jeremiah's presentation of God as a gentle potter to the perceptivity of Christ when approaching Legion.

He learned the art of supportive companioning from the pastor who offered him the gift of a unique, listening presence, cafergot kopen. Craig's own companioned odyssey through a serious brain disorder had begun years earlier:

Something had been desperately amiss within my brain, Montana MT Mont. , and yet God still held me in relationship. Buy cafergot no prescription, Always, Dick had care for my soul my deepest identity, my wholeness as a person, the source, roots, and ultimate horizon of who I am as a human being. I was not defined by my illness; I was more: I was a person struggling with an illnessâ€¦.

Founder of the Mental Health Chaplaincy, buy generic cafergot, Rev. Minnesota MN Minn. , Rennebohm tells the Seattle story, his story and our story with such tenderness that no matter what ails us, we forgive ourselves for our own vulnerabilities, order cafergot online legally. We are drawn toward a new sense of God-acceptance, Rabatt kaufen cafergot, self-acceptance and the inclusion of all.

Rennebohm's journal is as God-intimate and moving as it is informative and practical, buy cafergot no prescription. He offers a harvest of study and insight in understanding serious brain illness, the pilgrimage of healing, acheter cafergot discount, and the importance of companionship throughout the journey of suffering. Køb billige cafergot, His tender words refresh our definition of faith as we discern the gentleness of God who creates room for us to be present with one another.

Throughout its three parts, "The Movement of the Spirit, ostaa halvalla cafergot," "The Life of the Soul, Where to buy cheap cafergot, " and "A Community of Tenderness," Souls in the Hands of a Tender God reveals how our most basic beliefs and the language of faith speak to the challenge of serious mental illness and help us to shape healing and meaningful lives together.

Rennebohm travels now, Rhode Island RI R.I. , nationwide and across the world, District of Columbia DC D.C. , assisting both cities and faith communities in the creation of their own Plymouth Houses of Healing, communal support centers that care for and include the most fragile, vulnerable, cafergot without prescription, and estranged among us. Buy cheap cafergot online, As a person with disabilities I have seldom felt quite so accepted, quite so challenged to persist as an advocate companion, or quite so heartened that faith communities can own our capacity to create the changes that will meet the needs of persons with serious brain illnesses, ordering cafergot online without prescription.

*See "Seattle Church Honored by UCC Disabilities Ministries" in United Church News, Köpa cafergot online, October-November, 2005 in Archives (Print Edition). http://www.ucc.org, Wyoming WY Wyo. .

Beacon Press, Cheap cafergot, May, 2008, $23.95, ISBN-13: 978-0807000427

Dee Brauninger, reviewer, and Craig Rennebohm sit on the United Church of Christ Disabilities Ministries Board of Directors.

Book: Helping Kids Include Kids with Disabilities - (03/18/2009)

Written by Barbara J. Newman This book gives teachers practical tips for helping students welcome kids who have disabilities into their classes at church or at school. Children with special needs are part of God's family. This book gives you practical tips for helping students welcome kids who have disabilities into their classes at church or at school. Chapters address specific conditions such as autism, visual and hearing impairments, emotional impairments, learning disabilities, language disorders, AD/HD, and much more. Also included are guidelines for churches, sample lesson plans, and devotions for families. Publisher: CRC Pubns (June 1, 2001) Also by Newman:

Autism and Your Church More at Friendship Ministries Website: http://www.friendship.org.

Book: Autism and Your Church - (03/18/2009)

Written by Barbara J. Newman This unique resource will help your church to embrace people with autism into the full life of your congregation. Autism has evolved from an unfamiliar term to an everyday reality for millions of people. Bookstore shelves are filled with resources that address how Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) affect children and adults at school, work, and home. But what about the church? What about your church? How can it become a welcoming place for individuals and families affected by ASD? This resource offers practical ways to welcome and include individuals with ASD into the full life of your congregation. It will enable your church to appreciate those with ASD as persons created in Godâ€™s image learn about five specific disorders included in ASD discover ten strategies for including people with ASD develop an action plan for ongoing ministry. Publisher: Faith Alive Christian Resource & Friendship Ministries (May 9, 2006) Also by Newman:

Helping Kids Include Kids with Disabilities More at Friendship Ministries Website: http://www.friendship.org

DVD Resource: Praying with Lior - (03/06/2009)

Visit http://www.prayingwithLior.co/clergy.html for reviews of this DVD about an inclusive community and the religious coming of age of a young man with Down's syndrome. Ilana Tractman, producer and director

BT Digest - (03/06/2009)

BT Digest is an online magazine for youths and families facing disabilities. The digest serves as another tool to raise awareness of the issues surrounding the disabled. BT Digest is a publication of Break Through Inc., a non-profit corporation dedicated to raising awareness of the disabled among the able-bodied and interpreting the issues of concern to the disabled. Break Through works with church, educational, business and social groups providing speakers, workshops and resource material. Open to different topics on a quarterly basis. Submissions, comments and suggestions for topics are welcomed. Go to the website at www.bendanderson.com

Empowering Children with Disabilities - (03/04/2009)

Strengthen and Make Whole the Body of Christ by Empowering Children With Disabilities Can the church from the beginning of life be that place where justice is practiced, surrounding children with disabilities with the breadth and strength of such a network of support that it is simply empowering for life? I am convinced the answer is "yes." Lorie Peters has a gifted mind, an engaging personality and excellent instincts. She lives on her own near Baltimore; manages her own affairs; enjoys her cat Nicky; hosted a Christmas party for over eighty friends: lobbied in Maryland and West Virginia, talking with legislators about how she made changes happen in her life. Now in her mid-thirties, Lorie has been challenged all her life with severe physical disabilities. She has no legs, very small hands and a generally small body. She navigates by wheelchair or crawling. For years, medical labels imposed by her disabilities kept her from living as she does now. October 31, 1991 was the first night Lorie lived on her own in her apartment. She had grown up in Children's Hospital in Baltimore, living there twenty years. Then she was transferred to a nursing home. Lorie wanted to live on her own. Only her social worker seemed to be listening. Listening? Too many service providers failed to listen, including the staff at the nursing home. She burned the stump of her leg with hot tea. She told the staff to check her leg. They did not. When a friend came to visit, Lorie asked her to check her leg. Lorie had to be hospitalized, and more of her leg had to be amputated. Lorie concluded that the staff did not listen to her. I met Lorie shortly after this incident while she stayed at a friend's house. Lorie had made many friends as a child growing up at Children's Hospital. She would sit in the lobby to greet and chat with people, including Helga, in whose home she was staying. Another person she met as a child in the lobby at Children's Hospital was Rev. Brian, an associate pastor at a large church. Brian found another temporary place for Lorie to live, and then the permanent location into which she moved. The church in mission became an instrument of justice. The church was able to cut through a lifetime of perspective that Lorie needed to be "cared for" in an institution and capitalize on Lorie's own childhood connections. The church in a loving and caring way was able to offer the breadth and strength of its vast network of support. Then, the course of Lorie's life changed dramatically to an empowering way of life. Can the church from the beginning of life be that place where justice is practiced, surrounding children with disabilities with the breadth and strength of such a network of support that it is simply empowering for life? I am convinced the answer is "yes." The following story about an early English settlement can serve as a model of how the church can respond as an agent of justice. Historian Nora Groce studied the history of a small community of people who immigrated to the Massachusetts Bay Colony and Martha's Vineyard in 1690. In this small, relatively isolated community, about 10 percent of the people were born unable to hear. They communicated with a unique sign language brought to them from England. Everyone in the community knew this language. Nora Groce found no significant differences between those who could hear and those who could not in the rates of graduating from high school, marrying, bearing a similar number of children, finding jobs and income levels. In a parallel study on the mainland where services were considered to be the best, non-hearing individuals graduated 25 percent less than hearing persons, married 40 percent less, and had children 40 percent less. They earned about one third as much as the general population and their range of occupations was more limited.' What happened? In one place where there were no services, the result for children growing up was that there were no differences; they spoke a unique language that everyone understood. Today in the church, separated from government regulation, we speak our own language, a gospel language that says "Come all," and we are empowered to do what it takes for any individual to participate in and contribute to the life of the church. The best hope for children with disabilities is for the church to adapt, much like the family adapts when a child with a disability is born. Harold Wilke was born into such, family and church. Many within the UCC know Harold, a gifted minister who was looking over the shoulder of President Bush in 1990 at the Rose Garden signing of the Americans with Disabilities Act. Harold finds great meaning in the hymn "Leaning on the Everlasting Arms," particularly since he has no arms himself. Having roomed with Harold on many occasions, I am inspired simply by seeing how able he is in put on his clothes. Harold reports: "I remember once, when I was two or three years old, sitting on the floor of my bedroom trying to get a shirt on over my head and around my shoulders. I was having an extraordinarily difficult time. While I grunted and sweated, my mother stood watching. Her arms must have been held rigidly at her side; every instinct in her wanted to reach out and put my shirt on for me. Finally, a neighbor who was visiting asked in exasperation why my mother wasn't helping. My mother responded through gritted teeth, 'I am helping!'" Harold's parents intervened lovingly and with care in specific ways offered Harold formative guideposts that shaped and empowered the church to become a positive formative network. At the service of confirmation, his ministry offered an individual prayer for confirmand. His pastor's prayer for him at age fourteen was child go to theological to become a minister of the church." Harold already had a deep desire to enter ministry even after being discouraged by a previous pastor. His church surrounded Harold as a child and later as a youth with affirmation, asking him to teach Sunday school in his late high school years. He was active in the youth fellowship, and was asked to preach a sermon. As I reflect upon sharing a room with Harold, I understand that in the way he learned to get dressed, his mother made a difference. With Harold the teenager, his own pastor was nurturing and empowering. Family and church were extraordinary instruments of justice in his life. Most often this simple kind of godly justice does not mean starting a new church program. Rather, it is the individual church member or committee that acts on what it takes to bring in or keep a young person involved in and contributing to the life of the church. Sunday school is a major agent of justice in the life of our churches. Ginny Curringa, Associate Pastor of Pioneer UCC in Sacramento, California, tells of what happened one Sunday when her mother picked her up from Sunday school after church services ended. "The Sunday School teacher told her that she could not bring me back unless she was willing to teach!" Ginny loved Sunday school, and was challenged by the gospel stories. She thought that Superman was better than Jesus. Why not? Superman could fly; Jesus only walked on water. And Ginny got the support of the class on this issue. Next Sunday, there was a new teacher. The new teacher became an agent of justice for Ginny. In that time, Ginny would have been considered "hyperactive." Today, Ginny knows she has dyslexia. She developed an attitude of making her own rules. Why? Because the school rules did not work for her. They made her feel dumb, placed her in low level reading and math groups even after testing revealed how bright she was. The local and wider church noticed Ginny's gifts. She was appointed a youth leader on a task force of women who wrote a resolution on inclusive language. Ginny says, "It was so wonderful to be empowered by the church!" "Very reluctantly," Ginny went to seminary. After all, academia had not been her favorite place in life. Her education was spread over six years, not being able to carry a full load. Childhood memories of church brought a feeling of home, and it was her church work during seminary that nurtured her self-esteem and affirmed her call to ministry. Because of Ginny's presence, many churches have improved their accessibility, both architecturally and attitudinally. Now fifteen years later, after serving several churches as associate pastor, Ginny has discovered the assets of her life's journey as a person with a disability. She finds her sensitivity heightened to people's ability to view situations from perspectives, and a sense of comfort and gifts for facing conflict and change. While she still struggles with feeling inadequate, Ginny found empowerment through the church and is now offering that gift back to others. In each of these stories, the people of the church were agents of justice when they empowered children for a lifetime. Like the people of Martha's Vineyard, church members discerned the suitable actions necessary and did them. In a society that tends to pass on such situations to a specialized service delivery system, the church can be that haven where community is primary, and where that community of faith constantly adjusts to be whole by including each individual. What if the church that offered the benefit of its network to Lorie had said "No"? What if Harold's and Ginny's family and church had not discovered their gifts, and encouraged them to enter Christian service? Praise God for the ways things did happen! We grieve that there have been times that our churches have failed to respond justly, and lives have not been empowered. Don't rush to set up a special program. Rather, survey your church, your Sunday school membership, and the extended life of your church (scouts, senior citizens, community groups). Find individuals whose needs are not being met. Discover a child with Down's Syndrome or with an emotional disability. Ask someone (maybe you!) to advocate for them and encourage them. Help others see that a child's behavior or needs might be a plea to be understood and to be viewed as they really are. Encourage the church to be flexible and to adjust. Tell fellow members the Martha's Vineyard story, and say "Our church can be that kind of community." Our church's just response to children with disabilities will empower them for a lifetime. It did for Lorie, Harold, and Ginny! Notes 1. The Martha's Vineyard Story is from John McKnight, "The Professional Service Business and Why Servanthood is Bad," reprint (Washington, DC: Cathedral College of the Laity, n.d.), pp. 1-2. (Also found in The Other Side January/February 1989).) Written by David E. Denham. Published in New Conversations (Issue Title: "A Church Responsive to God's Call â€“ Building a World Fit for Children. Pp. 69-71 Written by David E. Denham and used with his permission. From

New Conversations (Issue Title: "A Church Responsive to God's Call â€“ Building a World Fit for Children. Pp. 69-71

Talk with Disabilities Inclusion Associates and Teams - (02/28/2009)

Follow Disabilities Inclusion Associates Jacky Schofield and Ann Marino and blog with the team using the comment box below as they develop the Connecticut Conference Disabilities Ministry Team. Connecticut Conference Disabilities Ministries Team Report First Quarter 2008 JANUARY The first meeting of the Disabilities Ministry Team was held on January 29, 2008 at the office of the Connecticut Conference in Hartford. In attendance were the Disabilities Inclusion Associates and the CT Conference Minister, Rev. Davida Foy Crabtree. Issues Discussed 1. Reviewed proposed strategy for the introduction of the â€œAccessible to Allâ€ initiative to the local churches in Connecticut. 2. Discussed formation of a ministry team to be based on a community organization model (an initial small core group of 4-6 people charged with planning the A2A introduction strategy). Upon launch of the A2A initiative (Fall Conference Meeting, 2008), the team will be expanded to include regional â€œambassadorsâ€ who will spread the program to local churches. This group will be diverse in gender, race and disabilities. 3. Developmental Strategy â€¢ The conference minister will alert Regional Ministers about the ministry team and the work that it will be doing. â€¢ Ministry team will begin to recruit additional members for team core. â€¢ Ministry team will attempt to secure printed materials from Disabilities Ministries Board. â€¢ Ministry team will operate a display booth at the Spring Conference Meeting on May 10, 2008. â€¢ Publicize the formation of the ministry team through brief articles in Conference Call and Contact. â€¢ Survey local churches to identify and recognize those that have already begun to accommodate and welcome people with disabilities. â€¢ A short presentation will be planned for the Fall Conference Meeting as a formal â€œlaunchâ€ for the A2A program. FEBRUARY Two new members, both clergy, were added to the team. MARCH The ministry team held its first meeting on March 28 in New Haven with three members in attendance. Issues Discussed 1. Strategy for accessibility survey of local churches. â€¢ Write letters to the regional ministers introducing the ministry team and the accessibility survey, and advising them that we wish to contact the Association moderators. â€¢ Write letters to the Association moderators introducing the team, advising them of the survey and requesting an opportunity to speak at the annual meetings or monthly meetings. â€¢ Create email survey that can be completed and emailed back to team. Ask churches to share what they have done for accessibility so far so that we can celebrate together. â€¢ Visit churches that have done the most. 2. Spring Conference Meeting â€¢ Check about reserving a booth at the conference meeting. â€¢ Copy flyers as handouts: Mental Illness Network Brochure; Pathways to Promise Brochure; Usherâ€™s Guide; â€œAnybody, Everybody, Christâ€™s Bodyâ€ brochure and â€œThe Local Church and the ADA.â€ Have materials sent to a designated team member's house. â€¢ Create a poster The meeting was closed with a plan to meet again on April 25. Interested readers are invited to view and comment on 41 related articles and comments found at the Networking Category on UCCDM.ORG. Scroll to UCC Conference/Association DIAs and Committees. Shared by Jacky Schofield, Connecticut Conference DIA April 1, 2008 Resource Persons: Jacky Schofield is a recent seminary graduate who plans a specialized ministry in disabilities. Ann Marino is a former nurse who worked with adults and children with developmental disabilities as well as other disabilities. Both can be reached through the Connecticut Conference office at 860-233-5564 or http://www.ctucc.org.

A2A Church Resource Users: You are Invited - (02/28/2009)

Churches using the Accessible to All resource, ANYBODY, EVERYBODY, CHRIST'S BODY, are invited to offer feedback about this curriculum. What works for you? What would you change? New ideas to add Unsolved questions To make a comment, use the COMMENT Box below. Persons wanting to preview or download the resource may do so at the website, www.uccdm.org, or they may contact Michelle Hintz at the Cleveland office, phone 866-822-8224, Ext. 3845 or email hintzm@ucc.org.

Anybody, Everybody, Christ’s Body - (02/26/2009)

The Accessible to All (A2A) Study Guide with Resources for Churches, developed and edited by the Rev. Jo Clare Hartsig, can be read or downloaded by clicking Study Guide. above.

National Organizations of and for the Blind - (02/22/2009)

, accessed in the upper left hand corner of this web resource, provides a guide to sources of information in alternative formats (braille, recorded cassettes, large print, e-texts, web audio) accessible by people with print disabilities--those with visual and physical handicaps as well as dyslexia. It is also a guide to information about blindness, visual handicaps and other physical handicaps, with a special collection of Wisconsin resources. There are about 2,300 individual links, all evaluated, annotated and organized by subject. This web resource offers a list of national organizations that offer services or information to blind and visually impaired people in the United States. They include government agencies, private social service agencies and many other organizations of and for blind and visually impaired people. Visit at .

“Reaching an Autistic Teenager” - (02/22/2009)

"On a typical Monday morning at an atypical high school, teenage boys yanked open the glass doors to the First Baptist Church of Decatur, Ga. Half-awake, iPod wires curling from their ears, their backpacks unbuckled and their jeans baggy, the guys headed for the elevator. Arriving at Morning Meeting in the third-floor conference room, Stephen, his face hidden under long black bangs, dropped into a chair, sprawled across the table and went back to sleep. The Community School, or T.C.S., is a small private school for teenage boys with autism or related disorders. Sleep disturbances are common in this student body of 10, so a boyâ€™s staggering need for sleep is respected. Nick Boswell, a tall fellow with thick sideburns, arrived and began his usual pacing along the windows that overlook the church parking lot and baseball diamond. Edwick, with spiky brown hair and a few black whiskers, tumbled backward with a splat into a beanbag chair on the floor." Read the full article by Melissa Fay Greene at www.nytimes.com, it is necessary to register (free) on www.nytimes.com. Search Melissa Fay Greene or Reaching an Autistic Teenager Publication date October 17, 2008

Confirmation Curriculum for Persons with Learning Difficulties - (02/08/2009)

November 29th, 2007

There is something really special going on in our midst, something that might easier happen in a small church than in a larger one. This is the confirmation class for Walter Boyles.

Walter is an autistic child on the low functioning side of the spectrum. He is almost non-verbal and has a number of mannerisms. He also has a warm smile, a deep sense of belonging to our church, great parents, and quite a network of supporters within our church family. Now he has reached confirmation age. But what does one teach a young person in Walterâ€™s condition? There are no special needs confirmation class curriculums for Walterâ€™s level. Walterâ€™s mother, Sandy, and I knew only one thing: We would not want to pursue Walterâ€™s confirmation just for the sake of the ritual. The Elders of the church supported us in this. Early on, they expressed concern that the curriculum for Walter would not just establish requirements for Walter to pass. This would contradict our understanding of Godâ€™s grace. Instead, the Board of Elders wished for a curriculum that focused on Walterâ€™s potential for learning and growth in the faith. Back in 2005, this sounded well intended but also very ambitious. However, before we knew it, we received help from two great sources. The library of the Boggs Center at the University of Medicine and Dentistry in New Jersey provided sample curriculums for higher functioning children. Rev. Bill Gaventa, the leader of the Boggs Center, helped us compile a list of learning goals and objectives. This was then reviewed by a member of our church, Heather Epstein, and her husband, Dan. Both are special education teachers and fluent in a teaching approach called Discrete Trial. Finally, Heather and Dan translated the curriculum into the language of Discrete Trial. Thanks to their work, we soon had four lessons divided in numerous sessions, all compiled in a thick three-ring binder with spreadsheets. Each session contains learning tasks broken down into sequences of ten trials each. The outcome of each trial is recorded onÂ a spreadsheet. This makes success measurable.Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Walter has made tremendous progress in these sessions. Since May, 2007, he has learned the following: 1.Â To go alone from Fellowship Hall to the sanctuary when prompted. 2.Â To recognize the cross as a special object. 3.Â To distinguish our pew Bibles from other books. 4.Â To recognize us pastors. 5.Â To sing the Gloria Patri together with others. One of the most exciting features of Walterâ€™s confirmation class is the involvement of other church members. Some have served as distracters to help Walter distinguish between a pastor and a layperson. Our seminary professors, John Coakley and David Waanders, have served in addition to Susan and me as robed pastors during our sessions. This has helped Walter realize that there are many pastors. Other church members have helped teaching a particular trial session or filling in the spreadsheets. We teach twice a week, Friday evenings at our home in Jamesburg, and Sunday mornings before church. Come spring, we will celebrate Walterâ€™s confirmation. By that time, it will be a feast for our entire church family because so many of us have taken part in these classes. What a powerful manifestation of Godâ€™s love this is. Thank you, First Church! Â Â

Dr. Rev. Hartmut Kramer-Mills

Since 2000 he and his wife serve the First Reformed Church in New Brunswick, New Jersey, as co-pastors.

Camp of the Heart - (02/06/2009)

Camp of the Heart at Hartman Center A United Church of Christ Conference, Camp and Retreat Center Milroy, Pennsylvania My name is Kara Druckenmiller. Iâ€™ve been a special education teacher for four years. During college, I worked at Hartman Center as a counselor and met a family that had several children, one of whom was autistic and mildly mentally retarded. He always wanted to stay when his brother and sister came to camp, but never could. It was my inspiration and motivation to try and make it so he could come to camp. So three years ago this summer, I started the first summer camp at Hartman Center for special needs individuals from ages seven to adult. The campers had various disabilities including autism, Downâ€™s syndrome, mental retardation, some physical handicaps and other various disorders. The maximum number of campers was 12. Campers were allowed to bring a family member or caretaker if they wished. If not we had volunteers, enough for one-to-one companionship. We also had our own nurse who went everywhere with the camp. We stayed in a handicap-accessible building, where we slept, had Bible/study time and sang songs. We went to the dining hall, which is accessible, to eat breakfast, lunch and dinner with the other campers from various other themed camps, that is, hiking camp, junior camp, junior high camp and family camp. We also went fishing. To get out to the pond, which is quite a distance, some of the campers walked, while others were driven in the campâ€™s golf cart. We went on hayrides. We swam, did crafts, participated in the talent show, cookout, had campfires, played games and enjoyed many other activities. Bible studies included a scavenger hunt looking for various nature things: flower, sticks, pine cone, rock, etc. We then talked about how these items represent God and how we could see God and Jesus in nature. Campers, volunteers, camp staff and other campers from other camps involved with Camp of the Heart have said how much it has changed them, how much fun they had and how rejuvenated they felt in mind and spirit after camp. This camp is rewarding for those who are involved. Camp of the Heart is the perfect name for it because the camp is just that. Everybody shares a piece of their hearts, as well as a piece of God because God shines through us all. Campers have returned consecutive years. More and more interest is being gained to join Camp of the Heart. What an awesome ministry for the campers and for the volunteers.

Folk Who Are Aging: You are Invited to Network - (02/03/2009)

What are some of your experiences, insights, growings from relating to ageism and/or changes and needs relating to accessibility? What are some of the innovative changes that have been made at your church to improve inclusion? What about the invisible disabilities of aging? Please submit a 150-400 word article for possible posting or add a comment in the comment box at the conclusion of any article on the web site.

UCC Cornerstone Fund Celebrates Milestone - (01/09/2009)

In a recent release, Gordon Gilles, President of the United Church of Christ Cornerstone announced: For the first time in our history the loan portfolio has exceeded $50,000,000! As of December 31, 2008, the $51,157,910.94 loan portfolio consists of 174 loans which are spread among 33 of our 38 Conferences. From our humble beginning in September, 1993 through 2008 much has been accomplished. The United Church of Christ Disabilities Ministries refers churches to Cornerstone as a potential financial resource when planning to build or adapt a building to become accessible and welcoming to all people. Such inclusion is a goal of the denomination as mandated by the accessibiity resolution, "Becoming an Accessible to All," accepted by the 2005 General Synod. Congratulations Cornerstone Fund and Thank You.

Developmental Delay Resource - (12/10/2008)

"New Developments: New Angles on Developmental Delays" is a newsletter published by Developmental Delay Resources, a resource network integrating conventional and holistic approaches. Volume 14, Number 1, Fall, 2008 Newsletter Contents Wisconsin Integrative Hyperbarics Center .......Page 1 Executive Directorâ€™s Column................................Page 2 Todayâ€™s Warriors: Dan Millman and Jenny McCarthy News and Comments.............................................Page 3 Education..................................................................Page 4 The Power of Silence in the Classroom Diet............................................................................Page 5 Twinkie, Deconstructed Motor........................................................................Page 6 Spelling, Movement, and Vision Nutrition...................................................................Page 7 The Mighty Mitochondria Revisited Upcoming Events....................................................Page 8 Visit www.devdelay.org

UCC DM Board Member Featured in UC NEWS - (11/30/2008)

The Rev. Bob Molsberry, Ohio Conference Minister, is featured in the UC NEWS article, "Going the distance, Conference minister embraces competition." Written by Gregg Brekke, the article appears in the upcoming December 2008 -January 2009 issue as well as online at www.ucc.org.

The Disability Ministry Team of Connecticut Conference Recognized - (11/30/2008)

Congratulations to Connecticut Conference upon the official recognition of The Disability Ministry Team of the Connecticut Conference. A late November note from Jacky Scofield, Disabilities Inclusion Associate (DIA) for the conference celebrates the decision by the CT Conference Board of Directors to recognize the team as a ministry team. Ann Marino and Jacky Scofield share team responsibilities. Disabilities Inclusion Associates enable the United Church of Christ Disabilities Ministries to expand its leadership to conferences, associations and local churches. Among the tools this important resource will utilize are "A Guide for Ushers" and "Anybody, Everybody, Christ's Body," the study curriculum for congregations developed by UCCDM Chair, the Rev. Jo Clare Hartsig, in response to the denomination's goal of Accessibility for All.

Books Relating to Serious Brain Disorders and Wholeness - (11/04/2008)

Annotated Bibliography In Souls in the Hands of a Tender God: Stories of the Search for Home and Healing on the Streets (Beacon Press, 2008), Craig Rennebohm with David Paul offer a selected bibliography of books. Books marked with an asterisk (*) in the list below are reviewed elsewhere in this website. Boisen, Anton. The Exploration of the Inner World: A Study of Mental Disorder and Religious Experience. Chicago and New York: Willett, Clark, 1936; reissued Philadelphia: University of Pennsylvania Press, 1971. Boisen, Anton. Out of the Depths: An Autobiographical Study of Mental Disorder and Religious Experience. New York: Harper and Brothers, 1960. Bhugra, Dinesh, ed. Psychiatry and Religion: Consensus and Controversies. Oxford, UK: Koutledge, 1996. Damasio, Antonio. Looking for Spinoza: Joy, Sorrow, and the Feeling Brain. New York: Harcourt, 2003. Galanter, Marc. Spirituality and the Healthy Mind; Science, Therapy, and the Need for Personal Meaning. New York: Oxford University Press, 2005. Govig, Stewart D. In the Shadow of Our Steeples: Pastoral Presence for Families Coping with Mental Illness, Binghamton, NY: Haworth Press, 1999. *Govig, Stewart D. Souls Are Made of Endurance; Survival of Mental Illness in the Family, Binghamton, NY: Haworth Press, 1994. Gregg-Schroeder, Susan. In the Shadow of God's Wings: Grace In the, Midst of Depression, Nashville, TN: Upper Room Books, 1997. Howell, Patrick J. Reducing the Storm to a Whisper. Chicago: Thomas More Press, 1985. Howell, Patrick. A Spiritguide: As Sure as the Dawn through Times of Darkness. Lanham, MD: Sheed & Ward, 1996. Kenig, Sylvia. Who Plays? Who Pays? Who Cares? A Case Study in Applied Sociology, Political Economy and the Community Mental Health Centers Movement. Amityville, NY: Baywood, 1992. Koenig, Harold. The Healing Power of Faith: How Belief and Prayer Can Help You Triumph Over Disease. New York: Simon & Schuster, 2001. Nouwen, Henri J. M. The Wounded Healer: Ministry in Contemporary Society. Garden City, NJ: Doubleday, 1972. Oates, Wayne E. The Religions Care of the Psychiatric Patient. Philadelphia: Westminster Press, 1978. Rennebohm, Craig. Souls in the Hands of a Tender God: Stories of the Search for Home and Healing on the Streets. Beacon Press, 2008. My first reading of Rennebohmâ€™s book brought tears to my eyes. It came at a time of my own familyâ€™s crisis over how to relate to one with schizophrenia. This book is not for the comfortable. It is for those who dare to better understand and minister to men and women living on the streets with mental illness. Souls in the Handsâ€¦ will challenge complaceny and stereotypical thinking. Rennebohmâ€™s poignant stories demonstrate what true companionship is like. His own battles with depression have gifted him with deep insight into human frailty and Godâ€™s gracious presence in suffering. A discussion guide makes this book a fitting choice for adult education classes. - Carole Wills, Reviewer Torrey, E. Fuller. Nowhere to Go: The Tragic Odyssey of the Homeless Mentally Ill. New York: Harper and Row, 1988. Zohar, Danah, with I. N. Marshall. The Quantum Self. New York: Morrow, 1990.

Book Review: Souls in the Hands of a Tender God - (10/01/2008)

Souls in the Hands of a Tender God is a beautifully written, highly readable, inspiring book, authored by the Rev. Dr. Craig Rennebohm, a United Church of Christ Pastor and Chaplain. Craig artfully interweaves the spiritual, biological and medical aspects of living with brain disorders commonly known as mental illness. He shares deeply moving parables from his two decades of â€œcompanioningâ€ persons with these disorders in his congregations and on the streets of Seattle, and from his own struggle with depression and suicidal thoughts. Through sharing his life experiences, the author has gifted the reader with a practical vision of Godâ€™s unconditional love and the ever-present power of a healing presence in all our lives, as well as concrete ways of living this out in our own spiritual walk. As expressed by Craig Rennebohm, â€œIt is my firm belief that in the act of becoming true neighbors to one another, we find the capacities to address local, national and world issues such as poverty and conflict, and find within ourselves the grace to develop the skills and strategies that make possible a world of peace and justice.â€ To learn more about this life-changing book, the authorâ€™s ministry and ways to engage the principles of companioning in your own life and your congregationâ€™s life, go to www.tendergod.com. To find more resources on ministry with persons coping with brain disorders, see www.congregationalresources.org/mentalhealth.asp. Dr. Rennebohm serves as the United Church of Christ Mental Illness Network (www.min-ucc.org) representative on the board of the United Church of Christ Disabilities Ministries (www.uccdm.org). The Rev. Norma Mengel, Reviewer

DIA – CT 2008 Quarter 2 - (07/30/2008)

Quarterly Report from Connecticut Conference Dusabilities Inclusion Associates April The team met in New Haven on April 25, 2008. In attendance were Jacky Schofield, Ann Marino and Rev. Karen Jodice. Issues Discussed: 1. Preparations for an information table to be set up at the upcoming Annual Conference Spring Meeting. â€¢ To have an A2A poster made â€¢ To obtain a tri-fold stand for the poster â€¢ To make copies of several documents for the table (A2A Guide for Ushers, A2A Worship Guidelines, a sign-up sheet for people interested in working on the team, â€œAnybody, Everybody, Christâ€™s Bodyâ€ â€“ A2A brochure, several flyers from the UCC Mental Illness Network). 2. The need to grow our team and ways in which it may be accomplished. 3. Goal of applying for official status as a Ministry Team within the Connecticut Conference in September. 4. Most efficient way to communicate with and visit churches within the Connecticut Conference that have worked to achieve accessibility and to disseminate information abut A2A. May 1. An information table on Disability Ministry and A2A was set up at the Conference Annual Spring Meeting on May 10, 2008. The table was staffed alternately by team members and a good number of people stopped for information and pamphlets, but only two people expressed interest in working on our team. We followed up with both people and Their contact information has been retained for future reference. 2. Two articles on the team and A2A were published by the Conference. One in the â€œConference Callâ€ newsletter and One on the Conference website â€œConnnTact.â€ Visit at http://www.ctucc.org. Go to NEWS, ConnTact, Archives, June The team met in New Haven on June 5, 2008. In attendance were Jacky Schofield and Rev. Karen Jodice. Issues Discussed: 1. The response to the sign-up sheet at the Spring Meeting. â€¢ Both interested parties had been contacted and their numbers kept for future reference. 2. How best to locate and contact potential new team members from around the Conference. â€¢ We discussed the possibility of sending out a letter to all pastors and/or Regional Ministers asking for names of people who may be interested in joining the team. 3. What would be the most efficient way to locate and visit churches that have already done the most towards full accessibility? â€¢ The possibility of directly contacting and visiting local churches, or â€¢ Asking Regional Ministers to assist in targeting specific churches. Meeting held in New Haven on June 18, 2008. In attendance were Ann Marino and Rev. Karen Jodice. Issues Discussed: 1. Using their knowledge of local churches and their members, they finalized plans to contact Regional Ministers to recruit a diverse core team. 2. The plan also included a way to elicit information about churches that have already taken steps to welcome and embrace members with disabilities. These churches would be recognized at the Fall conference Meeting. â€¢ Ann Marino will compose a letter to all Regional Ministers asking for their help in locating potential team members as well as identifying local churches that have taken steps toward accessibility.

Interfaith Resource Guide on Autism - (07/01/2008)

A new interfaith resource guide on autism is available for congregations, clergy and families. Title: Autism and Faith: A Journey into Community The guide provides an introductory, empowering resource for use by clergy, religious educators, and families to develop inclusive spiritual supports for children and adults with autism and their families and recognize the unique gifts that congregations and people with autism can offer to one another. The fifty-two page guide for including individuals with autism in faith communities was developed by The Autism and Faith Task Force of The Boggs Center and The Center for Outreach and Services to the Autism Community (COSAC) with funding from The Daniel Jordan Fiddle Foundation. The Task Force worked for more than two years collecting stories and experiences from families, best practices and strategies from clergy and human service professionals, and resources from around the country. The guide features more than fifteen short articles written by clergy, parents, professional experts on autism, religious educators and people with autism, illustrated by numerous sidebar stories and examples from families who shared their experiences, both positive and negative, with their own faith communities in New Jersey. It is interfaith, including examples from Christian, Jewish, Hindu, and Muslim communities. The guide is edited by Mary Beth Walsh, PhD, Alice Walsh, MDiv, and Bill Gaventa, MDiv. Dr. Walsh is Roman Catholic and a graduate of Union Theological Seminary, New York, NY. Rev. Walsh is United Methodist, and a graduate of Drew Theological School, Madison, NJ. Both are parents of children with autism. Rev. Bill Gaventa is associate professor of Pediatrics and director of Community and Congregational Supports at The Boggs Center, and editor of the Journal of Religion, Disability, and Health. The editors were assisted by an interfaith editorial review committee, copy editor staff at The Boggs Center and COSAC, and members of The Autism and Faith Task Force. The guide is expected to be available at the COSAC conference in May. It will be disseminated to faith groups, families, and disability organizations in New Jersey for free and to anyone outside New Jersey for a nominal fee of $5. Ordering information will be available on The Boggs Centerâ€™s web site at http://rwjms.umdnj.edu/boggscenter. For more information, please contact Rev. Bill Gaventa, director of Community and Congregational Supports at The Boggs Center, 732-235-9304 or email billgaventa@umdnj.edu<../../RisleyRE/Local%20Settings/Temp/bill.gaventa@umdnj.edu>. Visit The Boggs Center website at http://rwjms.umdnj.edu/boggscenter or call 732-235-9317.

UCC Fellowship of Architects - (06/05/2008)

WHAT IS THE UCC FELLOWSHIP OF ARCHITECTS? The UCC Fellowship of Architects is a national gathering of architects and allied professionals who are members of UCC local church congregations. It is a program of Local Church Ministries. We also welcome the participation of clergy, lay-people, and seminarians who share our interest in the relationships between architecture, theology, and congregational life. Please consider yourself invited to become a part of the UCC Fellowship of Architects if you share these interests! Since 1988, members of the Fellowship have met to enjoy stimulating lectures and discussion, the fellowship of professional peers, and worship in a variety of inspiring spaces. Members have also traveled together with scholars to experience and study historic and new examples of worship spaces in the middle eastern and European countries of our liturgical and theological roots. Members of the Fellowship have assisted many local churches across the UCC as they contemplated building programs to support current and future ministries. Several members of the Fellowship collaborated on the design of the Amistad Chapel located at the UCC National Church House in Cleveland, Ohio and dedicated in 2000. The Fellowship gathers or travels together roughly annually. Please give us your contact information if you would like to be on our mailing list. The Mission of the UCC Fellowship of Architects In service to God and the United Church of Christ we are called to build and renovate spaces for worship, education, and mission that serve the Christian community and transform lives.

...to shape spaces for worship where all are welcome; ...to shape spaces that teach God's story and their community's story; ...to shape spaces that help prepare us to welcome the Spirit; ...to shape spaces that rehearse us for the realm of God; ...to shape spaces that inspire and propel us to live lives of service.

What Do We Do? We continue to learn, spread the word and build churches. CONTINUE TO LEARN: We gather to learn from each other, from guest scholars, theologians and practitioners as well as from the special places we gather in. Each year we will alternate between gatherings some place in the United States and a traveling seminar to a foreign country. SPREAD THE WORD: We communicate the insights we have gained and the lessons we have learned to seminaries, architectural schools and UCC church organizations. BUILD CHURCHES: We actively pursue and assist one another in getting commissions to design and build places for worship. The making of a place, whether new or renovated, is the culmination of all our efforts. It is also the best way for us to learn and influence others. Contact Please give us your contact information if you would like to be on our mailing list. Contact Information: Violete de Banate Local Church Ministries - Church Building and Loan Fund 700 Prospect Avenue E Cleveland OH 44117 Phone 1-866-822-8224 Ext. 3834 or 216-736-3834 Fax: 216-736-3818 Email: debanatv@ucc.org

Request for Appropriate Confirmation Materials - (04/23/2008)

A request has come to UCC Disabilities Ministries for resources for children with autism, aspergers and adhd. The inquiry is focused on confirmation material. Our experience has been to tailor a course in basic content to the individual as each youth has specific gifts of understanding. Much depth can come with simplicity. Meet your young person where he/she is in understanding. Persons who wish to share what they have done in preparing youths for confirmation are invited to make a comment and/or contact the webmaster if you have notes or other resources that can be put on the website. I worked individually with a young woman who was in a similar situation after brain surgery. For us, it worked to be together 15 minutes at a time. Those minutes were focused on one topic to help her to concentrate. She responded well to art and concrete forms of symbols. We went through the basic material of confirmation in short form but enough so that she could connect and have a level of understanding appropriate for her. I believe that God does not require a test but comes to us with open-armed invitation. As a young child, I was allowed to grow in my understanding of Holy Communion at my own pace. What I remember clearly today about this experience was the loving hands that carefully lowered the plate of bread and held the container of juice cups as they were passed in the pews. My family was busy in the choir and at the organ bench so I sat "at home" anywhere and with anyone in our church. I did not grasp the fine points of symbolism but you can be certain that I caught the essence of the act and the holiness of the moment. I was included without reservation in the family of God. db

Magazine for Depression and Anxiety Disorders - (02/12/2008)

From the publisher of bp Magazine comes esperanza a new magazine for people living with anxiety and depression. Esperanza means "hope" - the virtue essential to the well-being of all of us who live with anxiety and depression, regardless of gender, age, culture, education, or socio-economic standing. Rev. Susan Gregg-Schroeder, Coordinator of Mental Health Ministries, has written an article for the inaugural issue, Seeds of Hope. Visit http://www.esperanzamag.com/.

For Discussion: What is Normal? - (01/24/2008)

This article raises an important question. It is not designed to give "The" answer, but to encourage discussion around a very real and growing issue we as people with disabilities and society face today.Â Â What is Normal? Recently, while wandering through my local grocery, I turned the corner, heading up the cereal aisle. I had no more walked ten feet when I caught the attention of a stranger--a young man in his mid-twenties--walking toward me. Upon seeing me, his face lit up and a smile spread from ear to ear. I smiled in return, his pace quickened and he marched straight over to me and with a welcoming voice said, "Hello, how are you?" I stopped, we exchanged a few friendly words and then after a hardy â€œgoodbye,â€ he moved on to greet the next person similarly. Within a moment, an elderly couple followed, keeping an eye on the young man who, I quickly surmised was their son. The grinning mother said, "He's very friendly!" I laughed, that was an understatement! I stood there silent for a moment, my spirit energized by this unusual and yet most human of encounters. This young man was very different from me as I don't normally greet the strangers I meet each day in such a friendly and familiar manner. His congenial nature was heartwarming and he seemed to have a sincere appreciation for other people simply because they were - well - people. This man was, simply stated, better than I. Oh, he was different; he had Down syndrome but as a human being, he was still better than I. He loved without reservation or condition; he did not judge others based on what they looked like or what they were wearing; he understood the gift of human touch and kindness and was ready to share this gift with everyone he could. He was not the least bit self-conscious much less self-absorbed. There was no guile in this man. He was far closer to innocence than those of us who are "normal." I thought about that young man as I read that the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists has begun recommending broader prenatal testing for Down syndrome among younger pregnant women. As Joni Eareckson Tada recently reported in World Magazine, "Up until this year, they recommended that only older women who were pregnant be tested. But now, all mothers-to-be are routinely tested. The results? Over 90 percent of pregnant women who are given a Down syndrome diagnosis choose to have an abortion." That's right, 90 percent of children diagnosed in the womb with Down syndrome are being killed before they can be born. There is a subtle and sinister shift underway in our culture that is redefining the basis of human dignity and what it means to be human. The Judeo-Christian basis for human dignity rests on the belief that since all men are created by and equidistant from God they are therefore of equal worth before God. Gilbert Meilaender, the Duesenberg Chair in Theological Ethics at Valparaiso University and member of the President's Council on Bioethics adds, "We are equal to each other, whatever our distinctions in excellence of various sorts, precisely because none of us is the 'maker' of another one of us. We have all received our life--equally--as a gift from the Creator." However, this aforementioned "shift" in thinking seeks to establish a new basis for human dignity that is cut off from this theological and religious foundation. Secular society still seeks to uphold human dignity, however set adrift from its religious moorings there follows a serious crisis in the structure of society's beliefs and its ability to uphold an equitable and true basis for human dignity. Under the new scheme, human dignity seems to inevitably rest on a "comparative" basis. Meilaender points out that this comparative basis does not see human dignity as a democratic idea equally applied to all but rather "it directs us to speak in terms of worthiness, honor, and nobility: In all its meanings it is a term of distinction. ... In principle, it is aristocratic." While there is no doubt that some excel above others in areas of performance and potential, these are distinctions of human excellence not human dignity. Under the comparative basis, full dignity depends on the extent to which one realizes [or is able to realize] their potential for human excellence. The biblical basis is "non-comparative" and egalitarian. This brings us back to those infants diagnosed prenatally with Down syndrome. Using the comparative basis for human dignity; those with Down syndrome are obviously limited in their ability to achieve excellence in some areas of performance and potential. The result? These children are not afforded full human dignity and thus the decision to terminate their lives is justified. You may be tempted to think that this is all very philosophical and has little to do with you personally. Not true. If you are a follower of Christ, then there is the matter of truth, which you and I are bound to assert and defend. The truth revealed to us in Scripture gives us insight into what it means to be human--a creation of God for God. Knowing this we can then assert and demonstrate an egalitarian basis for life and human dignity that affords proper care and consideration to all human beings including those with disabilities, either congenital or otherwise. On a practical note, if these comparative distinctions become the consensus then you yourself may become the victim of such thinking when you grow old and your "potential" is exhausted. Finally, Meileander offers this, "In a speech of 1858, Abraham Lincoln, while granting many human inequalities, also captured something of the problem we have with an inegalitarian concept of dignity: 'I have said that I do not understand the Declaration of Independence to mean that all men were created equal in all respects.... But I suppose that it does mean to declare that all men are equal in some respects; they are equal in their right to 'life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.'" Lincoln went on to acknowledge that many may think the black man inferior, when speaking comparatively in 1858, however, in defiance of the prevailing culture he rejected this basis saying, "He is the equal of every other man, white or black!" Using the biblical basis for human dignity, human slavery could be both opposed and successfully abolished on reasonable grounds. Conversely, using the secular basis for human dignity, abortion on demand became accepted and codified, the imperfect are being denied their right to life, and soon the aged and infirmed will be put to death when their potential for human "excellence" has diminished. My life was enriched by my encounter with this young man with Down syndrome. My life has also been made much better and far richer with the birth of my precious daughter, Madeleine who was born with Moebius syndrome, a rare neurological disorder that renders her face paralyzed, her sight and speech affected. As her father, I challenge anyone to lessen her human dignity; as a follower of Christ, I will assert and defend the truth of human dignity whenever and wherever I can. "Probably the most truly handicapped people on earth are those who imagine themselves free of any limitation--mentors for a new race of supermen." - Steve Talbott, Devices of the Soul: Battling for Our Selves in the Age of Machines Michael Craven Author and Speaker Founding Director of the Center for Christ & Culture What is Normal?

Does Your Child Have Epilepsy? So Do I! - (01/21/2008)

By John Miers When confronted by an illness in one of their children, parents have a wide range of responses, from cautious and concerned to profound fear. Nothing upsets parents more than learning that one of their children has a health-related problem. Parents are nurturing, protective, and want nothing but the best for their children. When confronted by an illness in one of their children, parents have a wide range of responses, from cautious and concerned to profound fear. This is even more likely if the problem is due to something that they donâ€™t really understand, such as epilepsy. Parents can become overprotective when their child with epilepsy wants to try a new activity, like swimming or riding a bicycle, if the parent believes that there could be a real danger involved in the activity. Having a seizure can change a childâ€™s life in dramatic ways, and set a child apart from friends and siblings. A child with epilepsy can become confused when he or she doesnâ€™t understand about his/her own condition. Even when they are having seizures regularly, some children with epilepsy have never actually seen a person having a seizure. Or, they donâ€™t understand what happens when they themselves have one. It can be even more confusing when the only consistent parental message seems to be that he or she isnâ€™t â€œallowedâ€ to do many things that friends and siblings can do. Sometimes, a child with epilepsy may be teased or believe that this will be the case. In addition, having epilepsy usually means multiple medical tests, many doctor visits, and possibly medications. Iâ€™ve been there, too. When I was a baby, I had several seizures. The doctor reassured my parents that I would be fine. But, when I was twelve, I had another seizure. My mother, being a nurse, took me to a pediatric neurologist, who again reassured us that I would be all rightâ€”â€œif it didnâ€™t happen again.â€ It did happen again. My seizures became gradually more frequent. First every six months, then every three months, and, by the time I was in college, I was having seizures monthly. My epilepsy became harder to live with, but I got used to itâ€”sort of. While I had the good fortune of never being teased, I still did not feel not quite whole. My seizures are still not controlled, but I have an understanding and helpful family. What advice can I give about to say to your child about epilepsy? First and foremost, parents and children may be reassured by the old saying that God doesnâ€™t make junk. Every single person is a unique combination of strengths and weaknesses. It is also important for everyone involved, both children and parents, to take â€œownershipâ€ of the disorder. This means being aware and concerned in order to be on top of the situation. Be frank and honest about just what is going on, what needs to be done, and what should not be done. Doing this can be a difficult and perplexing because parents want to urge their children to do as much as they can, while being aware of specific activities that may pose a threat. Parents and children need to be cautious, but not overwhelmed with fear. Often the physician or health practitioner working with your child can help in setting appropriate limits. Parents want their child to be healed. Children want to be healed, too. In fact, for many people their seizures are controlled through medication, surgery, special diets, or just over time. While some people do seem to grow out of their seizures, others seem to grow into them. For children and parents, as well as for physicians, the uncertainty of possible outcomes is challenging. I remember when I was a camp counselor for children with seizures. It was our first night in the cabin. There were about a dozen boys, ages six, seven, and eight, and three counselors. After dinner, we were having â€œCircle Time,â€ talking about the events of the day and our plans for tomorrow. I then brought up some specific questions: â€œWhat is a seizure?â€; â€œWhat does a seizure look like?â€; â€œWhat should you do when someone has a seizure?â€. Nobody knew the answers. Most of the younger boys had never seen anyone having a seizure. Suddenly, almost on cue, one boy had a seizure. I held him and protected him, and sent the assistant counselor for the nurse. The nurse arrived promptly and took him to her office. We then talked about the seizure in the group: what it was, what to do, and what not to do. They learned a lot that night. One child explained how upset he was about his parents wanting him to have a Medic Alert bracelet. When I showed him mine, he felt better. As parents, what can we do in order to help others live with their seizures? What can we tell our children, their friends, their siblings, their teachers, and other adults? What about the parents of their friends? Most of all, we need to tell them that it is O.K. for our children to play together. We can explain that a child may have a seizure some time, and show them how to handle a child with a seizure. With such information, there will be far less fear. To educate ourselves, our children, and children and adults in the community, we need to know the latest information from nonprofit organizations like the Epilepsy Foundation of America ( www.efa.org ), government agencies like the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, (www.ninds.nih.gov), and our childâ€™s physician. There are also support groups, for both individuals with epilepsy and parents, that can help us learn. We also need to ensure that our children also know about their epilepsy, including what they can and cannot do, both now and in the future. It is important to be optimistic; it helps to see the glass as half filled, not half empty. It is important to look to the future and to be hopeful. The challenges that we face will change through time, requiring both parents and children to keep abreast of the emerging issues in epilepsy diagnosis and treatment. Knowledge and perseverance are essential, as well as a positive, optimistic attitude. Good luck! bio Currently, I am employed by a federal agency as the Director of its Office of Diversity and Employee Advocacy Programs. I have worked in the federal government since I completed my mastersâ€™ degree. I am active in the disability community, serving as an officer in the agencyâ€™s disability organization, and I serve as a Commissioner in the County Commission for People with Disabilities. I have been a counselor for eight years at a local camp for children with epilepsy, and am on the Epilepsy Interest Group at our agency. I am active in the Episcopal Church, at the local, Diocese, and National levels, and have been trained as a congregational consultant. I enjoy being a member of both the singing and bell choirs in our church. I am been the Chair of the Board for a local half-way house for persons recovering from mental illness, and was the runner up for the Washington Redskins Annual Quarterback Award for Community Service. I have also represented our county re-building a burned church in South Carolina, and currently work with the chaplain of a local hospital, visiting Episcopal patients. I am married, with three grown daughters and one 10 year old grandson, and I enjoy gardening. Note: John is now retired. However, he is still active. He and his wife took a number of trips to New Orleans last year to provide support for those still recovering from Katrina. JOhn G. Miers, M.B.A.,

Reader Question about Therapeutic Horse Riding Programs - (12/01/2007)

Anyone with information for Mike Howard is invited to contact him at 208-880-1902. Dear Friends, At Blazing Hope Youth Ranch we have a 4 year old with no arms or hands and a 5 year old with only arms that work-hands are non-functioning. Do you know of people with these disabilities who ride or who have ridden in the past? Is there any literature or pictures we could provide these Children? Thank you, Mike Howard of Blazing Hope in Nampa, Idaho.

Practical Helps for Church Ushers - (10/09/2007)

Guidelines for Church Ushers is provided by the United Church of Christ Disabilities Ministries with Mental Illnesses Ministries to assist churches in becoming a truly inclusive body, accessible to all.

WHAT YOU SHOULD KNOW . . .

We all know that persons with disabilities and their families should be integrated into the life of the church. We want to be welcoming in every way. However, we often do not know what to do and fear doing the wrong thing. Thus we sometimes appear to be unwelcoming. In reality, we are just uncertain. Many people with disabilities have hidden or invisible disabilities. While we may not be aware of this, we might be alert to people asking for help in order to be welcomed into our churches. This brochure is designed to assist ushers and other church leaders to offer hospitality to all persons with disabilities.

Basic Suggestions:

Always speak directly to persons with a disability instead of to a companion.
Donâ€™t hesitate to ask if you can help. Then follow instructions.
Whenever possible, seat persons with a disability with other family or friends.
Donâ€™t ignore. Include persons with disabilities in what you are saying and doing.
Stress the person, not the disability (example: a person who is blind, deaf, etc., instead of a disabled person).
Talk as you would to anyone else. Donâ€™t hesitate to use words like see, hear, and walk.
Ask a person with a disability to usher, greet or serve on a committee.

Developmental Disabilities

Some congregational members may be uncomfortable interacting with people who have developmental disabilities. Ask ahead of time who would like to share a hymnal, explain the service, or sit with the person at coffee hour or lunch. Provide training for such individuals in advance.
Always offer a bulletin. Then the person has the right to accept or decline the offer.

Hearing Disabilities

Speak clearly, slowly and normally.
If your church has assistive listening devices, show persons where they are and how to use them. Before the service, check the devices to be certain they are in working order.
Never speak directly into a personâ€™s ear. Stand where those who lip read can get a clear view of your face. Form your words carefully, but naturally without distortion. If possible, select a more quiet spot as noise is distracting and makes speech difficult to follow. If more appropriate, communicate in writing or with gestures.
Avoid changing topics abruptly as the person uses context to help understand what is being said.
Try to seat persons with hearing difficulty in clear view of the pulpit and the sign language interpreter, if the latter is present. Both should be in one clear view for speaking and gesturing cues as well as for the actual interpreting.

Mental Illnesses

The word "mental" itself is stigmatizing. Hereafter we will use brain illnesses -- commonly known as mental illnesses. Largely invisible, disorders in the brain interfere with the capacity to feel, think and relate. The symptoms of brain illness are varied. A person may appear sad, withdrawn, protective, preoccupied, carrying an unusual burden, or, on the other hand, may be highly energized or acting in a way unusual for the person or the situation.

Treat persons with brain disorders and the families just as you do any other member of the Body of Christ. Offer the hospitality of a simple welcome and introduce yourself.
Come along side, be present, listen. Stand with the person, as if you are looking out at the world together, ready to offer help, assistance or guidance. Accompany the person to a seat with or near someone who is supportive, understanding and companionable. Make introductions.
Persons on medication for a brain illness may exhibit facial or bodily movements which people unaccustomed to this side effect of drugs may not understand. Create a space that is calm, reassuring and respectful.
A brain disorder may cause behavior that is disturbing or disruptive. As with any episode of illness, find one or two knowledgeable members to assist by engaging the person kindly and quietly, inviting and accompanying the individual to a less active area of your church where appropriate care and help can be better provided. A good program which offers information about mental illness is helpful.

Mobility Disabilities

A person who uses a wheelchair may be able to walk and may prefer to use a seat in the pew. Honor that choice. If possible, provide a few shortened pews so persons using a wheelchair can sit with and feel a welcome part of the congregation. Note that standing is a matter of choice.
Do not, without permission, move a wheelchair, walker or crutches out of reach of the person who uses them. They are personal property.
If assisting a wheelchair user up or down a curb, ask the person using the wheelchair for directions. The person using the wheelchair knows what works best. Steep ramps can be difficult and chairs heavy. If you have any doubts about handling the chair safely, get help.

Speech Disabilities

Try to give your full, unhurried attention to a person speaking. Take time to appreciate the person talking. If you do not understand, ask for repetition or clarification. Do not courteously pretend to understand as you may be missing important information.
Remember, a person with a speech difficulty may use alternative ways of communicating, including writing, mime or computer-generated speech.
Resist the urge to complete words or sentences for the person with a speech difficulty.

Visual Disabilities

When greeting a person with visual disability, identify yourself and your role as usher or greeter.
Explain where things are located in terms of the person. Use the imagery of a clock to help orient the person to surroundings (Example: The choir is seated about 50 feet in front of you at 2 oâ€™clock).
Explain the order for worship if the person is unfamiliar with your church. Ask a member to join a person coming alone so specific worship instructions can be offered.
If the person has a guide dog, ask how much room is needed for the dog.
Always offer a bulletin. Make sure large print bulletins are available. If possible, offer a Braille or large-print hymnal. Offer to read aloud the bulletin if it is not available in an alternative form.
Ask about seating preference then walk the person to the seat. Offer assistance when and if needed. Provide an elbow or shoulder if requested, but avoid grabbing or trying to push the person ahead of you.

In Case of Medical Emergency

Never attempt to restrain or put anything into the mouth of a person having a seizure.
Move objects or furniture to prevent injury.
Make the person feel comfortable after the seizure by helping the person to a comfortable place to rest and offering reassurance.
Since an incident could be epilepsy, a stroke, or a reaction to medication, find out if medical personnel or an informed family member is present. Call 911. One usher should call immediately while another stays with the person.
In case of emergency evacuation, assist all known persons with disabilities.

For further information please contact:

Michelle Hintz, UCCDM 866-822-8224, ext 3845 Email: hintzm@ucc.org www.uccdm.org United Church of Christ Disabilities Ministry C/O Parish Life and Leadership 700 Prospect Avenue East Cleveland, OH 44115 1-866-822-8224 x3845

Word Choice Matters - (09/27/2007)

Gracious Invitation to worship takes many forms. Word choice in the presentation of options in some congregations is particularly graceful, as noted in a bulletin from one church we visited during recent travel: "As a courtesy to those with allergies, please refrain from wearing perfumes and fragrances to church events that might compromise the health of others." "*If you are able to do so comfortably, please stand at these times in the service." "Units are available to provide additional sound amplification. These units are available in the narthex and can be used anywhere in the sanctuary. Contact an usher if you have questions. Please return the unit following the service." db, web team

“Children with Disabilities ‘as Happy as Classmates’” - (08/13/2007)

Carolyn Thompson, UCC DM board member and representative to UCC Wider Church Ministries, comments: "Good reading for anyone working with children in our churches and schools and society." Written by Jeremy Laurance, Health Editor of The Independent, this article reports from a study of 500 children that children with cerebral palsy veiw their life experiences much as other children do rather than in terms of their struggle, as able-bodied adults might view them. To read the entire article, go to http://news.independent.co.uk/health/article2723237.ece First published June 30 2007. Posted in SDS (The Society for Disability Studies) on http://www.uic.edu/orgs/sds/

Waterloo, Iowa Youth Named UCC DM Rep to Youth/Young Adult Ministry - (08/08/2007)

Tyler Greene, has accepted the position of United Church of Christ Disabilities Ministries Representative to the Youth/Young Adult Ministry. A high school senior in Waterloo, Iowa, Tyler is a member of the First Congregational UCC in Waterloo. As the UCC DM representative, he will be a communication and project link between the UCC DM and the Youth/Young Adult Ministry. With other youth representatives, he will participate in the meetings, projects and workshops of the Youth/Young Adult Ministry. He recently attended the General Synod of the United Church of Christ held in Hartford, CT, summer, 2007. While at national gathering of the United Church of Christ, he was the recipient of the UCC Disabilities Ministries Award for making an outstanding contribution in abilities ministries to his church and to society. His DVD, "I'M TYLER: DON'T BE SURPRISED," was featured at General Synod. Tyler, who has earned a yellow belt with a blue stripe in karate, plays softball and played "the kid" in "Boxcar Children." Straight out, he asks in "I'M Tyler" the question that strikes at the belly when persons with different abilities meet someone for the first time: "Will you be able to see past my wheelchair and my speech challenges to appreciate my abilities?" About Tyler's future plans? "I want to work on equal rights. I'm not sure where that will take me." Tyler Greene can be reached at tyty2790@aol.com. Read more about Tyler at http://www.ucc.org/ucnews/octnov2006/im-tyler.html

History of the Tom Paton Award (Ohio Conference) - (06/18/2007)

Here is a an idea for other conferences to consider to acknowledge efforts of UCC churches to become accessible and inclusive. The idea was shared by the Rev. Bob Molsberry. History of the Tom Paton Award The Tom Paton Award was established in 1979 by the Ohio Conference Task Force on Ministries for and with Persons with Disabilities to honor the man who inspired and helped direct Conference efforts to reach out and serve people with disabilities. Rev. Paton was a strong advocate for inclusiveness for all persons and all conditions of life. Tom Paton, a Board for World Ministries missionary to Japan, served as a resident missionary in the Ohio Conference in 1977-78. The Task Force, formed in 1979, organized an International Gathering on Ministries with Persons with Disabilities that was held at Pilgrim Hills in July, 1980. Persons from seven countries, both with and without visible disabilities, participated in this event. Tom Paton traveled to Ohio from Japan to co-direct the gathering with Robert Ruck, chair of the Task Force. Robert Ruck wrote about Tom Patonâ€™s role in the gathering: â€œTom Paton, who first suggested this gathering in correspondence with Bill Wealand [Ohio Conference Minister for Outdoor Ministries], gave encouragement to each person, helping us discover things about ourselves and our ability to relate to others. Tom is a person in whom the light of Godâ€™s love shows forth in a magnificent way.â€ The Task Force also asked the Ohio Conference to establish yearly awards for churches and Ohio UCC-related organizations which had done the most during the past year to make their building physically accessible, to make their congregations inclusive and welcoming and who were committed to be advocates for persons with disabilities in their communities. The award was named in honor of Tom Paton. The first Tom Paton Award was presented to Avon Lake United Church of Christ in 1979. Criteria that have been considered for the award include: Â§ Building accessibility (original design or later modifications) Â§ Participation by persons with disabilities in worship, programs and church activities Â§ Publicity and awareness of churchâ€™s accessibility Â§ Special facilities or services (taped services for shut-ins, chair lifts, listening devices, etc.) Â§ Attitudes, outreach and sensitivity (how welcome will people with disabilities be?) Â§ Employment of persons with disabilities on church staff Accessibility Check List and Form Large-print hymnals, bulletins, Bibles Braille materials Sermons or entire services on tape Amplifying sound systems Sign language provided Adequate lighting Printed sermons Audio loops and other assistive listening devices Parking and Paths Curb cuts to sidewalks and ramps to entrances Pathways at least 48â€ wide, sloped no more than 5% Level resting space around doors Marked accessible parking close to accessible entrances Ramps and Stairs Stairs with rubber treads Ramps 36â€ wide, minimum, extending 1â€™ in length for every 1â€ of rise (1:12 ratio) Handrails on at least one side of ramp, 32â€ above surface Stairs with handrails on both sides, 32â€ above the step and extending 1â€™ beyond the top and bottom of the stairs Slightly raised abrasive strips on top steps to warn people with limited sight where stairs begin Protection from rain and snow over ramps; non-skid ramp surfaces Bathrooms At least one accessible bathroom Grab bars on each side of accessible toilet Sink with 29â€ clearance from floor to bottom of sink Wheelchair turning space, 5â€™ x 5â€™ Towel dispensers no higher than 40â€ from floor Lever-type faucet controls and hardware on doors One toilet stall 36â€ wide with 48â€ clear depth from door closing to front of toilet and a 32â€ door that swings out Water Fountains Mounted with basin no more than 36â€ from floor, easily operated from wheelchairs Elevators and Lifts Handrail on at least one side, 32â€ from floor Elevators or chair lifts to ensure access to the sanctuary and all major program areas Braille plaques on elevator panels Controls placed 54â€ or less from the elevator floor, reachable from a wheelchair Worship Space Scattered spaces or â€œpew cutsâ€ for wheelchair users Seating spaces with extra leg room for people using crutches, walkers, braces or casts Area with lectern and microphones accessible to those with mobility impairments Choir area allowing wheelchair users to participate Adequate lighting directed on the face of the speaker for those who read lips Bookstands or lap boards available for those unable to hold hymnals or Bibles Doors and Doorways Lever handles or push bars Doors that can be opened by exerting 81 pounds of pressure or less Door openings 32â€ wide or more Doors that can be opened electronically by pushing a button Other Improvements In the space below, share with us the things you have done which are not covered by this checklist. Add extra pages if needed. Church Name Address Phone Email Contact Person

Mosaic Series – In God’s Image – “More Than a Conqueror” - (05/24/2007)

Written by Rita Fiero I had a car accident in 1982, and I never walked again without the use of canes, crutches, and, finally, a walker. Song of Invocation "Spirit of the Living God" 283 TNCH ROMANS 8:37-39; PSALM 46:10 I AM! I AM! I AM MORE than a conqueror and what a blessing it is! My life seems to have been one test after another and not the least bit boring. The knowledge that I have experienced so much adversity and kept my faith is the real blessing. I know that whatever life sends me; I can, with the ever-present help of God, work through it and come out the other side as a wiser person! I should not be surprised by what God can do in our lives, but I am. It is not God's power I have doubted but my own ability to be quiet long enough to know God, the Word of God, and the Will of God for my life (Psalm 46:10). I have certainly not always felt like a conqueror and expect that times in the future may be just as frightening as in the past. But as a conqueror, I have past triumphs on which to build. I am convinced that neither the death of our gifted, twenty-six-year-old son, nor the challenge of life with pain and limitation, nor insensitive words of believers, nor hurtful attitudinal exclusion, nor the highs of personal success, nor the depth of suicidal depression, nor anything else in all creation will be able to separate me from the love of God in Christ Jesus who suffered much more in his life than I in mine. Despite finding a path for my own journey, I do not expect everyone to understand, nor agree, that victory over difficult situations is possible. It is possible but it is very hard work and it takes, as long as it takes. "Well-meaning" words of comfort after my accident and at the time of our son's death often only silenced my words of lamentation. I felt my grief was not validated, and it gave the consolation to those who were uncomfortable with anything less than a stiff upper lip and smile from me. Swallowing my grief only prolonged the dark days. I had to get through the "going through" at my own speed. I had to work through my loss and grief as best I could and in my own way. No one should ever allow the expectations of others, even those who are closest and love us most, to pressure us to get on with life if we are not ready. But, we must also take the responsibility to choose to move ahead. To not choose is a choice! I am convinced the biblical directive to "Choose Life" translates into conquering the urge to curl up under a blanket forevermore because it is the safest place to hide. This decision, between life and isolation, is what makes for such hard work. A little solitude is a gift; too much solitude can be a burden. I had a car accident in 1982, and I never walked again without the use of canes, crutches, and, finally, a walker. In 1988, I started using a wheelchair. Walking is a highly overrated ability but preferable. Humor is highly underrated but a necessity. Humor and ingenuity have served me well over the years. I raised two teenagers while being very limited and devised creative ways to outsmart them. I had a terrible time getting them to clean up their rooms, so after fair warning, I dumped their loosely lying-around clothing out the second floor window of their rooms. The only thing I regret is not getting a picture of their faces as they saw the only house on the cul-de-sac, viewable from the main thoroughfare, in full dress. I don't think they were too psychologically damaged, and I am convinced that God also has a sense of humor. God, the parent, also laughed. I will never be able to do some of the things I did before the accident, but I can do things differently. There are discoveries and surprises along the journey of disability, and I would not trade them in for anything. That is not true of our son Michael's death. I would give anything, including my life, to have him back. But I feel grieving his death may well have been a catalyst to my healing. I had to face up to all of my losses, the frustrations of my disability, daily life with chronic pain, and sadness over the progressive illness of my husband. I have learned that the only acceptance of such losses is the acceptance that life will never be the same, and this must be sufficient until we come face-to-face with the author of all life. Only God knows our lives from the end to the beginning. Only God knows why. In July 2001, the most extraordinary experience of my life happened when I was invited to be a scripture reader at General Synod worship. I felt honored and agreed to do it. The reading came in the mail and I briefly looked it over wondering if I had finally extended myself a bit too much. I set it aside until the day before my scheduled presentation, when I began to practice reading it aloud. I did read it, over and over again. I had to stop. I had visions of my third grade teacher standing over me with a ruler telling me to read it correctly, "like you really believe what you're saying:" But I could feel nothing. I had become numb in order to survive what no parent should survive, let alone the other complications of my life. I knew I had endured, but I was now faced with the choice to conquer or to hide. Rising to the challenge would not make things "right" again, and I finally knew that in my heart, however, I was being forced to make this choice because I would never be able to sit before thousands and give praise to God and not feel that exquisite praise. I started to read and reflect on the words I was saying: "O Lord, our God, how majestic is your name in all the earth...." Alone in that hotel room, I found the perspective on life I had longed for and the words of praise flowed from me, not the paper before me. The next night, I read as if God and I were the only ones in the auditorium. My spirit was healed and I was granted peace beyond my understanding. I now know it is possible to give praise to God in all circumstances. I have become sincerely thankful for the short time we did have with Michael instead of being angry that our time was so short. I am happy I have gotten to know our beautiful daughter, Rebecca, as an adult and to have her friendship. I am truly blessed to love the man I married thirty-three years ago-even more than when we first wed. We will cherish the rest of our lives together because we know how truly precious that life is. God is good! All the time! Yes, God is good and worthy to be praised! Reflection Questions l. Have you been hurrying so fast that you need to wait for your soul to catch up to your body? Find a quiet place, a church, the woods, or a room in your house where you can shut out the noise of the world. Spend some time in silence listening for God's voice. What do you hear? 2. Write about the strengths you have gained from the most traumatic event in your life. First, step back from your trauma. Watch a good movie or chat with a friend. Next, for three days in a row, write for ten minutes about what you have learned from the negative experience. Finally, decide what you want for a victorious outcome and try to make the dream a reality. Transform your suffering into a sacrament. Be more than a conqueror. Suggested Hymns "When Peace, Like a River" ("It Is Well with My Soul") 438 TNCH "God's Eye Is on the Sparrow" 475 TNCH "There Is a Balm in Gilead" 553 TNCH Women's Mosaic Series 2002 UCC Women's Resource Margaret (Peg) Slater, Editor

Mosaic Series – In God’s Image – “Easter Lilies in November ” – A Weekend Retreat - (05/24/2007)

A Weekend Retreat Based on Jewel Shuey's "Easter Lilies in November" [See "Easter Lilies" below.] INTRODUCTION This retreat must be held in genuinely accessible space-even if no one appears to need it. If you have questions about what accessible space requires, please contact the UCC Disabilities Ministries at 216.736.3838. All materials you send out and use at the retreat should be printed in 14-point print. FRIDAY EVENING Gather participants with food, either the evening meal or a simple "come off the road" snack. Be sure to include a welcoming grace. OPENING WORSHIP Opening Prayer We gather here this evening to worship you, O Holy One. We gather as women, created in your image, to know you and your will better. We gather to laugh and learn, and to be your faithful servants. Help us to do all these things as we see your face in our faces, and your miracles in everyday life. We ask all this in the name of Jesus, the Christ. Amen. Hymn "How Great Thou Art" is suggested by Jewel Shuey, the essay writer. The hymn can be found in the Methodist and Presbyterian hymnals. "Bring Many Names," 11 in The New Century Hymnal, is another choice. Scripture Reading Psalm 139 (one woman will read aloud, but have copies for all). Reflection Each person will reflect in silence on the entire Psalm or whatever portion caught one's attention (10 minutes). Community Building (Break into groups, 5-10 in number, depending on size of entire retreat group.) Reread Psalm 139. Ask each woman to share the phrase, section, or word that struck her as significant, interesting, or meaningful. Go around slowly, value what each has to say, do not challenge or debate, just live with each response. As a group, "rewrite" the Psalm in modern English based on what the group has heard. Read the "new Psalm" to the larger group. Post the "new Psalm" on the wall for the weekend. SATURDAY MORNING 8-9 a.m. Breakfast 9:15-10:15 a.m. Distribute copies of Jewel Shuey's essay, "Easter Lilies in November."* Have one woman read the essay aloud (make sure she has a copy prior to reading it in the group). Break into small groups and discuss: l. The essay itself 2. A time of trial each woman has experienced-was jewel's essay helpful? realistic? encouraging? discouraging? 10:15-10:30 a.m. Break 10:30 a.m.-noon Discussion (small groups-same or new) Discuss what you know about disability-your own or others, accessibility, welcoming people with disabilities.: Use selected essays from the entire "Women's Mosaic Series" packet-at least two to a group. Read the essay aloud, use the suggested questions for each one. Reflect on what each writer is saying. Suggestion: Do not use Doris Powell's essay at this time. Noon-1:00 p.m. Lunch SATURDAY AFTERNOON This is a spiritual retreat, so retreat. Walk, talk, nap, pray. Take time for yourself If you keep reading Genesis 1:26 and on, you will see that even God rests! SATURDAY EVENING 5:30-6:30 p.m. Dinner 6:45-9:00 p.m. Program We, who are active in the church, often do a lot of praising of God and that is very fine. There is a lot for which to praise God. Yet, we sometimes forget to lament. Lamenting is a time-honored way of communicating (see the Book of Lamentations ... read a little aloud) with God. Read Doris Powell's essay "Treasure in Earthen Vessels:" You might listen to selected pieces of "blues" tunes ... ask a member of the group ahead of the retreat to suggest some ... play music quietly in the background as you talk. As a group, or in small groups, answer the questions and do all or some of the suggested activities Doris Powell suggests at the end of her essay. Homework assignment: after you return to your room, write a lament to God. You may, or may not, wish to share it with someone else tomorrow. Write a lament and reflect on how you feel about what you said to God. SUNDAY MORNING 8:45-9:30 a.m. Breakfast 9:45 a.m. Worship Call to Worship Leader: Where can we go from your spirit? Where can we flee from your presence? People: It was you who formed my innermost parts; you knit me together in my mother's womb. Leader: We are fearfully and wonderfully made, wonderful are your works. People: In your book were written all the days formed for me when none of them yet existed. Leader: We come into this sacred space with joy. Prayer of Confession Holy One, we confess that we come to worship with bias and prejudice and ignorance. We are sorry. We will risk learning and changing. We will risk asking difficult questions. Please forgive us and help us to see you in all the wonderfully and fearfully made people of this world. Assurance of Pardon Leader: Be assured, beloved people of God, we/you are a forgiven people. Now go a new way. People: Thank you. Amen! Hymn "We Yearn, O Christ, for Wholeness" 179 TNCH Meditation Ask, in advance, three women to be prepared to respond to the work you have done together this weekend. Each woman should talk for about five to seven minutes. Prayers of the People Ask for three volunteers to pray. Ask for prayers from the group. Conclude with the Lord's Prayer. Hymn "Called as Partners in Christ's Service" 495 TNCH Benediction (with all gathered in a circle, holding hands) Go, my sisters, go in God's glory, just as you are. Go reflecting the image of God. Go as a woman who is welcome in God's world and welcoming to all of God's children. Invocation How great thou are, my God. We bring you praise as we begin to work together, as we read this essay, and look for you in our lives. Open our hearts to see our lives in the lives of others. Help our interconnectedness lighten our burdens, make paths easier for others, and be the people you wish us to be. How great you are, our God. Amen. PSALM 139, 46:10; PROVERBS 2:1-11; JEREMIAH 28:11-13; ISAIAH 61:1-2; COLOSSIANS 1:15-20 Meditation *"Easter Lilies in November" THE FOLIAGE IN NEW ENGLAND has been exceptionally beautiful and long lasting; perhaps God knew we needed it. After several nights with temperatures below freezing, the summer flowers and most of the fall flowers are gone. Only a few precious, colorful leaves remain. Winter is almost here. Oh, what that cold weather does to my hurting body, mind, and soul. I live with chronic pain, depression, fibromyaliga, cluster headaches, and several other health conditions. The first accident/collision was almost twenty-one years ago, only nine months after my marriage to my husband, Merlin, and my move from Alabama to Connecticut. I was a widow when I met Merlin. My late husband died of a heart attack, kissing me good night. Over the years I have lived with and struggled with disabilities. My Creator, my Messiah, has given me strength and inherent power to start and stay involved with the disability community. Many women, young and old, able-bodied and disabled, have inspired me to have hope in today and tomorrow. Some days the pain is so overpowering that I can't get out of bed. I know God is there, but I ask "where?" I just pray, pray, cry, moan, and even laugh. Sometimes laughter is the only medicine. Bernie S. Siegel, M.D., in his book, Love, Medicine, and Miracles: Lessons Learned about Self-healing from a Surgeon's Experience with Exceptional Patients (New York: Harper and Row, 1986) reminds me of this natural, God-given healing power. That fall, when Merlin was diagnosed with, perhaps, a fatal heart condition, I cried out "Where are you my God? Remind me you are with me, in the depth of despair, as I fall to pieces, again and again. But, with the mortar of your love and peace, you give me a beautiful piece of your love and joy." As I open my door to view a magnificent sunrise, there in my garden is an Easter lily with, not one, but two, beautiful white blossoms! How great thou art, my Creator and salvation! I am blessed. I had a Christian heritage. I have a ministry and I know that God has plans for me. I am blessed with a loving husband, a mother, a mother-in-law (my father and father-in-law lived into their eighth decade), two sisters, a large extended family and many good friends. Oh, how I give thanks! I gave birth to three beautiful daughters. I inherited another beautiful daughter and handsome twin sons when I married their father. I also have two beautiful stepdaughters from a past marriage. In my life today, I also have nine babies, my grandchildren, ages three through eighteen years. They are all pieces of me, all pieces of you, my Creator. Help me to remember you formed each one. I worry about the daughter with diabetes, the daughter who may have MS, the daughter whose only son has a traumatic brain injury; my man-child, and my teenaged grandsons, whose father chose not to see them and be part of their lives. Why can't I trust you, my God, with all the hurts each one will suffer in the world? For each question, I do not have the answers. I want to protect and hold my children close. I remember this and am reminded by many others, including the Rev. Robert Schuller, that "life's not fair, but God is good:" I know and believe this is true. But what I want for each one is to know your love and salvation for eternal life. I praise you and thank you for the miracle of life. For the wonderful way you made us, so whole, so perfect, in your image, for the treasure of love and forever. I feel so fragmented, so broken into so many pieces. How I hate the pain; always the pain. Is pain my enemy? Is fatigue my enemy? I feel so weary, so tired all the way into the future. My body, my spirit, my mind will not cooperate. This is not a pretty sight. Where am I? Who am I? When will I be (find) me? How can I bring the good news to the oppressed? When I can't get out of bed, out of my house? Are these my adversaries? Your adversaries? I will triumph! The power of love. You, my God, my Creator, made me in your image. I look again, inside and outside of my body, my spirit, my soul. I am perfect. I am whole. In the middle of the darkest night, the son, your son shines. I am your child. Years ago, on a visit to Israel with a study group of persons with disabilities, I remember seeing a dirty, mosaic floor that was built thousands of years ago. When we splashed small amounts of water on it, the stones looked new, beautiful, and magnificent beyond words. I, we, are just like that floor, each piece, the power of one, put together, by the mortar of God's love and Son shine from our Creator. A sight to behold! I have always thought of me, all of me, in many pieces! These pieces are held together with the mortar of God's love. I share the view of the Rev. Harold H. Wilke in his book, Angels on My Shoulders and Muses at My Side (Nashville, Tenn.: Abingdon, 1999). There are many ways God can put together the pieces of our lives. Wilke, a good friend to many of us, was born without arms. He has lived a rich, long life in his eight decades plus of life. He has served as a minister in the United Church of Christ; he is a husband, a father, and a lifelong advocate with and for people with disabilities. Wilke's life is an example of God's power in the world to overcome obstacles and transform the pieces of one's life into a masterpiece. In celebration of women from ancient times through modern times, I give praise and thanks to God the Creator, Redeemer, and Sustainer. We are each a piece of the beauty, excellence, and wholeness of Her creation. We are God's own masterpiece. WE102 Designed and printed by United Church Resources, Local Church Ministries Women's Mosaic Series 2002 UCC Women's Resource Margaret (Peg) Slater, Editor WE102 Designed and printed by United Church Resources, Local Church Ministries

Mosaic Series – In God’s Image – “A Patchwork Quilt” - (05/24/2007)

Written by the Rev. Virginia Kreyer Cannot we, persons with disabilities, nondisabilities, people of color, and persons from different cultures, compare our lives to a patchwork quilt? Invocation Leader: Spirit of God, come among us. Open our hearts to know your transforming presence in our lives. People: Come, Holy Spirit. Leader: Spirit of God, come among us. Brood over us that we may be filled with your love. People: Come, Holy Spirit. Leader: Spirit of God, come among us. Breathe into us your restlessness and courage that we may trust your promise of newness in our lives, in the church, and in the world. People: Come, Holy Spirit, renew they whole creation. Amen. 1 CORINTHIANS 12:4-27 MY GRANDMOTHER'S AND great-grandmother's generation made patchwork quilts. My mother's and my generation rarely, if ever, engaged in this wonderful art form. Within the last decade or two, purchasing and making patchwork quilts has been revived. A good friend suggested that the imagery of a patchwork quilt might be a basis for this essay. I was thinking about the suggestion when, a few days later, a young woman pastor told a group of us attending a workshop that making patchwork quilts was one of her favorite hobbies. The apostle Paul, writing his first letter to the church at Corinth, said, "For just as the body is one and has many members, and all the members of the body, though many, are one body, so it is with Christ.... Indeed the body does not consist of one member but of many. If the foot would say, `Because I am not a hand, I do not belong to the body,' that would not make it any less a part of the body. . . . If the whole body were an eye, where would the hearing be?" (1 Cor.12:12, 14-15,17a). In other words, all of us are different. Before following our biblical theme further, let's look at the patchwork-quilt analogy a little more closely. A quilt is made of many different pieces of material, different colors, and often, different textures. The one who is making the quilt decides how the quilt should be designed and stitched together by a common thread. Once I heard of two women, living in different parts of our country, who made most of their daughter's dresses from the time the girls were infants until they reached young adulthood. Both women saved pieces of material from each dress they made. They have decided to make a patchwork quilt for their daughters, using the pieces of material from the dresses. One piece may remind one of the first day of school, while another piece may have brought back happy and sacred memories of confirmation day. No two pieces were exactly alike, but they have been stitched together by a parent's love. Cannot we, persons with disabilities, nondisabilities, people of color, and persons from different cultures, compare our lives to a patchwork quilt? Each one of us is a unique human being. No two of us are exactly alike. For instance, no two people have the same fingerprints. And we all have abilities and disabilities. Some people's disabilities are very visible, while other people have invisible disabilities that we may never know about unless we are told. These may be mental, emotional, or physical. Each one of us has strengths of one form or another that we need to put to use for our own fulfillment, for the good of others, and to the glory of God. As Christians, Jesus Christ brings us together, just as a quilter brings pieces of a quilt together. In recent years, we in the church have come to realize the value of telling and hearing autobiographical stories, as a way of witnessing to our faith. Each story is different because we, each, are unique individuals . . . no two of us face exactly the same situation or have the same experiences. Yet, as we look back on our lives, most of us can recognize the presence of God at various moments or times. We realize later, even if we are unaware of it at the time, that God has been with us. Just as the maker of a patchwork quilt draws the various pieces of material together with thread, so does God, revealed to us in Christ and known to us today through the power of the Holy Spirit, draws Christians together. I am not trying to imply that life for any one of us is easy. Life for some people is much more difficult than for others. Some individuals who are members of minority groups, such as persons who have physical disabilities, people who are mentally impaired, people who are emotionally disturbed, or people who are African Americans or any other minority group, still are discriminated against. Our world is so full of violence, hatred, injustice, and war that even when I know that persons with disabilities and other minority groups have been shamefully treated, and still are not always given a fair opportunity, we must be grateful that many, many more people are far more accepting of persons with disabilities than they were a hundred, fifty, or even twenty years ago! Societies, in general, and denominations, in particular, have been working since the late 1970s to remove architectural and attitudinal barriers. We finally have come to understand that we cannot be an inclusive church unless all people, regardless of their disability, color of their skin, or national origin, are welcome in Christ's Church. Some people will continue to exhibit anger or hostility toward anyone who is different, be they persons who are mentally impaired, mentally ill, or have physical disabilities or are members of any other minority group. The recipient of such hostility finds this to be very painful. It hurts! We need to remember, however, that such behavior stems from the fear of the nondisabled or nonminority individual that they, too, could have been born into a minority group or could have been born with a disability or could become disabled. This fear often is on a subconscious or unconscious level. Our calling is to help such a person or persons, if possible, acknowledge their fear. Only as an individual does, can he or she admit their fear and change their attitude and, thus, their behavior. In conclusion, let us: 1. Be thankful that society, in general, and the church, in particular, has begun to recognize that all individuals are precious, and must be allowed and helped to discover and use their God-given gifts. 2. Let us give thanks for our individual uniqueness and for Christ who binds Christians together as different pieces of cloth are brought together to make a quilt. 3. And finally, may each one of us, whatever our station in life, be granted strength to use our gifts and our abilities for the glory of God, remembering the words of Jesus who said, "Lo, I am with you always." 4. How can you encourage more persons with disabilities to become part of the congregation? Reflection Questions 1. How do you feel when you meet a person with a disability? 2. Is your church accessible? If not, how can it be made accessible? 3. Are there people in your congregation who are disabled? Are they welcome? Hymn possibilities "Spirit Of Love" 58 TNCH "Called As Partners In Christ's Service" 495 TNCH "In Christ There Is No East or West" 394 TNCH "Blessed Be the Tie That Binds" 393 TNCH Women's Mosaic Series 2002 Margaret (Peg) Slater, Editor

Mosaic Series – In God’s Image – “I Could Come Home” - (05/24/2007)

Written by the Rev. Jeanne Tyler The question of justice is one of exclusion. Invocation Persistent God, who never lets us go, come to us in this gathering. Open our minds and our hearts to wrestle with your words. Teach us not to sit politely by when we are not welcomed as the unique people we are. Help us to love ourselves as much as we love you, so that your gift of creating us in your image is not wasted on others or us. Help us be teachers and learners. Help us to follow your ways made straight in the wilderness. We ask this in the name of Jesus, the Christ. Amen. ISAIAH 35; LUKE 18:1-9 A SENSE OF HOMECOMING 1S the vision found in Isaiah, chapter 35. The way home from exile is an ecological treasure-with the land being glad and full of blooms. The dry, inhospitable, and even dangerous desert will be transformed. It shall be filled with streams of water and a way will be found through it. Best of all, the people who could be most easily left behind-the weak, the lame, the blind, the deaf, those unable to speak-will come to the forefront. All will be included, accepted, and affirmed at the center and the whole will be made holy. We will be a sign of God's presence in all our glory and differences. The question of justice is one of exclusion. Isaiah knew the vulnerable ones who might not make it home. Those with disabilities might not have enough strength or mobility to make the way home. They might be left behind because they were too much trouble. Were they even good enough to come home? As the land is transformed, so are the people. Those on the edges are now the center. Those with disabilities are not forgotten, not relegated to the least, or even out-of-sight, out of mind. Isaiah knew that any good homecoming is inclusive of all abilities. Isaiah also invites us to look at deserts and see crocuses in bloom, look at the little paths and imagine a highway, feel the fear of wild animals and know the safety of God. Isaiah invites us to know ourselves as whole and holy. The whole of creation changes, is transformed as we change our perception of ourselves and our abilities and disabilities. I was one of those who questioned if I was good enough to come home. I was born with mild cerebral palsy and a hearing loss. I have struggled to hear and be understood. I struggled to walk. And I struggled to know in whose image I was created. In Genesis, it says that God created humankind in the image of God, God created them male and female. One day I was meditating on this line, trying to get myself around this so I could more fully understand. There I was in the library of Chicago Theological Seminary, looking at my hand, and I understood that I was in the image of God. My hand, which could not take good notes or write well, was "in the image of God:" My hand, which spilt coffee and took more time to do dishes, was "in the image of God:" My hand, which I would have gladly traded was "in the image of God" and the rest of me as well. By the grace of God, I knew myself as in the image of God. I could come home. In the Gospel of Luke (18:1-7), there is a story from which I gain great strength. There is a woman, a widow, a woman without a man to speak for her. She must be alone. She should be powerless, but she is strong and determined. She does not take "no" for an answer from this judge who neither fears God nor regards humans. Can you see this woman dressed in black, perhaps bent over a little but with an attitude? What a hoot! She has been wronged, and she knows the judge can vindicate her if he wants. At first, the judge refuses her. He does not need to bother with her case. She is just a widow with another story of injustice. It does not concern him. She comes again to him with this same request, or is it a demand? And again she comes and again.... Finally, he says to himself, "Though I neither fear God nor regard humans, yet because this widow bothers me, I will vindicate her or she will wear me out by her continual coming:" And, he does. A persistent woman won, and our lives are enriched with justice! With inner strength and fierce determination, she received justice from this judge that neither feared humanity nor God. This attitude drives us to claim our place in a world that often does not want to trouble with us. We can draw courage from this deep well of stories about inclusion at the center of a redeemed life. Coming home to self is coming home to God. Coming home to God is coming home to self. Persevering, demanding justice, demanding a place at the table is faithful work for us all. Reflection Questions 1. When do you see yourself in the image of God? Do you? Why? Why not? 2. When do you see others in the image of God? Is it easier to see others than yourself? 3. What sense do you make of the visions of redemption and hope in the Hebrew Scriptures? Can they be updated to our time? How? Suggested Music "All God's Children Got a Place in the Choir" Women's Mosaic Series 2002 Margaret (Peg) Slater, Editor

Mosaic Series – In God’s Image – “Spiritual Accessibility for All” - (05/23/2007)

Written by the Rev. Diana Coberly Invocation We approach you, O faithful God, assured of your welcoming attitude to all. You fearfully and wonderfully made each of us. We thank you that your love is with us, that nothing can separate us from your love no matter the way we see or hear, no matter the way we talk or walk, no matter the way we think or feel. Help each of us to be aware of how we exclude persons different from ourselves from knowing Jesus. As we gather in this place, awaken us to your goodness and mercy, that we may through the liberating grace you offer us, help create an attitude of inclusiveness for all. Amen. MARK 2:1-12 REMEMBER THE FIRST TIME I felt shame about having a disability-about how I looked with a disability. It was when the newspaper reporters were taking my picture with Gene Autrey. I had just turned five years old, and a few months before I had been admitted to the hospital seriously ill with the polio virus. I was appalled about the fact that now I was going to be seen, all over Kansas, sitting in a wheelchair. I didn't even have braces yet. In fact, my legs look fine in the picture because the atrophy of my legs had not yet begun to show. But I knew that I was no longer whole. Something was wrong with me, not just with my body but with me. Now that sounds ridiculous! How could a five-year-old child, who had just recently become different from other kids, have developed a sense of shame about being handicapped? But I knew it was true. I not only remember the feeling, but I have the picture that shows my hand across my mouth, as if to hide from the camera. I know how this happened. It was because of the beliefs and attitudes of persons around me, including my parents. In Romans 8:38-39, Paul tells us that absolutely nothing can separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord. And yet, I have heard, over and over, stories of persons with disabilities feeling ignored, criticized, blamed, and scorned by the church-by its liturgy, by its use of the scriptures, and by its members and their attitudes. What truly handicaps people with disabilities are the attitudes of others. And "others" means us-the people of the church. I believe that the Mark 2:1-5 passage of scripture models spiritual accessibility for all. Humankind's faith made Jesus accessible to the man who was paralyzed. We don't know about the faith of the man on the mat, but we do know about the faith of the four people who brought him to Jesus. Nothing could stop them from gaining access to the love of God through Christ Jesus: not distance; not the weight of the man who was paralyzed; not dusty roads; not crowds; not blocked entry to the house where Jesus taught. Today, most denominations have statements or resolutions calling for their local churches to provide physical access for per sons with disabilities. A 1995, a Twentieth General Synod resolution called on the United Church of Christ to be morally bound by the spirit of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) of 1991 (most religious institutions, organizations, or local churches are not legally bound to the provisions of the ADA). Many churches have devised ways for folks to be present in worship. Notice, I use the word "present," not "participate in," because many churches do not furnish large-print bulletins, hymnals, or assistive devices for people with hearing disabilities or open pews so that people in wheelchairs don't have to sit in the back or the front. However, little attention is paid to the concept of providing access to persons with disabilities to participate fully in the life of the church. Persons with disabilities are often unable to participate fully in the life of the church, not only because of the lack of physical access to the social hall, classrooms, choir lofts, and restrooms, but also because of the attitudinal barriers erected by members of the church community. Most Christian traditions equate perfect bodies with wholeness of the spirit. As a result, a large number of parishioners relate to persons with disabilities from one of three models: the person or family has sinned and is to be shunned; the disability is a gift from God and the person is treated in a paternalistic manner; or misfortune has befallen the person, causing him or her to be seen as a charity case. There are two other reasons why persons with disabilities are excluded from the faith community (all communities). We remind folks of the fragility and vulnerability of their bodies. There were many times I crossed a street or entered a store that I had no intention of visiting just because I didn't want to look at or acknowledge the person with a disability who was headed my way. Years later, I came to understand that the person I didn't want to see or acknowledge was me. Secondly, many people do not know what to say or do when they meet a person with a disability. Particularly, folks do not want to hurt or embarrass that individual or them-selves. Just as the four men in the Mark text provided the man who was paralyzed access to Jesus, faithful members of a congregation can invite persons with disabilities to lead a seminar or a roundtable discussion as a way to educate the entire faith community. In the process of examining why there is an impregnable wall between most commu-nities of faith and the community of people with disabilities, Brett Webb-Mitchell, in Un expected Guests at God's Banquet: Welcoming People with Disabilities into the Church (New York: Crossroad, 1994), identifies one problem as the issue of the difficulty of living in American society as someone who is different from the normal person. Our society, including the church congregations and parishes, attempt to make the person with a disability like everyone else, instead of accepting that person just as they are. Each of us has abilities; each of us seek fulfillment and wholeness; each of us has disabilities; each of us know isolation and incompleteness. In the way that the four men's faith allowed accessibility for the man who was paralyzed, we are called to be Christian agents and to act on our faith by removing barriers of attitude, economics, communication, and environment. Our churches cannot afford to be places filled with shamed people. If we are to take seriously that all of us are created in God's image, then we must change attitudes and bring down barriers that prevent people from finding joy in themselves as God's whole and holy people. May we lift the roof in praising God who created us, as we are, in God's image. Suggested Hymns "Help Us Accept Each Other" 388 TNCH "We Yearn, O Christ, for Wholeness" 179 TNCH "When Minds and Bodies Meet as One" 399 TNCH "Called as Partners in Christ's Service" 495 TNCH Questions 1. Remember back to when you were five. What were some wonderful experiences you had? What were some painful or hurtful ones? 2. What are the physical barriers of your place of worship for persons with disabilities? 3. What do you feel and think when you hear the word "disability," or when you encounter someone with a disability? 4. What role does your faith play in your attitude of inclusion-or exclusion? Women's Mosaic Series 2002 UCC Women's Resource Margaret (Peg) Slater, Editor

Mosaic Series – In God’s Image – “Created to be Interdependent within the Body of Christ” - (05/23/2007)

Serious Brain Disorders, formerly called Mental Illnesses Written by the Rev. Norma Mengel Invocation Creating, saving, and sustaining God, we thank you for creating us in your image, each having gifts that differ according to the grace given us, so that together we make up the whole body of Christ. Help us to learn new ways to encourage each other to develop our gifts to the fullest, to love one another with mutual affection, and to extend hospitality. May we be sensitive and helpful to one another in our areas of need. In Christ's name, we pray. Amen. ROMANS 12:1-13; 2 CORINTHIANS 1:4 ROMANS 12 HAS profound lessons for me as my spiritual journey leads me to reflect on the meaning of disability for myself personally and for ministry. From our human perspective, each of us comes with some kind of imperfect body. Some of us think we are too tall, some too short, some have arms or legs that are paralyzed, some have eyes that can't see, ears that can't hear, brains that are disordered, hearts that are weak. No matter the condition of our bodies, we are to give ourselves as a living sacrifice and know that we are holy and acceptable to God. We are made in God's image, and God wants our whole being. As we make this commitment of our whole selves, our minds are to be remade or transformed. We are not to model our thinking and behavior on the culture around us, but we are to let God's spirit within us, remake us so that our thoughts, attitudes, and behaviors are changed, enabling us to know God's will in all areas of our living. I will relate this passage to one area that has touched me deeply-attitudes toward persons who have what the "world" calls "mental illness" but accurately should be called "brain disorders:" Society would have us stigmatize, discriminate against, and exclude persons with these disorders from our "normal" world. Our transformed thinking would have our attitudes and actions be ones of love, acceptance, and hospitality. "Love one another with mutual affection; outdo one another in showing honor.... Contribute to the needs of the saints; extend hospitality" (Romans 12:10,13). "For by the grace given to me I say to everyone among you not to think of yourself more highly than you ought to think.... For as in one body we have many members, and not all the members have the same function, so we, who are many, are one body in Christ, and individually we are members one of another. We have gifts that differ according to the grace given to us...... (Romans 12:3-6). Just as our human bodies have many parts, each with different functions, so it is with Christ's body. As The Living Bible puts it so vividly, "We are all part of Christ's body and it takes every one of us to make it complete, for we each have different work to do. So we belong to each other and each needs the other. God has given each of us the ability to do certain things well:" Persons with brain disorders or any other disability have many abilities and gifts to contribute and are needed to make the body of Christ complete. One's disability does not define the person. Each person has gifts and needs that differ from another person's gifts and needs. All are essential for the body of Christ to function at its fullest. It is my belief that God created us to be interdependent, not independent or dependent. This is an area where we must not let ourselves be squeezed into the world's mold. Society teaches us that independence is to be valued above all else and that a state of dependence is to be avoided at all cost. I think this creates an attitude of pride, arrogance, and a sense of isolation, causing people to think of themselves more highly than they ought to think: "I made it, why can't you?" It causes people to think that they are selfsufficient, with no need for God and no need for others. One of the hardest things for anyone to do in our culture is to ask for help. And yet, Jesus told us, "Ask, and you will receive:" I believe our relationship with God is one of interdependence and our relationship with others is also interdependent, we are called to be one body. My particular story and calling leading me to this understanding of interdependence and giftedness started in my nursing student days as I learned the marvelous workings of the human body through a study of anatomy and physiology. It deepened on a personal level when our son became ill with a brain illness called bipolar disorder at the age of seventeen. In the depth of the pain, we experienced both a profound sense of God's comfort directly and through some members of the body of Christ and a profound awareness of the stigma, discrimination, and isolation toward these illnesses in society and the church. Our health insurance didn't consider these brain illnesses as physical illness, though the last time I looked, the brain is a very important member of the body. To this day, there is a great inequity in insurance coverage for needed treatment of brain illnesses. The congregation, of which we were a part at the onset of the illness, demonstrated transformed minds and attitudes and shared deeply their gifts of compassionate caring. Later, our life journey took us to a different part of the country and to a different congregation where few offered help, few visited when he was hospitalized or even asked about his welfare. We withdrew, became silent about the illness, and felt like modern-day "lepers:" It was only after we, as a family, found the joy of interdependence in support groups of other suffering persons, that we found new friends and were able to come out of "hiding," talk openly about the disability, become involved with the National Alliance for the Mentally Ill (NAMI), become better educated, find the best treatment, and use these new gifts in the body of Christ to minister with and to other persons with their unique disabilities and abilities for the welfare of the whole body of Christ. As people met our needs, we were able to meet others' needs. Persons with identifiable disabilities have unique needs, but each also has unique gifts and is essential in making Christ's body whole. For starters, "we may be able to console those who are in any affliction with the consolation with which we ourselves are consoled by God" (2 Corinthians 1:4). The ministry of presence is a great gift to offer. Our son has this gift and many others to offer the body of Christ. He has a beautiful tenor voice, a believing heart, and a compassionate spirit. He is a choir member, a generous person, an employee, a son, a brother, an uncle, and he has a recurring illness, bipolar disorder. His illness does not define him. He is not a manic-depressive. He is a person who has an illness who periodically needs help in caring for himself. He needs medication; he needs other people's respect, love, and prayers; he needs God's comfort and mercy. He does not need to be part of some marginalized, stereotyped group of people called "the mentally ill:' No, he is a person who is "fearfully and wonderfully made" in the image of God, who has been given unique gifts to use in making the body of Christ whole. We were created to be interdependent, members one of another, with all our gifts working together to make up the body. One person's disability is filled in by another person's ability. When any one of us, or a group of us, is excluded because of some lack of ability, we are prevented from using our God-given gifts to make Christ's body complete. Together let us make the beautiful mosaic that God intends. Reflection Questions 1. What are your strengths (abilities)? What are your weaknesses (disabilities)? 2. Can you describe a time when you recognized you were interdependent and needed the gifts and help of other people? How did you feel? 3. What is the world's view as it relates to persons with disabilities? How does this compare with the teachings in Romans 12? 4. Do you know anyone with a brain disorder? Are these persons an integral part of your church's life? If not, why not? 5. What are some of the ways your congregation or your family can practice hospitality so that all members of the body experience genuine love and each can be encouraged to develop their gifts so that the whole body is functioning as God intends? Litany One: We are called to proclaim the truth. Let us believe. All: This is true: Jesus said," I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly." One: It is not true that persons with brain disorders or other disabilities are second-class citizens and must accept isolation, discrimination, and stigma. All: This is true: All people are made in the image of God and are people of worth, holy and acceptable to God. One: It is not true that brain disorders are weaknesses of character and cannot be treated. All: This is true: Brain disorders are treatable. One: It is not true that stigma, discrimination, and neglect shall have the last word. All: This is true: The church is called to take the lead in stamping out societal stigma and discrimination and to welcome and affirm all people as children of God, with gifts that differ according to the grace given us. One: It is not true that we were created to be all sufficient and independent. All: This is true: We were created to be interdependent-all a part of the body of Christ with different abilities and different work to do and it takes every one of us to make the body complete. Thanks be to God. Suggested Hymns "Called As Partners in Christ's Service" 495 TNCH "Won't You Let Me Be Your Servant?" 539 TNCH 2002 WOMEN'S MOSAIC SERIES WE102 Designed and printed by United Church Resources, Local Church Ministries Women's Mosaic Series 2002 UCC Women's Resource Margaret (Peg) Slater, Editor

Mosaic Series – In God’s Image – “Challenges” - (05/23/2007)

Written by Susan L. Clarke About living with chemical sensitivities Invocation Oh God, in whose image we are all made, give us courage to embrace our family of earthly sufferers. Your creation, as we embrace you; knowing that our bonds in suffering bring insight, empathy, healing, and joy. Amen. PROVERBS 24:11-12; JOHN 9:1-3 IN MY DREAM, I dove into a bubbling stream and resurfaced on the far shore in a glistening white gown. A wide field with groves of trees spread out before me. Musicians appeared with instruments of every kind and, beyond them, a huge choir. I lifted my baton, like a wand, to elicit the beauty of the whole. Glorious music suspended us all in heavenly bliss. Waking, I was struck by the loss of my dream to be a conductor, for which I had sacrificed much. In 1985, I had left my parents' home outside Philadelphia. Generally penniless and in intolerable housing conditions, I had received a master's in orchestral conducting at the New England Conservatory in Boston. Because of a prior bout with pneumonia, airborne chemicals in cities made me ill. Nevertheless, I persevered and succeeded-to a point. In 1988, the director of Affiliate Artists, the primary agent for young conductors, announced at the Aspen Music Festival, where I was a Fellow, that I was "one of the most talented, musical, artistic young conductors in the country." But the cologne worn by one of the conductors there overwhelmed me, as if needles pierced my innermost sinuses at every breath. I had to leave conducting class for fresh air. The first day of the 1991 Tanglewood Festival, fellow class members complimented me on my conducting of Beethoven. Wanting to show hospitality to the Europeans, I invited them to the lake to swim. On that gorgeous day, I floated, thinking how healthful the summer would be. A passing boat stirred pleasant waves. Water went over my head and into my left lung. As I walked to shore, I squished two dead fish apart on the bottom of the lake. I had never before seen dead fish there-they usually nibbled on my legs-but I thought nothing of it. The next morning, feverish, with the lung inflamed, I dragged myself to class. I was extremely ill the rest of the summer and learned only when the festival was long over-and my professional prospects ruined-that the lake had been algaecided the day before the incident. In delirious fevers, I bargained, "God, if you heal me-if you give me even a little health, I'll do anything for you. I'll go to Washington. I'll walk straight into the White House:" However, I was mostly bedridden for years. A toxicologist commented, "You really got dosed:" Endless hours of painful debility, migrainous vomiting, pleas for healing, and sleepless questions-why, how, and what now-filled the decades of my prime-of-life. The humiliation of needing governmental assistance and having to fight for it repeatedly, often while homeless or living in someone else's home, stole my dignity. Employers, hospitals, and churches refused to accommodate me. My body-temple needed a clean earth that no longer existed. Diagnosed with permanent, disabling, multiple-chemical sensitivity disorder and common migraine, my dreams died-dreams of conducting, of health, a home, a husband, and a child. "Where there is not vision, the people perish," the prophet Isaiah astutely notes. I nearly died many times. Between the cracks of illness, a vision emerged. On my well days, I sat in classes at Harvard School of Public Health and scientific conferences, studying the forefront literature on toxins. Each excursion required days of recovery. I learned to speak "scientese" and "bureaucratese": "Laboratory mice will die within sixty minutes of secondhand exposure to many commercial perfumes. The US GAO report on neurotoxicity confirms that death in mice indicates brain cell death in humans." Presenting at conferences, I'd put on a TV smile, no matter how ill I felt. Protecting life on earth now meant more to me than my own life. One day I said to the kindly woman who gave me room and board, "Fran, I wish I could go to Washington and get something done." To my astonishment, she bought me a plane ticket to D.C. I considered flying impossible with my illness. However, because of Fran's generosity, I had to go, and I did, wrapped in barrier cloth. Three days of hellish recovery followed the flight. With my respirator and oxygen tank in tow, I plastered Capitol Hill with scientific studies, meeting with legislative aides and agency officials. Thereafter, if I had $20 to my name, I would drive the ten hours to D.C. People advised me, opened their homes to me, provided me organic food and open windows, and tolerated vomit. On the Hill, I lobbied daily for clean air, water, and food for everyone, for protection from chemical injury. Then a miracle happened. While in a law office, where I could barely breathe, a call came in from the White House. Two days later, the materials I was distributing were in A1 Gore's hands. The federal government recognized chemical sensitivity for the first time, through the appointment of an interagency workgroup. Years earlier, feeling abandoned by society and God, I had knelt by the Charles River in Boston, whispering coldly, "God, why did you do it?" The last thing I had expected was an answer. Two came to mind. First, when Jesus was asked about a man born blind, whether the fault was the man's or his parents; he answered, "so that God's power be displayed," and healed the man. Second, when Jesus knew a close friend was ill, he intentionally stayed away two days, allowing the friend to die. "Criminal negligence," courts would now determine. He ultimately raised the man from the dead. Prior to the miracle, though, Jesus wept. It was hard to believe at the time, but I understood that God had not stopped caring and intended something powerful by my illness. Today, provided that others help protect our common air, I have my health. I give expert testimony in public health science, work for justice, and write professionally. I am a flute recitalist at Trinity Church-Boston and believe I will conduct again. I have a nontoxic home and have marital prospects. My life is fuller than I could ever have dreamed. I am most grateful for the enlightenment of disability. Reflection Questions and Activities 1. How do you feel when someone says they are reacting to your hairspray, perfume, or lotion? Do your feelings change over time? 2. Imagine you are the CEO of a chemical company. Millions of people buy your products, however, many, many people report immediate, serious medical problems in reaction to what you consider low levels of chemicals used. What do you do? 3. How should society provide for and learn from veterans of recent conflicts, many of whom have been disabled by chemical injuries and/or sensitivity? 4. Where do you think God is when we have to ask hard questions about things we don't know much about? 5. Check the ingredient lists on your own food, cosmetics, laundry, and maintenance products, noting how many in each seem to have been created in a lab rather than in nature. Estimate how much your household spends each year on such products. Try living as a chemically sensitive person for a week, going without them. How do you feel? Suggested Hymns "My Heart Is Overflowing" ("The Song of Hannah") 15 TNCH "O God, My God" 515 TNCH Women's Mosaic Series 2002 UCC Women's Resource Margaret (Peg) Slater, Editor

Mosaic Series – In God’s Image – “What Does God Want?” - (05/23/2007)

Written by Sharon Crousore OUR DAUGHTER LOST HER MIND. Others lose their sight or hearing or ability to walk. What trauma and challenge that is. Invocation Let us give thanks to the God and heavenly Parent of our Savior Jesus Christ from whom all help comes! God helps us in all our troubles, so that we are able to help others who have all kinds of troubles, using the same help that we ourselves have received from God. Just as we have a share in Christ's many sufferings, so also through Christ we share in God's great help and we are given the strength to endure with patience. So our hope in God is never shaken, we know that just as God shares in our sufferings, others may also share in the help we have received. (Adapted from 2 Corinthians 1:2-7.) MICAH 6:8 OUR DAUGHTER LOST HER MIND. Others lose their sight or hearing or ability to walk. What trauma and challenge that is. For Amy, just as she was finishing a wonderful junior year in college, in the midst of applying to graduate school and anticipating her career and the rest of her life, while being active in her church, being a very independent and hardworking young woman, the loss was of her mind. Seven a.m. in the practice room in the music building. She couldn't seem to memorize one particular measure of a Beethoven sonata that otherwise was totally memorized. Eight a.m. The classroom becomes blindingly bright, then fades back to normal. The walls begin closing in, then receding far away, then closing in again. Noon: Sounds of the campus, the carillon, dorm noises, conversations a block away on the quad, all are amplified like a Rolling Stones concert. Nine p.m. Home at last, but the little pumpkin candle on the end table suddenly comes alive, mocks her, taunting her, threatens her. The next day O.K. Everything normal. A couple of days later: She can't leave her apartment because everything out there is gone. Only her apartment continues to exist. Everything else is a desert, and if she stepped outside, she would sink into the sand and cease to be. She is losing her ability to remember the steps of taking a shower, of getting dressed, how to wash the dishes or prepare a meal. Two days later, she goes to the campus medical clinic and is told she is suffering from "stress:" Never mind that she is having a great semester. Even though, by then, she is having auditory, olfactory, tactile, and intense visual hallucinations. She protests that diagnosis. She keeps telling the clinic counselors that something was wrong with her brain, but no one would listen. Rather, she is told that this was a psychological problem and that she needed to work through these problems by herself. She was not to tell her family or to seek their assistance while she went to "counseling:" It is a year of hell. After two hospitalizations, she defies what her doctor was telling her to do and confides in her father what was happening to her and what her symptoms were. He recognized immediately that this was a medical emergency. Now that her father and I are involved, we seek other medical advice and treatment as a family rallying around one member who is ill. She is finally believed and diagnosed with schizophrenia, which we find out, is a very common brain illness. Her illness is and remains devastating. The pain of the illness, the side effects of medication, the misinformation, the jokes, the shunning by friends and coworkers, the horror of losing one's ability to think, facing night after night of vivid nightmares seeing, hearing, smelling, tasting, and feeling the horrors, and the lifetime of struggle just to survive in the poverty enforced by our society are all an exhausting challenge to even the strongest Christian. Out of the depths I cry to you, O' Lord. I wait for the Lord, my soul waits, and in his word I hope. -Psalm 130:1, 5 But she has survived. And she has lived her faith. Every day, no matter how ill, she has done something kind or helpful for someone else. She constantly struggles to make ends meet, but she shares. She works to educate people on the signs of schizophrenia and the importance of getting good medical care as early in the course of the disease as possible. She freely talks about her illness to help others cope with the terrible stigma in our society. She tries to educate the media, our legislators, and our churches. And so do her father and I. Our God gives us hope. The Holy Scriptures say "What does the Lord require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God" (Micah 6:8). We, too, try to do justice-we speak up when people laugh about schizophrenia, when they make jokes about "schizos;" tranquilizers, Prozac, "nut cases," when they assume that all persons with schizophrenia are dangerous when, in fact, persons with schizophrenia are far more likely to be the victims than the perpetrators of violence. We educate where we can, and we strive for justice for others with this and similar illnesses by joining with others in the Mental Illness Network UCC to make our own denomination a more caring community and by doing as much legislative advocacy as time allows. We will walk the journey with our daughter as long as we are alive and, in doing so, we walk humbly with our God. What will you do? One in one hundred young people will be struck with this disease. Will our churches abandon them and their families? Some will already be married. How will you treat their spouses? Some will have children. Will their parent's illness be a shameful subject that is whispered about in the aisles and kitchen at your church? "What does the Lord require of you?" Schizophrenia is an equal opportunity disease striking young men and women alike, rich or poor, of all intelligence levels. There is no way to prevent it and no way of knowing who will be struck. But there are new medications and supportive therapies that help. And we can help people in our congregations cope with schizophrenia's initial onslaught and the following lifetime of care. We have an opportunity to do justice, to be merciful, and to walk humbly with our God by walking with those whom God loves. Reflections and Questions 1. Have you known anyone with schizophrenia? 2. What was their illness like? 3. Are they receiving the new medications that have been invented in the last eight years? 4. Does God care about the people who are struck with schizophrenia and their families? 5. Does God care about persons with the other brain illnesses like bipolar disorder, panic disorder, clinical depression, and obsessive-compulsive disorder? 6. Could you do just one of these things to respond to God's word to do justice and love mercy? Learn about schizophrenia, how to recognize its symptoms, and where to find appropriate and competent help in your community. Participate in a community effort that provides care for persons with mental illness. Learn about and help to improve laws and governmental services for those with mental illnesses. Educate your congregation, your community, and the media representatives in your community about appropriate language to use when describing a person with a mental illness. Find a family in your church or neighborhood who has a family member with a mental illness and offer to help with emotional or practical support. Contact Persons and Organizations The Mental Illness Network of the United Church of Christ; c/o Bob Dell; 414 E. Pleasant Ave.; Sandwich, Illinois 60548; 815.786.6341; . Pathways to Promise: Interfaith Ministries and Prolonged Mental Illnesses; 5400 Arsenal St.; St. Louis, Missouri 63139; or . The Rev. Margaret (Peg) M. Slater; Coordinator for Inclusive Ministry; Parish Life and Leadership Ministry Team, Local Church Ministries; United Church of Christ; 700 Prospect Ave. E.; Cleveland, Ohio 44115-1100; 216.736.3838; < slatermCucc.org>. NAMI (National Alliance for the Mentally Ill); 200 N. Glebe Rd.; Suite 1015; Arlington, Virginia 22203-3754; 703.524.7600; NAMI Helpline at 800.950.6264 (answered from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. EST Monday through Friday); or . National Depressive and Manic-Depressive Association; 800.826.3632; . Suggested Hymn "O God in Whom All Life Begins" 401 TNCH Resources Ross, Jerilyn. Triumph over Fear: A Book of Help and Hope for People with Anxiety, Panic Attacks, and Phobias. New York: Bantam Books, 1994. Gold, Mark S., with Lois B. Morris. The Good News about Depression: Cures and Treatments in the New Age of Psychiatry. New York: Villard Books, 1987. Kernodle, William D. Panic Disorder: The Medical Point of View: There Is No Need to Suffer. Richmond, Va.: Cadmus, 1995. Klein, Donald F., and Paul H. Wender. Understanding Depression: A Complete Guide to Its Diagnosis and Treatment. New York: Oxford University Press, 1993. Peschel, Enid et al., ed. Neurobiological Disorders in Children and Adolescents. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass, 1992. Shifrin, Jennifer. Pathways to Understanding: A Manual on Ministry and Mental Illness. Pathways to Promise; 5400 Arsenal St.; St. Louis, Missouri 63139; phone: 314.644.8400. Torrey, E. Fuller. Surviving Schizophrenia: A Manual for Families, Consumers, and Providers. 3rd ed. New York: HarperPerennial, 1995. Turkington, Carol, and Eliot F. Kaplan. Making the Prozac Decision: A Guide to Antidepressants. Los Angeles: Lowell House, 1997. Woolis, Rebecca. When Someone You Love Has a Mental Illness: A Handbook for Family, Friends, and Caregivers. New York: J. P Tarcher/Perigree, 1992. WE102 Designed and printed by United Church Resources, Local Church Ministries Women's Mosaic Series 2002 UCC Women's Resource Margaret (Peg) Slater, Editor

Mosaic Series – In God’s Image – “Tools of the Trade” - (05/23/2007)

Written by the Rev. Dallas Dee Brauninger The attitude was different the first day I entered that gathering room with a mobility cane. Prayer of Invocation Leader: Mindful that from the genesis throughout the revelation of our lives, God creates, reveals, and renews Godâ€™s promise of hope for us, All: Let us be faithful to our commitment to you, O God, and to one another. Amen. Leader: As birth, disease, accident, or maturity brings special needs to those within this church, All: Guide us, O God, as bringers of your hope. Amen. Leader: As we increase our skill in reading the signs of change among church members and anticipate their needs, All: Guide us, O God, as your welcoming people. Amen. Scripture References Jeremiah 29:11-114; Revelation 21:5 Meditation â€œBessie, you warm my heart,â€ I said. Having forgotten her glasses, our womenâ€™s group secretary handed me a note to read. â€œForgetting my blindness is a compliment.â€ The attitude was different the first day I entered that gathering room with a mobility cane. Bernice jumped up, grabbed me by the elbow, and planted me in a chair. For seven years, my husband and I had been her co-pastors. I could not lose her now. When she released me, I said, â€œBut Bernice, I was headed for the kitchen.â€ I went for a slow drink of water. I felt invalidated. Folks had respected my skill at coping with deteriorating eyesight. The unannounced cane, however, transmuted this invisible journey into a seeable disability. Failing to thrive six weeks after premature birth, I had been sent home with frightened parents. Mom dared not bond, moving beyond guilt only late in life. In time, I concluded that visual chaos from the birth-damaged eye/brain connection was not the fault of hospital, parent, or an unfaithful God. It just happened. Dadâ€™s quiet coaching about other ways to see carried me through a double major in college and then, with recorded textbooks and keen ear, through seminary and into a future with hope. Ever-present, compassionate God, who created the human family with freedom, provided also a resilient curiosity and ingenuity. Now, having convinced others in the 1960s that a woman with a disability is not only ordain-able and hire-able but also a potential treasury of compassion and joyful enthusiasm, I refused to let disability handicap. No invalid, I had to explode outdated attitudes. Sundayâ€™s sermon: â€œThe Mobility Cane as a Tool.â€ Soon several members began testing the eye contact I simulated by following voices. I would respond to a voice then find it coming from a new direction. I chose to skip that game. The cane became a symbol of triumph. Before long, other needed canes appeared in church. When rheumatoid arthritis troublesome in youth returned in earnest, I could not stand long in place. The trustees furnished the pulpit with a removable riser and bar chair. When I preached, everyone settled in for a â€œsit downâ€ visit as comfortable as the eye level chats had been with care center residents when I rolled about in a wheelchair one Lent. Twenty years and two churches later, the mutual education continued. Soon after I, seated, greeted Christmas Eve worshipers, Twila also broke tradition to greet with her husband, seated. Now, additional changes erupted as the RA intensified anywhere it chose. It took the jaws I needed for preaching and singing. For a while, I let it take joy. Plan B: Redefine ministry. Midway through a hospital chaplaincy program, I saw the insulting potential of ignored body messages. I stopped Plan B and returned home. I loved my calling. I was sunk. I hollered, â€œJust what do you have in mind for me, God?â€ I had to know God would not give up, that I was still acceptable. Amid this outrage of exile, the Jeremiah passage and Plan C found me. I began to trust. Grabbing a single thread of quiet, pervasive hope. I phoned visual rehabilitation. â€œHelp, Karen, Iâ€™m using up my talents.â€ Almost casually, I added, â€œAll thatâ€™s left is writing.â€ Within a week, an adapted computer arrived. Later, a Web screen reader would open another world of communication. Conference advocates gained quiet invitations that promoted my ministry of writing. I was assigned â€œTalking with Your Child about Change.â€ Another editor requested â€œA Family Journeyâ€ and the â€œPreaching the Miraclesâ€ series. Disability was only one part of my identity again. Thread by thread, I tatted new fabric, discerning within its intricate texture the old joy and gratitude for being whole. I cherished the unique design that overrode disability. I resolved to meet change until I can only sit and be. With the persistence of raspberries ripening in autumn, Godâ€™s presence comes out on the side of hope. â€œSee,â€ Godâ€™s holy nudging and the Revelation writer sings, â€œI am making all things newâ€ (21:5). Church folk learned together about disparaging and welcoming layers of attitude. Tiny things undo or fortify us. With a diagnosis of diabetes solving my new maze of foggy thinking, we all gained new levels of community. Respecting the perimeters of a disease whose management is as varied as forms of blindness became acceptable to others as well as to me. A glass of water chosen over sugary desserts still lubricated table talk and need not offend the server. Others also stopped jeopardizing their health. Simple foods, welcoming to all, appeared at shared meals. Despite girding myself with a dog guide and a miscellany of other tools, when my feet needed triple thickness socks and clodhopper athletic shoes, a surprising vanity reared. I remembered the meticulous women of another church who, seeing only my blindness, readily dispensed unwelcoming pity but refused to offer a quiet word to remedy my clashing through Advent in a mismatched red outfit. I cringed at the thought of again dressing like â€œthe blind.â€ Unwilling now to wear clumpy white socks and shoes to church, I brought to womenâ€™s fellowship an old yearning to be a regular kid. Gwenda set me straight. â€œWell, do they help?â€ I was no longer lonely. Earlier, my can-do attitude had embarrassed Emmaâ€™s offer of assistance at a potluck. After the shoes, she dared try again and something within me melted. Less caustic about my body, I had become more hospitable toward others. When hand greeting became impossible, I wore my computer splint. No one would touch me then until I extended the hand palm up. Then Stu laid one tender finger on my outstretched palm. With it, he conveyed the full warmth of his Nebraska farmer handshake. One by one the congregation took his cue, and I melted again. Hospitality spread. Today, an interpreter signs for a deaf mom. A pew-back stand holds the large-type hymnal for a fragile member. Will we redesign chancel steps so choristers awaiting joint replacement can still sing? Sidewalk railings ensure security. Levers replace knobs. Hand-carved signs identify bathrooms. Will we convert them into a universal space so wheelchair-users can drink another cup of coffee with their friends? Reflection Questions 1. Recall a life change that cast you into spiritual exile. Tell about Godâ€™s gathering you in and restoring you to wholeness. Any new tools for your journey? 2. What do a sense of wholeness, the holy, and wellness within a body with broken or ailing parts mean to you? 3. Why might you feel uncomfortable at first around a person with a disability? 4. What speeds your transition from identifying a person with a disability, for example, as a blind person, to perceiving that individual as someone who happens to be left-handed? Share your wisdom about influencing the attitudes of others who might see only the disability and miss the whole person. 5. Aware that little things count, what changes in the physical environment within and around your church building would free older folk to continue attending worship and other gatherings a little while longer? What changes might welcome newcomers with disabilities? Hymns â€œWe Are Your Peopleâ€ (#309 NCH) â€œCalled As Partners in Godâ€™s Serviceâ€ (#495 NCH) Benediction May God guide this living church as we aim to do whatever it takes from the quiet, welcoming act to the visible or costly physical change that reflects Godâ€™s life-giving plan for a future with hope. Amen. Extra Credit: How good are you at reading the signs? Be someone who uses a walker, a wheelchair, whose eyesight is wearing out, who has fragile hands or little strength, who can sit for only short times, who lives with a mental illness, who is sensitive to perfumes and other toxic substances, who cannot hear well. In teams of two, try on a variety of these disabilities then attend worship or walk throughout your church building and grounds. Take the resultant â€œto doâ€ list to your Access Ability Committee. Further Reading National Organization on Disability (N.O.D.) Website: www.nod.org. Brauninger, Dallas A. Holy E-Mail (CSS Publications, 2001) _________. Lessons from a Dog Guide (Forthcoming from CSS in 2003) Mild, Mary L., Editor. Women at the Well (Judson Press, 1996) Women's Mosaic Series 2002 Treasure in Earthen Vessels UCC Women's Resource Margaret (Peg) Slater, Editor

Mosaic Series – In God’s Image – “Treasure in Earthen Vessels” - (05/22/2007)

Written by the Rev. Doris R. Powell I WAS THIRTY-TWO. I'd just been backpacking in Colorado and was painting my house when I began to experience mysterious symptoms: swelling and pain in my hands, then an elbow, soon my shoulders, knees, and ankles. I went to work swathed in ace bandages. Within two months, I'd been diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis. Invocation Holy One, come among us. Walk this faith journey with us as we learn from our sisters and experience the stirring of our own deep yearning for you. Amen. CORINTHIANS 4:7-11; EPHESIANS 3:16-21 I WAS THIRTY-TWO. I'd just been backpacking in Colorado and was painting my house when I began to experience mysterious symptoms: swelling and pain in my hands, then an elbow, soon my shoulders, knees, and ankles. I went to work swathed in ace bandages. Within two months, I'd been diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis. The doctor said, "It's not a death sentence," speaking of life expectancy. No, I thought, "It's a life sentence" to a body in which my expectancy about life was changed. I was thirty-two ... going on eighty. I was familiar with Elisabeth KÃ¼bler Ross's stages of dealing with loss: denial, anger, bargaining, depression, and acceptance. I managed partial denial for almost two years. I would learn the "lessons" it had to teach me, and then it would go away. What I wasn't prepared for was an identity crisis. Perhaps it was because I'd just moved, and no one in my new community knew me. Everyone was reacting to this stranger who wasn't me. They saw a woman hurting with every movement, constantly exhausted, struggling to keep up. They didn't know the active, energetic person I'd always been. They didn't know me. Over and over I asked: "Who am I, God? Am I the lively, capable person I've always known myself to be, or this stranger sidelined by pain? Is it healthier to fight this, or accept it?" The poet Rainer Maria Rilke counsels, "Be patient toward all that is unsolved in your heart.... Live the questions now." The day-pain forced me to wear moccasins with my elegant business dress to a corporate meeting; I slipped from suffering into affliction. I'd looked forward to meeting many colleagues I'd only known by phone, but no one knew how to relate to the odd one in their midst. Simone Weil wrote of affliction as something that "seizes and uproots a life in all its parts ... social, psychological, and physical:" It makes the sufferer an outcast and life into an image of death. "Who am I, God?" The answer was a "standing up out of death to life," as Melanie Morrison has described resurrection. "You are my beloved child. I know you. You are all you ever have been. You'll always carry that with you. And you are all you are becoming. You'll learn the grace of resisting and accepting. I am with you in all of it:" And then, "Are you still my disciple? Don't ask for a pass to sit on the sidelines, because I have great need of you. You, my beloved child." That was almost twenty years ago. Nothing since has shaken my identity: disciple of Christ, bearer of treasure in an earthen vessel. As a person living with disability, I've discovered that I am differently-abled. I am clear in purpose and identity. I've cracked the illusion that we control our lives. Determination and perseverance still serve me well. I am more compassionate, creative, courageous, peaceful, perceptive, reflective, joyous, appreciative, whole. Yet, can I be whole while others are not? So I am passionate, energetic, and active in creative, powerful ways to work for healing and wholeness for all. As with many persons with disabilities, I say to the church, "Let me offer my gifts in the church. Let me minister to and with you:" God's power is at work in us, accomplishing far more than all we can ask or imagine. Arthritis functions as a spiritual discipline, keeping me keenly aware of my reliance on God, God's presence with me, and my connectedness with all people. I live in conversation with God and community, rooted and grounded in love. I seem to have missed the classic stages of bargaining and depression, perhaps because the word spoken to my identity crisis moved me to acceptance. Whatever happens with me, I am in God's hands. I say that not in resignation but in trust. In a sermon about Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane, Howard Thurman said, "We cannot fathom the mystery of God. We cannot even understand the meaning of our own little lives, but the fierce hold that we have on our lives, again and again, is the most real thing that we have. To relax that and to trust God ... not to hold things in some all-encompassing grasp; no, but to trust God just with you ... is the most difficult dimension of the spiritual life." I do experience anger. At the indifference, prejudice, and injustice that add suffering. I feel anger and lament at the barriers people erect. Where is it written that print must be tiny? That to sing we must rise to our feet ... it's not enough that our spirits rise up? That full participation in the body of Christ demands certain physical and mental capacity or certain race, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, economic status? Who are we to order our lives, and life in our churches, in ways that exclude or diminish any of God's beloved? Our lives are lived in relation. Our reception of others is made possible by Christ's deep reception of us. I claim, with every other baptized disciple, "The life of Jesus is made visible in my body; we have this treasure, this treasure, in clay jars, earthen vessels:" Can you not perceive it? Questions and Activities 1. Major life changes or loss may provoke a sense of identity crisis, causing us to question, "Who am I now?" Is there a time you've felt this way? What has helped you? Can a congregation experience an identity crisis? What shapes your identity as a person? as a women's fellowship? as a congregation? What if the images you hold of yourself or another prove phony? Would you be willing to have them shattered to let new images arise? 2. Think of a person or community in the Bible who knew affliction. How did they respond? What questions were they living? What questions are you living? 3. Is a lament "just" complaining? Can a lament be an act of resistance? What does a lament say about our relationship with God? Read one of these Psalms: 22, 31, 42, 77, 88, 116, 123, or 137. Write a lament about something that causes you aggravation or suffering on a regular basis, perhaps even daily. You might begin, "I've got a right to sing the blues...... Or play some blues as you prepare. 4. What treasure do you bear in your ordinary, fragile being? How are you differently abled? How can you open yourself and your church to receive, value, and incorporate the treasure and abilities of others into your communal life? Resources Eiesland, Nancy L. The Disabled God: Toward a Liberatory Theology of Disability. Nashville, Tenn.: Abingdon, 1994. Heyward, Isabel Carter. The Redemption of God: A Theology of Mutual Relation. Washington, D.C.: University Press of America, 1982. Kiibler-Ross, Elisabeth. On Death and Dying. New York: Macmillan, 1969. Morrison, Melanie. The Grace of Coming Home: Spirituality, Sexuality, and the Struggle Justice. Cleveland, Oh.: The Pilgrim Press, 1995. Meditation Read Ephesians 3:16-19 or Romans 8:35,37-39. Read Matthew 19:14. Sit or lie quietly. Take several deep breaths. Perceive Jesus seated on a low stool in an inviting setting. Experience a soft, warm glow surrounding Jesus, filling the space. Perceive Jesus turning toward you, opening arms in invitation. Perceive yourself as a young child, moving into the gentle embrace. Rest on Jesus, soaking in the love, acceptance, protection, security, peace, comfort, assurance ... all that you need to receive for as long as you need. Gradually become aware of your current surroundings. Stay quiet for a few moments and offer a silent prayer. Suggested Music The Mudflower Collective. God's Fierce Whimsy: Christian Feminism and Theological Education. New York: The Pilgrim Press, 1985. Rhude, Beth E. Live the Questions Now: The Interior Life. Cincinnati, Oh.: The Women's Division, Board of Global Ministries, The United Methodist Church, 1980. Soelle, Dorothee. Suffering. Trans. Everett R. Kalin. Philadelphia: Fortress Press, 1975. Thurman, Howard. Temptations of Jesus: Five Sermons Given by Dean Howard Thurman in Marsh Chapel, Boston University, 196. Richmond, In.: Friends United Press, 1978. Weil, Simone. Waiting for God. Trans. Emma Craufurd. New York: Harper and Row, 1973. "Tu has venido a la orilla" ("You Have Come Down to the Lakeshore"). 173 TNCH Wuellner, Flora Slosson. Prayer, Stress, and Our Inner Wounds. Nashville, Tenn.: Upper Room, 1985. Women's Mosaic Series 2002 UCC Women's Resource Margaret (Peg) Slater, Editor

“Encountering the Disabled God” - (05/21/2007)

Reprinted from The Other Side Written by Nancy Eiesland I have been part of several congregations whose practice of receiving Eucharist includes filing to the front of the sanctuary and kneeling at the communion rail. Often, because I am either in a wheelchair or using crutches, an usher alerts me that I need not go forward for the Eucharist. Instead, I am offered the sacrament at my seat after everyone else has been served. The congregation is trying to accommodate my presence in the service. They are undoubtedly trying to be conscientious and inclusive in their own way. But in effect, they are transforming Eucharist from a corporate experience to a solitary one for me, from a sacralization of Christ's broken body to a stigmatization of my disabled body. I am hardly alone. For many people with disabilities, the Eucharist--which should be the ultimate sacrament of unity of believers--is a ritual of exclusion and degradation. Access to this celebration of the body is restricted because of architectural barriers, ritual practices, demeaning body aesthetics, unreflective speech, and bodily reactions. The Eucharist becomes a dreaded and humiliating remembrance that in the church we are trespassers in an able-bodied dominion. For many disabled persons, the church has been a "city on a hill"--physically inaccessible and socially inhospitable. This Eucharistic exclusion is symbolic of a larger crisis. Sadly, rather than offering empowerment, the church has more often supported societal structures and attitudes that have treated people with disabilities as objects of pity and paternalism. The primary problem for the church is not how to "accommodate" disabled persons. The problem is a disabling theology that functionally denies inclusion and justice for many of God's children. Much of church theology and practice--including the Bible itself--has often been dangerous for persons with disabilities. The prejudice, hostility, and suspicion toward people with disabilities cannot be dismissed simply as relics of an unenlightened past. Christians today continue to interpret Scripture and spin theologies that reinforce negative stereotypes, support social and environmental segregation, and mask the lived realities of people with disabilities. On those occasions when denominations and congregations make progress in asserting and implementing accessibility, it usually happens through a subtle but powerful paternalism of the able-bodied church, liberally "welcoming" those of us with disabilities. Even some of the best denominational statements articulating a theology of access still speak in the voice of the able-bodied community, advocating for persons with disabilities but not allowing our own voices, stories, and embodied experiences to be central. The growing and dynamic disability rights movement in this country and around the world is raising crucial cultural and moral questions not simply about the meaning of disability, but the very meaning of embodied experience, human dignity, social justice, and community. It is a ripe moment for the Christian church to reflect on its own core values and traditions and allow the emergence of a theology of disability, with liberating meaning and power for all of us. The first task in developing a liberating theology of disability is to identify and confront the key aspects of the church's disabling theology, beginning with its biblical roots. A common theme in the Hebrew Scriptures is the conflation of physical disability and "impurity." The "holiness code" of Leviticus 17-26 communicates a strong message that physical disability is a distortion of the divine image and an inherent desecration of all things holy. Bodily unwholeness is "unclean" and needs to be kept at the periphery of the community. Leviticus 21:18-20 prohibits anyone "blind or lame, or one who has a mutilated face or a limb too long, or one who has a broken foot or a broken hand, or a hunchback, or a dwarf, or a man with a blemish in his eyes" from priestly activities or entering the most holy place in the temple. These and similar passages have historically been used to warrant barring persons with disabilities from positions of ecclesiastical visibility and authority. Although the specific physical standards of such passages may not be retained as criteria for today's religious leadership, the implicit theology persists in church actions and attitudes. As recently as 1986, the General Conference of the American Lutheran Church declared that people with "significant" physical or mental disabilities would be barred from ordained ministry. New Testament texts have also been read to support a link between sin and disability. Several Gospel narratives and even Jesus' own statements are ambiguous, sometimes upholding and sometimes discounting such linkage. Luke's account of the man with paralysis who is lowered through the roof of the house where Jesus is speaking has often been interpreted as a story of heroic helpers and a crippled sinner (5:18-26). Jesus' own words--"Which is easier, to say, 'Your sins are forgiven you,' or to say, 'Stand up and walk'?" (5:23)--suggest some association between forgiveness and healing. In John's story of the man by the pool of Bethesda (5:5-16), Jesus follows his healing with an apparent affirmation of the link between sin and disability when he tells him, "Do not sin anymore, so that nothing worse happens to you" (5:14). In John 9:1-3, however, Jesus offers a very different perspective. When his disciples ask whether the man's blindness is the result of his or his parents' sins, Jesus answers: "Neither this man nor his parents sinned; he was born blind so that God's works might be revealed in him." A different but equally troublesome biblical theme is the ideal of virtuous suffering. In passages such as Paul's account of the "thorn in the flesh" (2 Cor. 12:7-10), righteous submission to divine testing is upheld as a praiseworthy disposition for Christian disciples. Likewise, early interpretations of Job and the story of Lazarus (Luke 16:19-31) purported that physical impairments were a sign of divine election by which the righteous were purified and perfected through painful trials. Disability is seen as a temporary affliction that must be endured to gain heavenly rewards. While more subtle, this theology of virtuous suffering has been no less dangerous. It has encouraged persons with disabilities to acquiesce to social barriers as a sign of obedience to God, and to internalize second-class status inside and outside the church. The biblical theme of charitable giving has had equivocal outcomes for people with disabilities. In ancient societies, almsgiving provided a vital means of survival for people deemed outcasts or who were without the means to provide for themselves. Yet as many of the biblical prophets proclaimed, the people of God forgot that such offerings were the rightful stipends of those who were socially or physically prevented from economic productivity; instead they pushed aside the needy and refused to establish justice "at the gate" (Amos 5:12-15). Hence the system of charity, which had always included a requirement of justice, soon failed to accord dignity or even adequate provision. From its inception, the Christian community has always acknowledged a special responsibility and mission to marginalized persons, including those who are physically unable to provide for themselves (Acts 6:1-6). Furthermore, several New Testament passages link the notion of charity to healing. In the account of the disabled man at the Beautiful Gate (Acts 3:1-10), Peter and John responded to a request for donations with miraculous action. As in this case, healings often restored the person not only to an able-bodied state, but also to social participation and religious inclusion. Subsequent church practice often lost sight of this broader vision. Historically, church-based charities have provided humane care, medical advances, and indispensable financial support. Yet this has often resulted in segregating people with disabilities from the Christian community rather than restoring them to social and religious participation. While engaging in individualistic charity and healing, the Christian church has neglected the social and political needs of people with disabilities, failing to place as central emphases political engagement and social inclusion. Our task is not simply one of correcting some faulty texts or even of building greater architectural access. The Christian church must develop a theology of disability, emerging from the lives and even the bodies of those with disabilities. Such a theology must not be construed as a "special-interest" perspective, but rather an integral part of reflection on Christian life. We must come to see disability neither as a symptom of sin nor an opportunity for virtuous suffering or charitable action. The Christian community as a whole must open itself to the gifts of persons with disabilities, who, like other minority groups, call the church to repentance and transformation. Much of my life I waited for a mighty revelation of God. I did experience an epiphany, but it bore little resemblance to the God I was expecting or the God of my dreams. Growing up with a disability, I could not accept the traditional interpretations of disability that I heard in prayers, in Sunday school, and in sermons. "You are special in God's eyes," I was often told, "that's why you were given this painful disability." Or, "Don't worry about your suffering now--in heaven you will be made whole." This confused me. My disability had taught me who I am and who God is. What would it mean to be without this knowledge? Would I be absolutely unknown to myself in heaven, and perhaps even unknown to God? I was assured that God gave me a disability to develop my character. But by age six or seven, I was convinced that I had enough character to last a lifetime. My family frequented faith healers with me in tow. I was never healed. People asked about my hidden sins, but they must have been so well hidden that even I misplaced them. The theology that I heard was inadequate to my experience. In my teen years, I became actively involved in the disability rights movement--joining persons around the globe who were struggling for basic human rights for the now approximately 650 million persons with disabilities worldwide. Through this movement I came to understand why those of us with disabilities have such depreciated views of ourselves and lack genuine convictions of personal worth. I began to see the "problem" not within my body or the bodies of other people with disabilities, but with the societies that have made us outcasts and treated us in demeaning and exclusionary ways. I helped organize sit-ins to achieve access to public transit and public facilities and to promote human and civil-rights legislation. For a long time, I experienced a significant rift between my activism and my faith. My activism filled me with a passion for social change that would acknowledge our full value as human beings. But my theological and spiritual questions remained unanswered: What is the meaning of my disability? The movement offered me opportunities to work for change that were unavailable in the church, but my faith gave a spiritual fulfillment that I could not find in the movement. Yet I also had to name the ways in which Christian communities participated in our silencing. Within the church, often other people with disabilities were uninterested in political and activist matters. Many activists, meanwhile, saw religion as damaging or at least irrelevant to their work. I felt spiritually estranged from God. My return to intimacy with God began at an Atlanta rehabilitation hospital for persons with spinal cord injuries. A chaplain asked me to lead a Bible study with several residents. One afternoon after a long and frustrating day, I shared with the group my own doubts about God's care for me. I asked them how they would know if God was with them and understood their experience. After a long silence, a young African-American man said, "If God was in a sip-puff, maybe He would understand." I was overwhelmed by this image: God in a sip-puff wheelchair, the kind used by many quadriplegics that enables them to maneuver the chair by blowing and sucking on a straw-like device. Not an omnipotent, self-sufficient God, but neither a pitiable, suffering servant. This was an image of God as a survivor, as one of those whom society would label "not feasible," "unemployable," with "questionable quality of life." Several weeks later, I was reading in Luke's Gospel about an appearance of the resurrected Jesus (24:36-39). The focus of this passage is really on his followers, who are alone and depressed. Jesus says to them, "Why are you frightened, and why do doubts arise in your hearts? Look at my hands and my feet; see that it is I myself. Touch me and see." This wasn't exactly God in a sip-puff, but here was the resurrected Christ making good on the promise that God would be with us, embodied, as we are--disabled and divine. In this passage, I recognized a part of my hidden history as a Christian. The foundation of Christian theology is the resurrection of Jesus Christ. Yet seldom is the resurrected Christ recognized as a deity whose hands, feet, and side bear the marks of profound physical impairment. This was my epiphany. The resurrected Christ is a disabled God--one who understood the experience of the others in my Bible study in the rehab center, as well as my own. Encountering this disabled God became for me the source of a "liberation theology" of disability. Jesus Christ, as a living symbol of the disabled God, shares in the human condition; he experiences in his embodiment all our vulnerability and flaws. In emptying himself of divinity, Jesus enters the arena of human limitation, even helplessness. Jesus' own body is wounded and scarred, disfigured and distorted. In his ministry, Jesus builds community and experiences human solidarity with those who are disabled, socially stigmatized, and denied their full human dignity and capacity. Jesus Christ the disabled God is consistent with many images of Jesus in solidarity with all those who have struggled to maintain the integrity and dignity of their bodies in the face of injustice and bodily degradation. Jesus Christ the disabled God repudiates the conception of disability as a consequence of sin. Our bodies participate in the image of God, not in spite of our impairments and contingencies but through them. For many people whose disabilities keep them from participating fully in the church or from feeling full-bodied acceptance by Christ, accepting the disabled God may enable reconciliation with their own bodies and Christ's body, the church. Hence, disability not only does not contradict the human-divine integrity, it becomes a new model of wholeness and a symbol of solidarity. The disabled God is a survivor. In our society, "survivor" is contaminated with notions of victimization, radical individualism, and alienation, as well as with an ethos of virtuous suffering. In contrast to that cultural icon, the image of survivor evoked here is that of a simple, unself-pitying, honest body, for whom the limits of power are palpable but not tragic. The disabled God embodies the ability to see clearly the complexity and the "mixed blessing" of life and bodies, without living in despair. This revelation is of a Godwho is for us, one who celebrates joy and experiences pain not separately in time or space, but simultaneously. The disabled God is a God for whom interdependence is a necessary condition for life; a fact of both justice and survival. The disabled God embodies practical interdependence, not simply willing to be interrelated from a position of power, but depending on it from a position of need. For many people with disabilities, mutual care is a matter of survival. To posit a Jesus Christ who needs care and mutuality as essential to human-divine survival debunks the myth of individualism and hierarchical orders in which transcendence means breaking free of encumbrances and needing nobody. This disabled God makes possible a renewal of hope for people with disabilities and others who care. This symbol offers us a liberating realism that accepts our bodily limitations as part of the truth of being human. At the same time, this hope pushes us toward social and interpersonal transformation, toward a justice of access and mutuality that is free from barriers that exclude, constrain, and humiliate us. It situates our hope in the reality of our existence as ones with dignity and integrity. It affirms that our nonconventional bodies, which oftentimes dissatisfy and fail us, are worth the living. People with disabilities are part of the sacramental body of Christ in the church. So it is painful and tragic that the bodily practice of the ritual of Eucharist, as I described, often serves to stigmatize and exclude those with nonconventional bodies. The Eucharist is a remembrance of a broken body--and a celebration of the miraculous liberation that wells up from that broken body. The church--made up of all of us--is beautiful and broken, impaired but powerful, complex and gifted. It is this body, the church, which incarnates the disabled God for our world. It is this body which is called to follow in the liberating ways of Jesus Christ the disabled God, who embodied a commitment to justice, and who challenged all structures, social codes, and rituals of degradation that deny the full personhood of marginalized people. This liberating mission is only possible when sisters and brothers with disabilities are integral to the life of the community--when our voices are heard, our experiences honored, and our gifts allowed to flourish. Current Issue | Printable Article From The Other Side Online, Â© 2002 The Other Side, September-October 2002, Vol. 38, No. 5. Â©2002 The Other Side 300 West Apsley, Philadelphia, PA 19144 (800) 700-9280 Fax: (215) 849-3755 Posted with Nancy's permission.

Equal Access Guide for Meetings, Conferences, Large Assemblies, and Worship - (05/20/2007)

This access guide is a comprehensive resource, enabling persons with disabilities to participate in the life of the church. Please share this with members of your denominations, organizations and networks. This document may be reproduced in any format. Identify the source by stating, â€œThis Equal Access Guide was prepared by the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the USA Committee on Disabilities.â€ PDF Version COMMITTEE ON DISABILITIES National Council of the Churches of Christ in the USA NCCCUSA COMMITTEE ON DISABILITIES Equal Access Guide ïƒ£ 2004 National Council of the Churches of Christ in the USA Education and Leadership Ministries Commission Committee on Disabilities 475 Riverside Driveâ€¢ Suite 812; New York, NY 10115 Phone 212.870.2267 â€¢ Fax 212.870.3112 About the NCCCUSA Committee on Disabilities: The committee is comprised of representatives from churches and organizations. Committee members have direct experience of disabilities. This access guide is a comprehensive resource, enabling persons with disabilities to participate in the life of the church. Please share this with members of your denominations, organizations and networks. Chief Editors: Linda Jean H. Larson, M.A.T. NCCCUSA Committee on Disabilities Contracted Staff The Reverend Garland F. Pierce, Associate Director NCCCUSA Education and Leadership Ministries Commission The Reverend Patrice L. Rosner, NCCCUSA Associate General Secretary for Education Director, Education and Leadership Ministries Commission All scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are from the New Revised Standard Version Bible, copyright 1989, Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the USA. Used by permission. INTRODUCTION TO ACCESS GUIDE The National Council of the Churches of Christ in the USA Committee on Disabilities created this Equal Access Guide for Meetings, Conferences, Large Assemblies and Worship for use in planning your next meeting, conference, large assembly, or worship within your denomination or organization. Whenever and wherever we gather, it is the sincere hope that we all take heed of the mandate from the book of Isaiah, â€œenlarge the size of our tentâ€ to include the entire Body of Christ in all our activities. (Isaiah 54:2) This book is a guide to accessibility that benefits all of us. We encourage you to use this guide when planning all activities. We realize that in this guide, we have set the ideal. We invite you to consider, â€œDoes our invitation and planning have integrity? Are we inclusive of everyone who wishes to participate?â€ The outline of this book begins from the time you start to plan to the end of your meeting, conference, large assembly or worship and continues with an on-site walk through hotel and meeting facilities. It then addresses large assemblies, presenters, and worship and ends with a statement on etiquette. The final page acknowledges the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America and its Accessibility Guide and the members of the NCCCUSA Committee on Disabilities who edited this guide. Use this guide often; use it well; and, may God bless your work. For further help, please contact the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the USA; Education and Leadership Ministries Commission; 475 Riverside Drive, Ste. 812; New York, NY 10115; phone: 212-870-2267; fax: (212) 870-3112; www.ncccusa.org/elmc. NCCCUSA Committee on Disabilities Table of Contents Introduction to the Guidelines iii National Council of Churches, USA Policy Statement on Disabilities, the Body of Christ and the Wholeness of Society 1 Getting Started 4 Registration Form 6 Accommodations Budget 7 Local Arrangements 9 On-site Walkthrough 10 Hotel Accommodations 13 Dining Facilities 15 Meeting Facilities 16 Large Assemblies 19 Worship 22 Presenters 23 Etiquette 24 Acknowledgements 26 National Council of Churches Policy Statement on Disabilities, the Body of Christ, and the Wholeness of Society â€œIndeed, the body does not consist of one member but of manyâ€ 1 Corinthians 12:14 One in five Americans lives with impairment that significantly limits one or more major life activities. Virtually everyone will live with a disability at some time in life. Concepts of justice for people with disabilities have evolved beyond paternalism toward the ideals of full participation and inclusion in all aspects of life. Disability rights and self-advocacy movements have emerged. At the national level, landmark laws such as the Rehabilitation Act, The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), and the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) seek to assure the same rights to people with disabilities that are guaranteed to all other people in our society. The religious community also has taken a number of initiatives. Beginning in 1958 and as recently as 1995, the NCCC has affirmed its belief in the dignity and worth of all people, including those of us with disabilities. Most NCCC member communions have issued statements calling for the full inclusion of people with disabilities in all aspects of church life. In spite of these efforts, attitudinal, communication, and architectural barriers remain. The church has served as a point of entry for marginalized individuals into the mainstream of society. Now the time has come for the NCCC to reaffirm and broaden its commitment to people with disabilities. This policy rests upon four theological principles: 1. All people are created in the image of God. Then God said, â€œLet us make humankind in our image...â€ Genesis 1:26 God creates all human beings in the divine image or likeness. This image is not a measurable characteristic or set of characteristics. Godâ€™s image is reflected uniquely in each person. 2. All people are called by God. â€œFor we are what (God) has made us, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand to be our way of life.â€ Ephesians 2:10 God calls all human beings to express the divine image through their unique characteristics. Each personâ€™s characteristics, including disabilities, are inseparable and valuable features of the unique, indivisible person. 3. All people have spiritual gifts. â€œNow there are a varieties of gifts, but the same spiritâ€ 1 Corinthians 12:4 God supplies all human beings with the unique gifts needed to obey the divine call. The gifts God has given each person are needed by all other people, and no one is dispensable or unnecessary. 4. All people are invited to participate in Godâ€™s ministry. â€œTo each is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common goodâ€ 1 Corinthians 12:7 God invites all human beings to rely on and to participate in the ministry of the church. God continually empowers each member of the Body of Christ to reflect the divine image in ways that will serve and benefit the church and the broader community. Implication In the light of these theological principles, it is the witness of the NCCC that all human beings, including those with disabilities, are entitled by God to the rights in church and society implied in the divine call. These rights include a life of dignity and respect such as access to education, health care, useful work, recreation, as well as the right to friendship, spiritual nurture, freedom and self-expression. The rights of each person, including people with disabilities, are equal to and balanced by the rights of others. We believe the human community in all its forms is accountable to God to protect these civil human rights. God requires the church to give spiritual and moral leadership to society in protecting these rights. The church must exercise its leadership by its public preaching and teaching, but even more by its example as an inclusive community of faith, using the gifts of all its members. â€œNow there are varieties of gifts but the same Spirit, and there are varieties of services, but the same Lordâ€ 1 Corinthians 12: 4-5 Reference NCCCUSA Human Rights: The Fulfillment of Life in the Social Order (Adopted by the General Board, November 17, 1995) Approved by the NCCCUSA National Ministries Unit, May, 1997 Getting Started Four important items anyone serious about inclusion issues should keep in mind in planning a meeting, conference or large gathering. 1. CONSULT with people who have physical, sensory and mental disabilities. They are your best source for knowing the needs of the people who will be attending these meetings, conferences, large gatherings and worship. Also, consult with individuals who work with persons with disabilities. MOBILITY ISSUES: ramps to buildings and lectern, elevators, unisex public bathroom for persons with an attendant, accessible bathroom with roll-in shower, wheelchair accessible van or bus, tables that can accommodate a person in aï€ wheelchair, turn ratios in dining rooms, tables that accommodate a wheelchair user, work dog, volunteer assistants. DEAF COMMUNITY/HARD OF HEARING ISSUES: note taker, listening devices, real-time captioning, closed captioned TV, open captioned TV, sign language interpreter, TTY, material on CD-Rom, fire alarm with flash. VISION ISSUES: large print materials, Braille, material on audiotape, TV with audio descriptive voice, fire alarm with sound, work dog. CHEMICAL/ENVIRONMENTAL SENSITIVITY ISSUES: no fluorescent lights, use of refrigerator, fragrance free (filters on furnace and air conditioning units, no scented candles, soaps, detergents, cleansing supplies, air fresheners, facial tissues or potpourri). INTELLECTUAL DISABILITY ISSUES: buddies, workshop track, presentation addressing visual, audio and kinesthetic learning styles, express abstract concepts in a concrete manner, social activities, inclusion in worship and administrative functions. Also, consult with care providers. 2. SITE VISIT: Try to see the location through the eyes of persons with disabilities. Nothing will be as effective as envisioning the barriers that persons with disabilities could encounter at the event. Walk through the program both in your mind and physically. If more than one site is being used for an event, drive or walk the route between sites to make sure that no barriers have been overlooked. 3. REGISTRATION FORM: Make sure there is an area on the registration form to indicate accommodations that are needed. When accommodations are indicated, the registrant should be contacted by the event planner(s). 4. IDENTIFICATION OF EVENT PERSONNEL: Have a color-coded name badge system. Differentiate between hosts/hostesses, registration workers, volunteer aides, presenters, planning committee members, etc. *Keep in mind that all accommodations are considered on an as-needed basis. Registration Form When creating a registration form, consider asking the registrants to provide the following information: â€¢ Accommodations needed during flight â€¢ Accommodations needed to arrive at hotel/conference site â€¢ Accommodations needed to register at the hotel/conference â€¢ Accommodations needed during the meeting (note-taker, sign language interpreter, listening device, large-print, Braille, material on CD Rom/audiotape, TTY, ramp up to the lectern, no fluorescent lights, refrigerator, wheel-chair accessible bathroom, unisex bathroom, real time captioning, closed captioning, and audio descriptive) â€¢ Accommodations needed in the hotel room [refrigerator, TTY, fire alarm with sound, fragrance free (filters on furnace and air conditioning units, no scented candles, soaps, detergents, cleansing supplies, air fresheners, facial tissues or potpourri), wheelchair accessible bathroom, roll-in shower, no fluorescent lights, close captioned TV] â€¢ Dietary Restrictions â€¢ Chemical Sensitivities (no scented candles, soaps, detergents, cleansing products, air fresheners, facial tissues, or potpourri) â€¢ Accommodations needed for transportation to and from hotel, conference meeting, and different meeting rooms And, of course, the usual contact information so that the registrant can be contacted to discuss the meeting accommodations further: Name, Address, Email, Day Phone, Evening Phone Accommodations Budget FACILITY ACCOMMODATIONS: Determine to what extent the facility will be responsible for providing adequate wheelchairs, listening devices etc., as you project your accommodation needs for your meeting/assembly. FUNDING: There needs to be a budget within the organization or denomination responsible for this event. Monies can be sought through individuals, individual congregations, as a specific giving from Sunday school classes, youth groups, womenâ€™s organizations, foundations, etc. Often disability organizations or congregations will loan equipment free of charge (scooters, wheelchairs, wheelchair accessible vans). BUDGET ITEMS WHEELCHAIR AND SCOOTER RENTAL: Know which local disability organizations or congregations will loan equipment free of charge (scooters, wheelchairs, wheelchair accessible vans). SIGN-LANGUAGE INTERPRETERS: Provide funding for interpreters as needed. Use qualified, professional interpreters who are trained in the preferred communication style (sign language, exact sign, and cued speech). Use a local interpreters agency whenever possible. Interpreters are often available through your local community college or universities. There are adequate number of interpreters for worship, meetings, meals, and social events. SCHOLARSHIPS AND GRANTS: Budget for travel and hotel costs for an assistant as needed. Perhaps scholarships can be given. Budget for the unexpected, especially for traveling around the site(s). THE UNEXPECTED: For every person who provided early information of accommodation needs for traveling around the site there will be others who will request a wheelchair or scooter once they have arrived and traveled to and from meeting rooms, dining facilities, and hotel. Local Arrangements Form/appoint a local arrangements committee, made up of persons with diverse disabilities, to handle all accommodations. AIRLINES: Learn which airlines do the best job accommodating persons with disabilities. Assign someone to work with persons with disabilities on making travel arrangements (Airline, hotel arrangements, car rental, taxi, bus, and vans). ACCESSIBLE TAXI & VANS: Learn where and exactly how many wheel-chair accessible vans/taxis are available for use in the city where the event is held and what the cost is. Know the rental costs of accessible vans during the duration of the event. Know what special licensing might be needed to drive a van. LOCAL ACCESSIBLE SITES/LOCATIONS: Find/create a local booklet on accessible accommodations within the city and surrounding area where your event is being held. To defray costs of printing this booklet, seek advertising from local hotels, restaurants, theatres that are accessible. Also, have these copies as part of the packet of information that participants and presenters with disabilities receive. To help defray some of the costs of accommodation, have extra copies available for a donation for all participants. On-site Walk Through Outside PARKING lots at all buildings are well lit. PARKING STALLS are visibly marked and reserved for people with disabilities. Added accessible parking may be necessary. ACCESSIBLE ROUTE with curb cuts exists from the parking lot to the accessible entrance. ACCESSIBLE ENTRANCES are clearly marked by the international symbol of accessibility. RAMPS with a slope of no greater than 1â€ rise in 12â€™ and a width of no less than 36â€ are easily seen. Ramps are equipped with handrails. There are level landings at the top and bottom of the ramp. DOORWAYS have a clear opening of 32â€ or more. Doors are automatic or have levers or push handles. CORRIDORS are at least 36â€ wide; 60â€ wide is preferred if there is two-way traffic. Wall mounted objects do not project into accessible corridor. Inside COUNTER/REGISTRATION TABLE has a space that is wheelchair height (between 28â€œ and 34â€œoff the floor). SIGNAGE is in Braille and large-print and is wheel-chair height. WATER FOUNTAINS, at least one water fountain on every floor in every building is wheelchair accessible. If not, a supply of paper cups is mounted next to the fountain. TELEPHONES are available in an accessible area of all buildings and are at an appropriate height for wheelchairs. Phones should have a volume control. TTYâ€™s are also available in the same area. ELEVATORS, if more than one floor in any building is used, there must be an elevator or wheelchair lift available. ELEVATOR or LIFT CAB is large enough to accommodate a wheelchair. Call buttons and panel buttons should be within reach of a person in a wheelchair. They should also be in Braille. Elevators should have an audible signal. Directions for elevators, other equipment and locations throughout the building(s) are written in Braille and large print. STAIRS have handrails in all buildings. FIRE ALARMS are mounted to accommodate a person in a wheelchair. Alarms should have flashing lights as well as sound. Flashing lights may cause seizures. PUBLIC RESTROOMS, ideally, there is at least on wheelchair accessible bathroom on each floor of the buildings available to event participants. There are grab bars on each side of the accessible toilet. There is a turning space of at least 5â€™x5â€™ in the restroom stalls. The sink has 29â€ clearance from the floor to the bottom of the sink. Pipes are wrapped. Towel dispensers are no higher than 40â€ from the floor. EXITS with ramps are available in case of fire. EVENT WITH MULTIPLE SITES: When more than one building is being used for an event, accessible transportation between sites needs to be arranged. Transportation within each building should be arranged (scooters, wheelchairs, volunteers to assist). Include personal assistants and interpreters for the estimated number of participants. Provide grants for these two categories if the cost is prohibitive for the participant. Include their registration fees with the registration fees of the person they are assisting or provide the assistant with reduced fees. Hotel Accommodations *Refer to pages 11 & 12. Check Signage* Check Corridors* Check Doorways* Check Ramps* Check Fire Alarms* Check Phones, TTYs* Are work dogs are welcome? (They should not be refused. Itâ€™s the law that dogs must be allowed). Dog runs are available in the hotel and convention center/meeting site (or an area near an outside entrance at both sites). Mobility Issues Check ice machines Accessible laundry facilities, workout facilities, pool, or sauna Check accessible bathrooms*, including roll in shower/transfer accessible bathtub Accessible electrical outlets and closet rods are at an appropriate height in guest rooms Check for adequate turn around space* Hearing/Deaf Issues Check televisions for closed captioning, especially if the television provides information such as food menus, schedules, airplane flights, etc. Rooms are equipped with beds, which vibrate, visual alarms and indicators. TTY available in room. Vision Issues Are there any TVs that have audio description availability? Familiarize participants who have a vision loss or who are blind with the site by explaining the layout and walking through the hotel and their room with them. Chemical Sensitivity Issues Check rooms for environmental sensitivity* No fluorescent lights Dietary Issues Check with food service to insure that dietary restrictions are accommodated Check to see if rooms can have a refrigerator. If not, where can medications be stored? Intellectual Disability Issues Clear and simple signs for directions and use of facility Need information about dining times Provide wake-up calls *Refer to pages 11 & 12. Dining Facilities Check signage* Check corridors* Check doorways* Check ramps* Check fire alarms* Check drinking fountains* Check phones, TTYs* Check accessible bathrooms* Check elevators* Check counter height for wheelchair accessibility.* Check turn around space.* Check table height.* Avoid buffet lines or provide assistance with carrying food. Check menu displays for large print/Braille, or have someone available to read the menu to a participant. Allow working dogs in the facility. Check before every meal that all dietary needs have been met. Be aware of food allergies, for example, gluten, corn, milk, nuts. Ask the participant how arrangements can be made to answer his or her needs. Have a sign language interpreter available. *Refer to pages 12 & 13. Meeting Facilities Welcome each attendee. Do not put anyone on the spot. At the same time, ensure assistance is available. Design exhibits so that they may be touched or heard. Leave adequate wheelchair space to maneuver around and through the exhibits. Check signage* Check corridors* Check doorways* Check ramps* Check fire alarms* Check drinking fountains* Check phones, TTYs* Check accessible bathrooms* Check elevators* Check registration desk height* Check for chemical sensitivities* Check for fluorescent lighting* Presentersâ€™ Materials Have all materials in alternative formats. Have photocopies of transparencies or slides available upon request. Written materials should be available in Braille, on CD-Rom, audiotape or large print on request. Video materials should have close or open captioning as well as audio descriptive. If audio description is not available, have a qualified volunteer do it. If captioning is not available, have a printed script available. Slides are completely legible, with large print (16 point in black on off-white paper) and sharp, contrasting colors. There is adequate time for the audience to read the visual aids. All materials are delivered orally as well as in written form. *Refer to pages 12 & 13. Hearing/Deaf Issues Use one interpreter if the meeting will last less than one and a half hours. Use two interpreters when the meeting lasts longer than one and a half hours. Place the interpreter as close to the speaker as possible. When there are multiple speakers sitting at a table, place the interpreter across from the person(s) who is (are) deaf or hard of hearing. Seat participants using a Sign Language interpreter near the front. The interpreter is in an area that can be easily seen by the participants who are deaf. Limit to twenty minutes the time an interpreter must interpret. Then have a five-minute break. When two interpreters are used, rotate every twenty minutes. Use real time captioning. Use a good quality sound system. Make necessary adjustments to the sound system for those participants who use it. Make available listening devices for participants who are hard of hearing for all meetings. Eliminate background noise to the greatest extent possible. Mobility Issues Tabletop height is between 28â€ and 34â€ above the floor, 32â€ width. There is seating space with extra legroom for people with crutches, walkers, braces or casts. Adequate space for wheelchairs at conference tables is provided. This space should be in the same location as other participants. Adequate space for work dogs is provided. Vision Issues All meeting rooms are well lighted with adjustable lighting. Offer to help participants with vision loss or those who request it, find a seat. Have a staff member or volunteer available to take notes during the presentation, allowing the participant to focus on the speaker and interpreter. Have a staff member or volunteer available to sit with the participant and describe the presentations, if the participant requests it. Intellectual Disability Issues Encourage all the workshops/events to express the abstract as concretely as possible. Use language that is easily understood by all. Use methods that enable audio, visual and kinesthetic learning. Large Assemblies Design exhibits so that they may be touched or heard. Leave adequate wheelchair space to maneuver around and through the exhibits. Check signage* Check corridors* Check doorways* Check ramps* Check fire alarms* Check drinking fountains* Check phones, TTYs* Check accessible bathrooms* Check elevators* Check registration desk height* Check for chemical sensitivities* Check for fluorescent lighting* Materials: Have all materials in alternative formats. Have photocopies of transparencies or slides available upon request. Written materials should be available in Braille, on CD-Rom, audiotape or large print (16 point, in black on off-white paper) on request. Video materials should have closed or open captioning as well as audio descriptive. If audio description is not available, have a qualified volunteer do it. If captioning is not available, have a printed script available. Slides: Slides are completely legible, with large print and sharp, contrasting colors. There is adequate time for the audience to read the visual aids. All materials are delivered orally as well as in written form. *Refer to pages 12 & 13. Sign Language Interpreters Use one interpreter if the meeting will last less than one and a half hours. Use two interpreters when the meeting lasts longer than one and a half hours. Place the interpreter as close to the speaker as possible. When there are multiple speakers sitting at a table, place the interpreter across from the person(s) who is (are) deaf or hard of hearing. Seat participants using a Sign Language interpreter near the front. The interpreter is in an area that can be easily seen by the participants who are deaf. Limit to twenty minutes the time an interpreter must interpret. Then have a five-minute break. When two interpreters are used, rotate every twenty minutes. Captioning Use real time captioning. Sound A good quality sound system is being used. Necessary adjustments are made to the sound system for those participants who use it. Listening devices are available for participants who are hard of hearing for all large assemblies. Background noise is eliminated to the greatest extent possible. Lighting All meeting rooms are well lighted with adjustable lighting. Seating Tabletop height is between 28â€ and 34â€ above the floor. There is seating space with extra legroom for people with crutches, walkers, braces or casts. Adequate space for wheelchairs at conference tables is provided.* This space should be in the same location as other participants. Adequate space for work dogs is provided. Other Accommodations Offer to help participants with vision loss or who request it find a seat. Have a staff member or volunteer available to take notes during the presentation, allowing the participant to focus on the speaker and interpreter. Have a staff member or volunteer available to sit with the participant and describe the presentations, if the participant requests it. * Refer to pages 12 & 13. Worship Identify the focal point of your worship. Make certain that worship leaders are easily seen and recognized by participants. Make certain that there are no distractions to the focal point (i.e. flags/other decorations). Insure that the service is easy to follow. Make programs, hymns, etc. available in large print, Braille, on audiotape. Make volunteers available to sit and offer assistance to those who need it during the service. Plan for wheelchair space throughout. Check to see that the aisles are wide enough for wheelchairs, walkers, etc. Check for appropriate lighting. Have a good sound system. Make certain there is seating throughout for those who use listening devices. Use real time captioning. Reserve space for those who need a sign language interpreter. Consider your invitation to persons to stand or sit during certain parts of the service. Consider offering grape juice as well as wine for communion if this is appropriate to your context. Consider if flowers or incense will be used that may be a barrier for persons with chemical sensitivities. Likewise, if deemed appropriate and necessary, encourage persons not to wear perfumes or use scents or offer a fragrance free area as an alternative to those needing it. Be aware and attentive to the needs of those who are leading the worship. Presenters Check for the accommodations of presenters with disabilities. Start with registration, walk-through, hotel accommodations, meeting rooms, and large assemblies. Other accommodations may include a reverse interpreter, an orientation and mobility specialist, or guide for a person with limited vision as well as a volunteer/staff to assist in transporting materials that the presenter has. Presenters need to plan ahead of time to have available copies of the presentation on CD-Rom, audiotape, in Braille or large print, slides in the proper format, printed copies for sign language interpreters, videos with close caption and audio descriptive, and real time captioning. Print size should be 16 point, in black on off-white paper. Displays need to have adequate room for wheelchairs. They also should be something that is