[Faith-Talk] iceolation and serving in churches

[andrew edgcumbe]

Hi Thank you for your email Tom  I think part of what has happened was
this  is I  guess i don't deal with road blocks well at all. I guess
for me I have tried to communicate that I wanted to do particular
things but I have felt like I just have not been heard.  In a sence I
am not really  close to anybody at church  at all. I have not stayed
in a particular church lately myself as i been searching for needs of
my own like bible study groups and some people my age for example or
even place to serve. I don't have any real friends in church or church
type stuff I don't get any calls or  any contact with me other then on
Sunday.  My family have bounced from church to church few times in
child hood actually. I think allot of discourragement or depression
might be because of what I go through as a blind person I don't even
know if there is any blind pastors in Canada or not.  I don't have
anybody close to me that could advocate for me in a sence if i can
fraise it that way.

On 12/14/19, Tom Vos via Faith-Talk <faith-talk at nfbnet.org> wrote:
> Andrew,
> I can appreciate your struggle, and I am grateful that you have some
> counseling resources to deal with your depression.  I am a pastor, now
> retired, and I am grateful for a church that walked with me through 28
> years of ministry as My eye condition deteriorated.  When I first told
> my congregation that my eyesight was declining, one of my elders said
> to me, "This is going to be good for us."
> I am grateful for those who stepped in to drive me to various visits
> and walked with me with encouragement and love.
> I say that because I want to say that churches can learn.
> And I should also say that I was approached by someone from the
> congregation telling me that my ministry there had run its course,
> making it clear that my blindness was the factor.
> Thankfully my council stood by me and allowed me another five years of
> ministry there.
> That being said, churches still have things to learn.  My denomination
> has an office of disability concerns that seeks to educate and guide
> the churches in ministry to and with people with disabilities.  The
> motto is: Everybody belongs, everybody Serves.
> I offer advice hesitantntly, because you may have done this already.
> First, perhaps some treatment for your depression may lower the strain a
> bit.
> But I wonder if you could pick out some particular form of service in
> your church that you think you can do and would enjoy being a part of,
> and approach the leadership and ask for an opportunity to serve.
> Your church should be willing to accommodate you with some assistance,
> since their goal should be to provide you with a way of serving the
> Lord and his people.
> This takes some assertion on your part, and perhaps if you are feeling
> down, this is not the best time to try it.  You could, of course, run
> into road blocks, or someone who is unwilling to help you.  But
> perhaps there is someone you are close to in the church who could
> serve as your advocate.
> Short of that, you will need to be your own advocate and graciously
> ask for the opportunity to serve among  them, and perhaps explain to
> the leadership what you can do, and how you can do it, and what
> assistance they need to provide so that you can not only belong, but
> serve.
> I'd be glad to converse with you off list if that would help.
> Tom
>
> _______________________________________________
> Faith-Talk mailing list
> Faith-Talk at nfbnet.org
> http://nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/faith-talk_nfbnet.org
> To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for
> Faith-Talk:
> http://nfbnet.org/mailman/options/faith-talk_nfbnet.org/rollercoasterman86%40gmail.com
>