[Faith-Talk] iceolation and serving in churches

Sun Dec 15 00:53:52 UTC 2019

You've probably tried this, but how about scheduling a meeting with the head minister.

That might work.

Make sure you no your capabilities and what accommodations you use to succeed so you can share them in the meeting.

Thanks,

Justin

-----Original Message-----
From: Faith-Talk [mailto:faith-talk-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of andrew edgcumbe via Faith-Talk
Sent: Saturday, December 14, 2019 7:31 PM
To: Faith-talk, for the discussion of Blindness in faith and religion <faith-talk at nfbnet.org>
Cc: andrew edgcumbe <rollercoasterman86 at gmail.com>
Subject: Re: [Faith-Talk] iceolation and serving in churches

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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