[Faith-Talk] Serving in Church and Related Issues

Sun Nov 16 01:26:40 UTC 2025

I can’t speak to anything else PJ, but I do know what you’re talking about when you say that you feel like you’ve been left out of the Nfb. There’s been a lot of times where I suggested something and got talked over before I could share my idea. Blind people aren’t very good at keeping their mouth shut and taking turns. Coming to things with a proposal works a little bit better but I know the Nfb plays favorites. That’s why I’m not too active in a chapter, but I do support advocacy wherever I see it and try to be a good advocate and supporter of individuals.  
Ericka Nelson
K E9DYN
Proud general class him license owner

> On Nov 7, 2025, at 3:28 PM, Pj Navarro via Faith-Talk <faith-talk at nfbnet.org> wrote:
> 
> PJ here, & the only reason I’m here is because Norma Crosby introduced me
> to y’all a couple years ago after getting mad at me. Apparently the main
> reason we’re all stuck in this private conversation of back & forth emails
> is because we’re not allowed to create a public Facebook group for
> Christians in the NFB, which is what i tried to do. It was going to be
> a group where hundreds & even thousands can benefit & be inspired by
> faith-talk. Don’t y’all understand how misleading it is given that my
> own local NFB Chapter meetings are held in a church called Love & Grace? In
> the beginning of last year, after being elected a board member for the
> Coastal Bend Chapter over here in Corpus Christi, Texas, I ended up just
> leaving the group soon after due to poor leadership & the small group’s
> lack of enthusiasm. Not to mention I was continuously excluded from the
> messages but that’s besides the point. The main point is I tried my best to
> fix what’s broken in the NFB Andrew, but maybe you have something I lack,
> use your perseverance & succeed where I failed.
> PS- I tried attending the local White Cane Day March for Independence last
> month, yet upon my arrival, why was I not surprised to learn that it was
> cancelled on the spot?
> PPS- The main thing our chapter has done was fundraise for everyone’s
> attendance at national convention, but even with all that money, even my
> donations of over $350, not a single member has been able to attend for
> years! All of you say we’re not forgotten, BUT SOME OF US MOST CERTAINLY
> HAVE BEEN!
> 
> For Shame,
> 
> 
>> On Fri, Nov 7, 2025 at 2:41 PM andrew edgcumbe via Faith-Talk <
>> faith-talk at nfbnet.org> wrote:
>> 
>> Hi all
>> The other thing is what if those particular churches don't support maybe
>> support is the wrong word though but what if  i could say it generally but
>> i am keeping it faith based for this groups sake but  most sighted people
>> or pastors or people in leadership may side line blind people and how can
>> we show pastors we can do stuff because lets say somebody isn't given those
>> chances to even try and try over and over again.
>> Why and i am being kind of whatever don't we have articles describing what
>> blind people can do for or relate to faith community.
>> Also there should be you tubes we could send to pastors yes we can advocate
>> all day all we want and not get anywhere.
>> Sooner or later NFB if they are aware of these issues and yes churches or
>> whatever it is or community  NFB needs to come up with documents explaining
>> or even you tube footage to show churches that we can do things.
>> Why isn't more of that stuff being done  in faith based settings or for
>> faith based settings.
>> 
>> What if an blind individual doesn't have the tools to work through those
>> things by themselves when it comes to churches.
>> It is a running theme and we need to think of a way as a collective body to
>> deal with this or things won't get better If we want the better world for
>> christians or blind people there needs to be more consistancy and some
>> faith based programs that can teach blind people how to minister and how to
>> whatever I am not talking about jobs here i am just talking about
>> vollunteer opportunities.
>> What good are we doing as an orginization if we don't offer support to the
>> blind population more needs to be done then just say to them go advocate
>> some may not have experience some may not be the most experienced blind
>> person from a christian point of view.
>> After all churches have caused allot of hurt when it comes to disabled
>> people.  there is plenty of articles online about even just disability
>> people in churches.
>> Mom has looked up stuff along those lines because even my Mom has been
>> trying to help in find out things to.
>> 
>> Because pastors and ministry leaders in my opinion should get trained on
>> disability and blindness that is how I feel.
>> 
>> We need to come up with resources specifficaly for churches to help them be
>> able to serve disabled or blind people that is the opinion I have about
>> that.
>> 
>> 
>> On Fri, Nov 7, 2025 at 3:03 PM Chris Nusbaum via Faith-Talk <
>> faith-talk at nfbnet.org> wrote:
>> 
>>> Dear Friends:
>>> 
>>> 
>>> 
>>> I have been following with equal parts interest and concern the thread
>>> started yesterday by Andrew and PJ, which now contains contributions from
>>> several people who share widely varying perspectives on ministry, the
>>> Church
>>> (big C and little c), and even faith as a whole. In some ways there is
>> too
>>> much here to respond to in one message, but I'll try to distill my
>> thoughts
>>> into something that makes sense.
>>> 
>>> 
>>> 
>>> Let me first address Andrew and PJ directly. Andrew, I think you have
>>> brought up a problem that far too many of us can relate to. In fact, it
>> may
>>> be true that there are more blind people who have struggled to be
>> accepted
>>> in a church than those who have easily been accepted in one. Perhaps
>> there
>>> are even more blind Christians without a church home than with one. I
>> don't
>>> know if this is also true of other faiths, but I wouldn't be surprised.
>> To
>>> my knowledge, no one has done a study on this to come up with any factual
>>> statistics, so anything I say on the subject would be my own speculation.
>>> Either way, it's a theme that comes up frequently on this list, and we
>> have
>>> had at least 2 panel discussions about it at recent meetings of the NFB
>>> Blind Christians Group at our national convention. Furthermore, the
>>> underlying purpose of the call we hosted last year with the Prayer and
>>> Crisis Referral Network was to introduce our members and friends to a
>>> ministry that is already interested in including blind people and is a
>>> perfect fit for those who are having trouble finding their place in a
>>> church. The same is true of the Phone Faith ministry previously mentioned
>>> in
>>> this thread, which I haven't participated in yet but which I probably
>> will
>>> call into soon now that I've heard more about it. I say all this to make
>>> the
>>> point, Andrew and PJ, that you are not alone-not by a long shot. In
>> fact, I
>>> believe the great challenge for blind people in communities of faith is
>> how
>>> to balance our desire to be included as equals with our need to advocate
>>> for
>>> the accommodations we require. This list, as well as the faith-based
>> groups
>>> of the Federation, exist as a space where those challenges can be brought
>>> into the open and solutions can be developed.
>>> 
>>> 
>>> 
>>> Now that I've addressed the problem, let's see if I can suggest a
>> solution
>>> or two. Back in 2015, I wrote an article for Future Reflections (NFB's
>>> magazine for parents and teachers of blind children) titled "Finding My
>>> Niche." Since its main focus was after-school extracurricular
>> activities, I
>>> won't quote it or link to it here; you can look it up if you want to read
>>> it. But the main point of the article applies as much to church life as
>> it
>>> does to after-school life: If our goal is to be included in the wider
>>> community, the first step is to find our niche-the part of that community
>>> that fits our talents and interests. I got involved in the NFB during
>>> middle
>>> school and became more involved in student leadership as I went through
>>> high
>>> school and college, partly because I had trouble finding a place in the
>>> clubs sponsored by the school, even in the music-related activities that
>>> should have been where I belonged. As I progressed through college,
>>> however,
>>> I was blessed to find more acceptance in certain small groups there, and
>>> made friends within those groups. I was also in another state, so I
>> wasn't
>>> as involved in NFB. Now I'm working and have lived in 2 more states,
>>> finally
>>> coming back to my home state of Maryland. I have been in a variety of
>>> churches, sometimes finding a niche, sometimes not. But I'm now back in
>> NFB
>>> again at various levels. So, apparently, the blind community is my
>>> niche-or,
>>> at least, one of them.
>>> 
>>> 
>>> 
>>> The same, I think, is true of a church. Most churches have many
>> ministries
>>> and multiple small groups and Bible studies. So, I urge you to try one
>> out.
>>> If it doesn't work, try another, and another, and so on. Eventually, you
>>> will find your niche. Like any leader, the pastor does not lead a church
>>> alone, nor is it the pastor's responsibility to find a place where each
>>> member belongs. The pastor can provide support and solve problems among
>>> members, but ultimately one's involvement in a ministry is between that
>>> person and the ministry's leadership. So, I urge you: Keep trying until
>> you
>>> find your niche, even when it gets discouraging (notice I said when, not
>>> if). If it's not at one church, it may be at another. Or it may be on the
>>> Prayer Line (shameless plug), in our Christians Group, or in some other
>>> virtual ministry. Whatever it is, as you pray for discernment and keep
>>> trying, I believe you will eventually find it.
>>> 
>>> 
>>> 
>>> Finally, I want to try to lovingly and prayerfully address the
>> expressions
>>> of depression expressed in this thread. First, as a brother in Christ and
>>> as
>>> a fellow member of our blind community, I'm incredibly sorry to hear that
>>> you are going through this, and my prayers are with you. I also note that
>>> this depression has been solely attributed to the struggles with church,
>> as
>>> if your challenges in gaining acceptance in a faith community defines
>> your
>>> life. If you really feel that you are a "failure," that God has
>> "forgotten"
>>> you, I wonder if that depression really goes deeper than that. I'll just
>>> leave that there for you to think and pray on. Let me also commend to you
>>> these lyrics from an inspiring contemporary Christian song:
>>> 
>>> 
>>> 
>>> "The truth is I am my Father's child.
>>> 
>>> I make Him proud and I make Him smile.
>>> 
>>> I was made in the image of a perfect King,
>>> 
>>> He looks at me and wouldn't change a thing.
>>> 
>>> The truth is I am truly loved by a God who's good when I'm not good
>> enough.
>>> 
>>> I don't belong to the lies, I belong to You.
>>> 
>>> And that's the truth." -Megan Woods
>>> 
>>> 
>>> 
>>> I have probably gone on too long already, but all of this has been
>> weighing
>>> heavily on my heart, and I'm grateful for this platform which allows me
>> to
>>> share it. Thank you all for sharing your hearts with us.
>>> 
>>> 
>>> 
>>> With prayers that the "peace that passes all understanding" will remain
>>> with
>>> each of us,
>>> 
>>> 
>>> 
>>> Chris
>>> 
>>> 
>>> 
>>> Christopher A. Nusbaum
>>> 
>>> Assistive Technology Trainer for Blind/Low-vision Students and Adults
>>> 
>>> Board Member, Assistive Technology Trainers Division, National Federation
>>> of
>>> the Blind
>>> 
>>> Cell: (443) 547-2409
>>> 
>>> Work: (443) 487-6262
>>> 
>>> Personal email:  <mailto:cnusbaumnfb at gmail.com> cnusbaumnfb at gmail.com
>>> 
>>> Work email: canaccesssolutions at gmail.com
>>> <mailto:canaccesssolutions at gmail.com>  or cnusbaum at ais-llc.com
>>> 
>>> <https://www.linkedin.com/in/chris-nusbaum-274384136> LinkedIn
>>> 
>>> Schedule a meeting with me <https://fantastical.app/cnusbaum/cas>
>>> 
>>> 
>>> 
>>> "For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord. Plans to help
>> you
>>> and not to harm you; plans to give you a hope and a future." -Jeremiah
>>> 29:11
>>> 
>>> 
>>> 
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