You love God and you love God’s people. That’s why all of us serve the church on staff or as volunteers. You have been called to serve the Church through the ministries and capacities God has invited and given to you. Ultimately, this call is to carry on the Jesus Christ’s mission of sharing the Good News and inviting people into an ever-deepening relationship with God.
Serving in a parish or parish ministry isn’t easy, though. Life is busy, complicated, and demanding. If I told you that 20% of the population in the United States has needs – physical, psychological, emotional, social, and/or spiritual – that we aren’t meeting or could be meeting better, you might feel concerned, intrigued, overwhelmed, or pumped for action. That’s 1 in 5 people who have a disability or a loved one with a disability. Disabilities can include developmental, learning, intellectual, in addition to physical.
We’re not going to propose you start another ministry, though new ministries might arise. What we want to help you embark upon is a process of ecclesial integration that will bring various disability communities and your parish together. We want to help you revitalize your parish community through a process that will allow every parishioner – including those you’ve lost or haven’t even met yet because of disabilities, neuro-differences, and/or mental health – feel not only welcomed, but a feeling of belonging that leads to a sense of co-ownership in your parish and the mission of the Church.