A Free Spiritual Guide

  Conference Story and Significance: An impactful story about a mother seeking advice on introducing her autistic daughter to God. The speaker's discouraging response deeply affected the mother, highlighting the need for accessible religious teachings for individuals with disabilities. This incident inspired the author to focus on making the gospel accessible and inclusive. Challenges and Questions: Common concerns from parents and church leaders about the spiritual formation of individuals with disabilities. Questions include how to ensure salvation for disabled individuals and how to help them grow in faith. Importance of Inclusive Worship: Accessible gospel and inclusive worship are central to the author’s mission. Behavior management, inclusive churches, and understanding specific disabilities are crucial for creating a conducive spiritual environment. Tools and resources are essential for aiding individuals with disabilities in their faith journey. Spiritual Formation Insights...

Instructor and Course Introduction Instructor: Barbara Newman. Course: "Creating Congregations of Belonging with People of All Abilities." Organization: All Belong Center for Inclusive Education. Objective: To create inclusive congregations for people of all abilities. Course Goals Provide a framework for inclusivity in congregations. Offer specific information and tools for including people with Autism Spectrum Disorder, Down syndrome, unique behavior challenges, and adults with reading difficulties. Promote inclusive worship, learning, fellowship, and service opportunities. Barbara Newman's Background Special education teacher at Zeeland Christian School since 1989. Experience in including students with various disabilities. Motivated by parents' struggles to find inclusive church communities for their children. Challenges Faced by Families Parents reported difficulties finding inclusive churches. Churches often lacked the tools and knowledge to include children wit...