Indispensable People
Making the Gospel Accessible to people of ALL abilities so that they may know Christ, grow in Him, and serve Him with the gifts He has given them.
Indispensable People
Beyond Barriers: Navigating the Medical, Social, and Spiritual Views of Disability
Disability ministry requires careful balance between specialized support and full church integration. Examining the medical, social, and spiritual models of disability helps churches develop more effective, compassionate approaches to inclusion.
• Cognitive and invisible disabilities present unique challenges for recognition and inclusion
• Some incorrectly view disability as solely spiritual issues requiring deliverance or healing
• Balance is needed between seeing disability as both a challenge and part of human diversity
• Separate disability ministries provide targeted support but shouldn't exist in isolation
• Biblical perspectives range from Leviticus (seeming exclusion) to Jesus's radical inclusion
• 1 Corinthians 12 reminds us that those who "seem weakest" are indispensable to the body
For deeper dives into these topics, check out indispensable-people.com and visit Amazon to purchase "The Indispensable Kid," "Gospel Accessibility," and "The Indispensable People."
Hi, my name is Tracy Correll and welcome to Indispensable People. I'm a wife, mom, teacher, pastor and missionary, and I believe that every person should have the opportunity to know Christ, grow in Him and serve Him with the gifts that he has given, no matter their ability. Over 65 million Americans have a disability. That's 25% of the population. However, over 80% of them are not inside the walls of our church. Let's dive into those hard topics biblical foundations, perceptions and world-changing ideas. Hey, hey, and welcome to this episode of Indispensable People.
Speaker 1:Today, we're going to explore an intersection of faith and community. We're diving into some of the most debated topics in disability ministry. We'll be tackling some questions about the definition of disability, the role of the church and leadership, and how we can integrate people with disabilities into the broader church community. So let's get into it. Let's start with the definition and understanding of disability.
Speaker 1:There are two primary models that people often reference the medical model and the social model. And the medical model views disability as an individual problem that's caused by physical or mental impairments. In contrast, the social model emphasizes that societal barriers actually create disability. This is an important distinction because it really shapes how communities approach inclusion. So, for instance, cognitive disabilities which are often invisible, which means we can't see them. It's not like a use of a wheelchair or a limp, or wheelchair or a limp or deformity of some sort that you can see. It's invisible. It's on the inside. So it's typically neurological, mental, something like that, and it can be really challenging to recognize an address within the church because it's invisible. So you have some schools of thought of you know where the problem is coming from, or if there's a problem or if it's a created issue. There's all kinds of things. And I can tell you that, as a parent of a child with a disability whose mom my mom questioned me and my child because his diagnosis was not visible, and so then she questioned whether or not it was even real, no-transcript and careful, as the church, how we're handling that.
Speaker 1:Then we have to consider the perspective of disability as a spiritual issue. Some view it as a trial or even a curse, while others see it as a natural part of human diversity and a chance for spiritual growth. This can significantly impact how individuals with disabilities are perceived and treated within religious communities, and I'll give you a few examples of that One being. I am friends with a missionary who is specifically working in Argentina, who is specifically working in Argentina. She is known for just signs and wonders and miracles, and she was on itineration home in the States and a pastor connected with her and said listen, we have a child, we believe they are demon possessed and we would like for you to come pray. She walked in the room and immediately discernment came over her and she said you know this, this is not that. And the child was diagnosed with autism and the way the church had viewed that person was only, through a spiritual lens, that fixing needed to happen and they're going to pray it out of him. Another example a conversation with a family member who basically was talking about healing, and healing is a huge topic within the disability community and there are people who believe they've been partially healed. They believe that there's fullness of healing. Some people believe that their disability is not something to be healed from. They believe that it's a neurotypical difference and so that is a part of them. It is not something to be changed or fixed. And I would say I always go back to the balance right, and the balance is if there are challenges in your life that God can remove from you, and we believe that he is the provider and he is the healer, is the provider and he is the healer. We truly believe that he can do that. I do believe that he also allows things because he has purpose in them. So there's a balance between that. So there's the perspective of disability as the spiritual issue, that some can view it as a trial again, or a curse, and others see it as the natural part of human diversity, and I would say it's a bit of both. So we can find that balance. That yes, it can be a trial, yes it can be a spiritual issue, does not mean that it always is and it can be a part of your disability. The things you experience in life shape who you are. You can't deny that, and so it's a balance of both. So we have the medical, we have the social and then we have the spiritual aspects of looking at things.
Speaker 1:But now we're going to move on to looking at the role of church leadership, because there's a debate over kind of separate ministries. There's an ongoing discussion whether disability ministries should be separate from the main church program. So this is our next topic we're going to be talking about, and so I guess my word for this episode is really going to be balance, balance, balance, balance, balance. Because this ongoing discussion is whether disability ministry should be separate from the main church programs or if full integration is a better approach. Here's the balance. You can look at it as an integration, segregation type of thing. There's your hot topic and the world is screaming inclusion, inclusion, inclusion, inclusion, inclusion and segregation is kind of like a dirty word, right. So how do we look at that and how do we fit? I say inclusion is absolutely important. It's integral. The church should be intentional.
Speaker 1:There needs to be, I guess, like when we always kind of refer back to what we know and what we've experienced in life and I would say in my life, people with disabilities were hidden. They were put in different classrooms. They were not a part of the normal things that we did. However, in many instances and most cases, as long as it was comfortable for them, fitting for their needs, they could have fit in spaces right where everybody else was and should have, but we went into, we lived in land of fear. I mean, we have stuff that is rooted even in scripture In the book of Leviticus we've talked about before. You know, it's unclean, they can't enter into the thing, so they have to be separated. Lots of ways to think of it.
Speaker 1:But separation shouldn't be done for the purposes of keep them away. We don't want them to be a part of their burden. Separation should happen because that's how you have in churches kids ministry and youth ministry, and women's ministry and men's ministry and recovery ministry and marriage ministry and all of those different things. The reason that those ministries are created in separation is so that they can minister specifically to the needs of that person in their life at that time, that they can minister specifically to the needs of that person in their life at that time. And so disability ministry gives a community. It provides even more specific ways to minister. It opens the opportunity for understanding and relationship building on a deeper level. However, disability ministry should not be separated. It should not be its own silo.
Speaker 1:It is incredibly important for an individual with disabilities to be a part of the church. It is an ongoing conversation about children and youth and the amount of separation that exists in their ministries throughout the church and the difficult transition into adulthood because of that separation. And I would say in every aspect you're coming to that same experience for people with disabilities. Right, the more you separate, the more difficult it is to join is to join, and also the barriers that get built and can exist over time and add to the stereotypes and beliefs that the world has created about people with disabilities. Then there becomes this vast expanse between the both, and God has called us to be the church. And the church is a body and the body is connected. So I do believe 100% that there should be ministry that is specific to people with disabilities. And there are individuals that thrive better in separated instances, which could be someone with intense sensory sensitivities, more intense medical needs, those kinds of things. They may benefit in those spaces because that is where they feel most comfortable, and where we feel most comfortable is where we engage most and learn most and all of those kinds of things. However, the church is a body and the body is connected and we should always be connected as the full body of Christ.
Speaker 1:So let's move on to another topic, and it's going into some theological and biblical considerations. So many believe that the Bible calls for inclusion and care for those with disabilities. Others will challenge it because of certain things, and here's going back to what I just mentioned just a moment ago. We have passages like Leviticus, and then we have passages like Luke, where you have Leviticus who's saying separate, and then you have Luke saying everyone's invited to the table. So Jesus's example is particularly powerful and his interactions with individuals with disabilities, such as those who are blind, lame, demonstrate his inclusive attitude and emphasis on dignity.
Speaker 1:So we've taken a deep dive into the scriptures from Leviticus and understand that there was a lot of foreshadowing there and there was a lot of setup for understanding that the priests, who were the only ones who could enter and engage with God and engage with God here's the thing they had to do so many things to get to the level of considering a perfection, but then, because they really couldn't ever be perfect, jesus came and he was the bridge and he was the better offer because he was the ultimate perfection. So what Leviticus was pointing out was more about the priesthood and the perfection, imperfection and how Jesus needed to come to make up for that, as opposed to specifically speaking to people with disabilities. And Luke says listen, you want at first, you want all these fancy, spancy people, come into your house and none of them show up. And here are the people you wanna invite to your table. So go out and get them and bring them on in. And add to that 1 Corinthians, 12, 22 and 25.
Speaker 1:That reminds us of the most important members of the body, which is what this podcast is named after, what my books are named after the indispensable people. Because God says that those who seem the weakest seem the weakest are indispensable. Why weakest seem the weakest are indispensable. Why? Because the body of Christ is diverse and it's interdependent and it has levels of strength and weaknesses all throughout it, and that's why we come together as the body of Christ.
Speaker 1:It's clear that a lot of these conversations are complex and they require a lot of careful consideration and compassion. By engaging in them, we can look towards a more intentional church, a more purposeful church that provides welcoming value, inclusivity and specific ministry when it's necessary, because each of us needs something that is specific to our lives and specific to our needs. So let's reach out, let's get past those hard conversations and look at people for what God says that they are, and that is indispensable. Do I know everything about disability ministry? Do I have all the answers? Have I done everything perfectly? I've absolutely not, but we are going to continue this conversation so that people of all abilities can have the opportunity to know Christ, grow in Him and serve Him with the gifts that he has given them. For deeper dives into these topics and more, check out indispensablepeoplecom and visit Amazon to purchase the books the Indispensable Kid and Gospel Accessibility and the Indispensable People and the indispensable people.
