[Faith-Talk] serving and connection

Sat Aug 10 03:40:15 UTC 2024

There are ministries that have been spoken of here that are open and encouraging if blind individuals participating. 

Personally, I think we sometimes are the ones in our own way. I think a lot of people have barriers to serving but work out ways to serve rather than expecting others to find out how to make it work and even more often it is something joint between them. 

In the last church I pastored, someone wanted to serve on the board and the nominating committee wanted them to be a candidate. They were a nurse so worked every other weekend. This did not fit with our board meeting pattern of every third Sunday. We adapted the schedule to make it work. 

My advice is to prayerfully discern where you would like to serve given the gifts that God has given you. Then think about what would you need to be able to serve in that way. So, if music ministry and singing, what form do you need the music in and do you need help getting to practices?

Churches I regularly preach in know not to ask me to read the Scripture readings before I preach. Others have allowed parts to be done from different places in the sanctuary so I don’t have to traverse as many steps. I still struggle in the regional church as the regional staff can’t seem to get materials out early enough for me to have dozens to a hundred pages read to me several times so I can digest them before a meeting.  The body wants me to serve but this accommodation has been hard to get. Others are frustrated by it even without visual issues.

Christopher

------
The Rev. Christopher L. Smith
New York, USA

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> On Aug 10, 2024, at 6:15 AM, Ashley Bramlett via Faith-Talk <faith-talk at nfbnet.org> wrote:
> 
> Hi,
> It sounds like you are lonely.
> It sounds like you want someone to assist you with walking and getting out
> in the community for fitness participation and social activities.
> I'm going to a church with my dad which is also small and most members are
> older or maybe adults middle age with families.
> 
> I have not exactly asked to serve but I suspect they would be fine with most
> activities. I have considered helping out with the youth group.
> 
> I am also seeking a fitness buddy to have nature walks with or simple trail
> walking or tandem biking.
> But, so far I did not find anyone. I asked our nearest chapter of Achilles
> international, dc chapter,
> But did not find anyone; no response yet.
> So, I know what you mean about needing a guide to do activities with and
> finding no one. I can and do exercise alone at a gym such as by using the
> seated bikes or treadmills but I do so much desire to do some outside walks
> or biking and go with someone so I can focus on the walk and exercise, not
> my mobility skills.
> I also want more social connections either from the church or elsewhere.
> 
> It sounds like you have other disabilities given how this is written and how
> you write here. I do not know your full situation. I'm just speculating.
> It would be helpful to know what you really mean. So far your emails are
> vague saying that
> You simply are not accepted and you are not finding connections.
> What do you want to do? Some examples? What were some things you tried and
> were rejected from?
> Saying you have lack of opportunity does not tell us much.
> 
> I do not mean to be critical but you have written things like this before
> and it comes up year after year.
> Only by getting specific can we help some.
> 
> Writing things like this
> " It is like people have been so hazatant to do anything or to support me or
> help me find those opportunities either as part of a church or even ministry
> and stuff like that."
> Does not say much.
> 
> Have you tried finding connections through a community website? Here we have
> www.meetup.com, but I'm not sure you have that.
> I've not used this myself, but I know it's a way to find groups to meet up
> with.
> 
> I do hope you find something. If there is a Christian ministry for the blind
> in Canada where you are, maybe you can help them, even if its remotely.
> Here in the USA we have Christian Record Services and Lutheran Braille
> Workers; both are far from my home of VA but I've considered trying to do
> something with them  remotely. Maybe writing something or conducting
> something over a video platform like zoom.
> 
> You have to educate people about your abilities too. You may not be asked to
> help as they do not know what you can do or how you can do it, so do educate
> them.
> 
> Anyways, with more specifics, maybe we can give more suggestions.
> 
> Ashley
> 
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Faith-Talk <faith-talk-bounces at nfbnet.org> On Behalf Of andrew
> edgcumbe via Faith-Talk
> Sent: Friday, August 9, 2024 10:27 PM
> To: Faith-talk, for the discussion of faith and religion
> <faith-talk at nfbnet.org>
> Cc: andrew edgcumbe <rollercoasterman86 at gmail.com>
> Subject: [Faith-Talk] serving and connection
> 
> Hi
> My name is Andrew for those who don't know me.
> 
> I have just had struggle after struggle with  just being able to serve as
> part of a church body and stuff like that other then maybe music and stuff
> like that.
> To me the experience is they don't know what to do with me because of my
> blindness and stuff like that.
> It is like people have been so hazatant to do anything or to support me or
> help me find those opportunities either as part of a church or even ministry
> and stuff like that.
> The answer I always get is just pray about it while we should do that and i
> been doing that all along but faith should be followed up by action to and
> stuff like that.
> 
> 
> While I don't know other area's speciffically my church is a very small
> church so it is limited but I want to find christian ministries who actually
> let blind people serve even if it is from home or some other way.
> 
> The other area is that i have trouble making connections that really foster
> into more then just sunday morning fellowship.
> I have tried to find hiking partners and finding other things.
> i reached out to couple of the other churches for walking buddies and stuff
> like that and just other people whom perhaps i can really make connection
> with from a church to do coffee with or do other things with and I don't
> know they are afraid of the fact i am blind I don't know what it is.
> I just been really looking for answers as to what to do with myself like i
> have few people in building i connect with but they have disabilities that
> keep them from doing walks with me or  other adventures I would like to be
> able to go on and stuff like that.
> 
> I struggle making connection through or  church or community  like I said
> even a buddy of mine has tried to talk to t others about  others about
> walking with me or what not but there is great hazatation and never had any
> luck weather it is walking or ki hiking and stuff like that.  or even people
> to really connect with.
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