Please consider supporting Disability Ministries on Giving Tuesday and throughout the year! We are committed to making the United Methodist Church a place where people with disabilities are fully included in all aspects of worship, leadership, ministry, and mission.
Rebecca was born with a complicated eye condition that caused her to be visually impaired. As a young person, her deepest wish was to become a music teacher and share the joy of music with children; however, systemic ableism at the university level prevented her from achieving this goal. She mourned for the loss of her dream, and then she started taking her writing seriously. Telling her story has helped her to reshape her personal narrative and to take back her power. She hopes to share what she has learned with others during this session. We all have a story to tell, and the world needs your story! Our stories shape the world, and together we can make big changes, one story at a time.
Our church family has people of all ages and ability levels. Some were children, some of us were a little bit older, and some of us were anywhere in-between. Everyone was able to find a job that they were able to do. Some people were also visually impaired like myself (A friendly reminder: Please do not pet service dogs when they are working).
By the time we were done, we had given away 1,727 gallons of milk. It was a truly beautiful thing. We had given away almost 400 gallons of milk an hour!
Tristan wants the world to know that you can be both disabled AND happy. She speaks candidly about the impact of COVID-19 on the disability community, and shares her candid thoughts on prayer.
Jessica says, "I make YouTube videos. I saw a severe lack of blind college students when I was about to start college, so I decided to make my channel so that I could share my voice and story. Just sitting in front of a camera, and talking about issues that I’m really passionate about is really cathartic for me. It is just really nice to have my own little space on the internet."
In our third installment of More than Meets the Eye: Interview with the Disability Community, we hear from Letitia Bouwer, a young woman from Namibia who has been blind since birth. she also loves to sing and play the piano.
Scripture: So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live your lives in him, rooted and built up in him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness. (Colossians 2:6-7) A Very Happy Birthday The current year has been a strange one, and yesterday brought us to the… Continue reading 32 Reasons to Be Thankful (His Encouragement)
"I really wish people understood that blindness isn’t something to be afraid of. It changes a few logistics about how life works, but it doesn’t in itself make people physically needy, mentally slow, or overly unhappy. People who are blind pursue meaningful careers, raise children, engage in hobbies, and live full lives at all ages." -J.E. Pinto
"They see that I am independent and strong but they don’t see that I am loyal and a hard worker." -Carolyn McGhee
I'm putting all my social media skills to use for the Glory of God and the service of Church. I will be posting daily devotional videos. Some will be humorous, and others will be a bit more serious. Some will have special guests(filmed from a safe distance)and others will be just me. I hope they help provide you with comfort and a smile during this time.
