[Faith-Talk] iceolation and serving in churches

Sun Dec 15 00:30:32 UTC 2019

not only that it is not just church i have tried to do games or
orginize games nights have invited people in from community and or
advertizing with other disability resource people but  i have never
gotten hardly any responce i never get hardly many at all and things.
it is like you have to have your name well known to run stuff.  so i
have kept trying and trying not only at church i but have been trying
other ways. even on good months there is not much interest.

On 12/14/19, Ericka via Faith-Talk <faith-talk at nfbnet.org> wrote:
> Thank you for reaching out to us and I’ve been following this thread. I can
> totally imagine your frustration. It’s not just people who are blind that
> get that kind of treatment at church. Before I moved to Madison, I lived in
> a community on the Wisconsin Illinois border, about an hour away from
> Chicago. At this particular church most people were pretty good about things
> but there is one child who is in a wheelchair and could not speak clearly.
> He was ignored completely except for the few of us who knew there was a
> person inside Ethan. Once his older brother was confirmed, the family left
> the church. I don’t blame them! Later on we got better pastors but it was
> too late for this family. Another family also left because their two boys
> with autism were treated like discipline problems not children with
> challenges people did not understand. People just did not want to
> understand. I totally back to this family and try to help them educate but
> it just didn’t work. This family had enough stress and didn’t need their
> attitude too. We had one child while I was teaching Sunday school that had
> emotional problems and I was able to work with the family since I have
> special education training. This kid is so smart and so kind that it was
> very sad to see as he got older how the church wasn’t really supporting him
> and his mom. She had grown up in that church so you think there’d be more
> support for her and her family. I hate hypocritical people and unfortunately
> it doesn’t matter, you’ve got them everywhere.
>
> I hope the counseling can help you at least organize your thoughts and
> create some kind of plan. There’s nothing worse than being frustrated and
> not being able to find a way around it. Prayers go out to you and never give
> up! Remember “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.“ Check
> out Philippians on Gateway.com defined that.
>
> Ericka Nelson
>
>> On Dec 14, 2019, at 11:28 AM, andrew edgcumbe via Faith-Talk
>> <faith-talk at nfbnet.org> wrote:
>>
>> 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
>>>
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>>
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