[Faith-Talk] serving and connection

Sat Aug 10 04:57:57 UTC 2024

well I am more of a hands on type of person.

I used to be a lions member but i stepped down because I simply was not
feeling it was for me and I felt there was just nothing i could help with.
I am more of a hands on sort of person.
I did try or investagate doing sound board but the pastor at the church i
was going to wouldn't let me

I not so much into kids ministries i would be more into adult ministries or
youth or whatever.

On Sat, Aug 10, 2024 at 12:34 AM Ashley Bramlett via Faith-Talk <
faith-talk at nfbnet.org> wrote:

> Hey Brian,
> I assume that you was me. Awe, thanks. This is a complex topic and I'm
> glad you
> Liked  my short email. I assume by you saying its said correctly that you
> also agree and may identify with the lack of connections and lack of
> options to serve.
>
> I wanted to ask what Andrew meant but also trying to share a snapshot of
> my own feelings and experience because I think I know what he means despite
> the poor written message with run on sentences.
>
> I also grew up Christian, actually in a Protestant church and for me
> acceptance with the other children was a mixed bag. I would have a book if
> I said much about it.
> I was accepted in some activities and not others, to make a long story
> short.
> I participated in nearly all of the church activities other children did.
> This means I attended Sunday school, had a role in the church plays such as
> the Christmas pageant, even did children's choir a few years even though
> I'm not a great singer, and as a teen I volunteered at a DC women's shelter
> serving food like other teens and adults.
> I also went to bible camp at church a few years or whatever they called it.
>
> I felt accommodated  some in Sunday school and the church. My church got
> me the Sunday school lessons in braille we read for some grades. They also
> got me a hymnal.
>
> As an adult, I have not done much, but I also did not ask to do much
> either.
> I'm also trying to consider where I might volunteer in a ministry in or
> out of the church. At least in my area, there are ministries outside the
> church too that have a Christian focus.
> I want to give back to the community and be a witness for Christ but also
> just help people.
> I have encountered many barriers to volunteering. In the last nonprofit I
> tried, they did not get back to me after I filled out the application and
> did the virtual orientation.
> Others have said they have already filled the positions when I wanted to
> do volunteer tutoring.
>
> For Andrew,
> These are a few ideas and some general advice because we still do not know
> what you want in a clear sense.
>
> To find what you might want to do in a church or ministry capacity:
>
> •       Pray about it. Ask for wisdom from God.
> •       Examine your strengths and weaknesses. Your talents and gifts. Do
> you like teaching? Do you want to meet people's basic needs such as giving
> out food or clothing?
> •       Find out from the church what ministries they have and what their
> connections are and see if you feel a calling to serve there.
> •       Once you identify some ideas, reach out to your church and
> community organizations to see if you can fulfill those needs you have to
> serve.
> •       If you continue to have trouble, get an advocate involved from a
> disability rights group
> •
>
> I have some of the barriers too like transportation and discrimination so
> I know how it can be. My parents help me out and there is paratransit here,
> but I cannot get there on time with paratransit because it’s a shared
> service so I really need a ride.
> If some service organization says no, I reach out to others.
>
> To overcome some of the barriers you have:
>
> •       Transportation: ask for rides from the group. Say you want to come
> to a bible study and see if they can help. You can also ask community
> groups. Here in the USA we have Lions clubs and Kiwanis clubs; sometimes
> they are helpful. If nothing comes up to help you, just do a bible study on
> zoom or some internet chat service.
> •       Overcoming liabilities: I had this issue too. I was serving dinner
> at a shelter but to do it they said to bring along a friend; I did it for a
> while having my dad as a friend.
> •       Advocating for yourself: this is hard especially with other
> challenges and having people talk to your parents. Tell the potential
> volunteer staff you can talk and ask you because you know what works best.
> •       Educate people: to do this, show them things you can do. You could
> also maybe bring in articles of successful blind people doing ministry work
> or service work. There is articles in the Braille Monitor as well as the
> community service blog from NFB. I think AFB here in the USA might have
> articles too. If we knew where you wanted to serve, we might have more
> specific ideas.
>
> Hope this gives you some ideas and helps.
>
> Take care,
> Ashley
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Faith-Talk <faith-talk-bounces at nfbnet.org> On Behalf Of Brian
> Hatgelakas via Faith-Talk
> Sent: Friday, August 9, 2024 11:44 PM
> To: Faith-talk, for the discussion of Blindness in faith and religion <
> faith-talk at nfbnet.org>
> Cc: Brian Hatgelakas <bhatgelakas at gmail.com>
> Subject: Re: [Faith-Talk] serving and connection
>
> you said it 100 percent correctly!
>
> On Fri, Aug 9, 2024 at 11:15 PM 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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> --
> *Brian P. Hatgelakas | *
> 318 Washington Road, #212, Pittsburg, PA 15216
> C: 412.862.8644  *I* E: bhatgelakas at gmail.com
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