A Welcoming Congregation
Posted August 9, 2010
Area churches are invited to become "A Welcoming
Congregation" to persons with disabilities through participation in a
conference Sept. 25, 2010, at the United Methodist Church, 508 2nd Ave N.,
Clear Lake.The Clear Lake Interfaith Fellowship for Community Action (IFCA) and Opportunity Village are sponsoring this one-day workshop on church inclusion of persons with disabilities. The conference runs from 9 a.m. to 2:30 p.m., including morning refreshments and lunch. Registration deadline is Sept. 7.
The Rev. Bill Van Dyken, Religious Services Coordinator for Hope Haven in Rock Valley, Iowa, will be the keynote speaker. Hope Haven serves more than 1,200 adults and children with disabilities in 53 counties in Iowa and Minnesota. In addition to coordinating religious events for Hope Haven and the regions it serves, Pastor Van Dyken has coordinated camps for people with disabilities in Guatemala and initiated a program to send refurbished wheelchairs to people in over 100 countries.
The conference also includes a panel discussion involving persons served, pastors, family members, and church representatives, to discuss what churches are doing, what is working well, and what could be done better to welcome and involve persons with disabilities in faith communities.
Five targeted workshops will include Disability Awareness, the 10 Commandments of Communicating with People with Disabilities, Instructional Accommodations, The Welcoming Environment, and Going the Extra Mile (about the Guatemala mission).
The conference is open to pastors, leaders, teachers, youth group leaders, individuals with disabilities, their families, church drivers – anyone interested in the spiritual growth of persons with emotional, sensory, mobility, or cognitive impairments.
Cost is $20 per participant. IFCA is subsidizing this conference to keep expenses minimal to participants. Registration forms are available by contacting Pastor Rich Murray, Spiritual Resources Coordinator at Opportunity Village, 641-355-1336.
Murray said this is a great opportunity for churches to expand their ministry to families and individuals with special needs, from children needing extra support to senior adults with physical challenges. "The church has been called to be a mission outpost from the very beginning. Jesus tells us that whenever we serve 'the least of these,' we are really serving Him. The mission is all around us."
Pastor Scott Wilson, serving at the Clear Lake Christian Church and a member of IFCA, said "I think every church in the area will want to send a team of members to participate in this workshop. This is the very reason the church exists, to help others." Pastor Wilson will be one of the panel members.
IFCA was formed in 1988 by community and church leaders. Today, there are 11 area churches that are part of IFCA in Clear Lake. Its primary goal is to provide assistance to transients passing through the community who are without the necessary funds to meet their basic needs. IFCA also sponsors community holiday dinners, supports Hawkeye Harvest Food Bank and Community Kitchen, and other local events.
Opportunity Village, based in Clear Lake, serves more than 680 individuals with disabilities in many Iowa communities.