[Faith-talk] Need feedback.

[Linda Mentink]

Hi Jaybee,

I participate in the ministries wherever I can. There are three blind 
women in my current church, and we are accepted with open arms and 
helped and encouraged as members. I was hired to come here to teach 
music in our school and help with the choir, so I sing in the choir 
and sing solos, and proofread Spurgeon sermons that one of our 
members puts out twice a week for our members to take home and read.

In my former church I played the piano, organ, or keyboard, planned 
service music, sang solos, sang in the choir when there was one, 
served on the Missions Committee, served on the Deaconness board, 
served as prayer chain chairman for most of my 20 years there (except 
when I worked full-time), participated in Bible studies and went on 
retreats with the women, and ran the sound system for VBS.

Tell Ora not to wait to be invited by the women, but to tell them 
she'd like to go with them, or bring a hotdish to the potluck, or 
whatever. If they won't let her, then she should talk to the pastor 
or his wife, or other leaders in the church, and ask that she be 
accepted as much as her sighted peers.  HTH.

Blessings,

Linda

At 09:32 AM 8/7/2010, you wrote:
>Hi list.  My wife Ora and I are both blind and we attend a Local 
>church here in Birmingham.  Ora, my wife, is a doctoral student and 
>is in the process of writing her dissertation on blindness in the 
>church.  She would like to know basically how you and others are 
>treated by your congregation.  She does not plan to use names, but 
>she does plan to use the information.  This subject has been 
>broached before but this time, I am taking notes. In our 
>congregation, for example, my wife has difficulties with the 
>treatment by the ladies.  They are very cordial, but they do not 
>include her in their circle.  They do not ask her to go with them on 
>ladies' outings, they do not ask her to bring food to our fellowship 
>meals.  As stated, they ar very friendly toward her, but they just 
>do not know how to approach her, and it is not just this 
>congregation, but it has been about the same with her over the past 
>forty plus years.  On the other hand, we find that the men are much 
>more opened-armed toward both of us. I, for example, am accepted in 
>participating in just about every aspect of our service.  Any 
>feedback would be greatly appreciated.  Thanks.  Jaybee
>"Be not the first by whom the new is tried, nor yet the last to lay 
>the old aside."  (Alexander Pope)
>
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