Community Connections: November - December 2005 WSCN

Welcoming Spiritual Communities Newsletter
November - December 2005

In this Issue: Putting out the Spiritual Welcome Mat

Information on nurturing inclusive spiritual communities with tips for ushers, greeters, ministries, and congregations.

Sometimes people cannot participate in a faith community because of disabilities caused by conditions present at birth, illness, age, or accidents. One in five families faces the challenge of disability. Spiritual communities that welcome everyone attract new members and allow long-time members to remain active as they age or when they are coping with the effects of an accident or illness. Many times, there are easy, inexpensive ways to welcome individuals with disabilities in your congregation and create the sense of belonging that is so essential to religious communities.

Through the bi-monthly Welcoming Spiritual Communities Newsletter, you have easy access to information about how to make your congregation more welcoming, which includes access to information, ideas, and resources that can help you open doors to persons with disabilities and their families. You can also publicize information about your community on our web site. Furthermore, we can work with you or your committee regarding ways to make your religious community more welcoming. We thank you for your leadership on behalf of people with disabilities and look forward to hearing from you.

This issue highlights:

	Articles
	Editorial comment: Why Put Out Your ‘Spiritual Welcome Mat?’ Preparation: Preparing Religious Leaders in Seminaries to Promote Welcoming Environments and Congregations Practical application: Disabilities Conference Adds Teen Track
	Kids Corner
	Wisdom by and for kids and others: ‘December Prayer’
	Tip Sheets
	Check out these tips: Ten Ramps (Steps) to Accessibility for Spiritual Communities and General Tips for Spiritual Leaders
	Spotlight
	Check out this organization: National Organization on Disability, Religion and Disability Program
	Recommended Website
	Check out this link: Faithability
	Book Corner
	Recommended gift books
	Humor for the Spirit
	The Little Old Lady and the Atheist
	Upcoming Issues
	Looking forward in this newsletter

Articles

Editorial Comment: Why Put Out Your ‘Spiritual Welcome Mat?’
by Jeni Stepanek, Community Connections Staff Member

A woman with a disability, also the mother of children with disabilities, shares her thoughts and experiences on searching for a spiritual community that is truly welcoming to all people, including their personal preferences.
Click here to read article:
http://newsroute.info/clients/communityconnections/spiritualletter1205_articles.htm#editorial

Preparation: Preparing Religious Leaders in Seminaries to Promote Welcoming Environments and Congregations
by Joyce A. Bender

In a speech delivered by Joyce A. Bender at the Pittsburgh Theological Seminary on April 11, 2005, issues of how leaders in Christian, Jewish, and Muslim faiths can embrace people with disabilities, both as members and as leaders of congregations, are discussed.
Click here to read the article:
http://www.nod.org/index.cfm?fuseaction=page.viewPage&pageID=
1430&nodeID=1&FeatureID=1542&redirected=1&CFID=2224224&
CFTOKEN=18866896

Practical application: Disabilities Conference Adds Teen Track
by David J. Silverman, WJW Intern

The third annual conference aimed at opening up the Washington Jewish community to people with disabilities had a new element this year: workshops specifically designed for able teens. Spearheaded by the Partnership for Jewish Life and Learning and the Jewish Foundation for Group Homes, the Dec. 4 "Opening the Gates of Torah: Including People with Disabilities in the Jewish Community" was co-sponsored by 30 synagogues. More than 200 were expected to attend the program at Temple Rodef Shalom in Falls Church. Local Jewish institutions have taken big steps toward accessibility in recent years, but conference planners are determined not to let the Washington Jewish community rest on its laurels.
Click here to read the article:
http://www.washingtonjewishweek.com/main.asp?
SectionID=4&SubSectionID=4&ArticleID=4401&TM=46690.21

Kids Corner

December Prayer
By Mattie J.T. Stepanek

A poem for the season, written by a child with a life-threatening disability.
Click here for link to poem:
http://newsroute.info/clients/communityconnections/
spiritualletter1205_articles.htm#kids

Tip Sheets

Ten Ramps (Steps) to Accessibility for Spiritual Communities
This tip sheet lists ten basic steps spiritual communities can take as they ‘put out the spiritual welcome mat’ for all people. For this tip sheet, click here:
http://www.communityconnections.umd.edu/tipsheets/spritualtrg/10steps.pdf

General Tips for Spiritual Leaders
This tip sheet, which highlights attitudes, language, and support that fosters a welcoming community for all children, is selected from one of the many useful pages found on the Community Connections website. For this tip sheet, click here:
http://www.communityconnections.umd.edu/tipsheets/spritualtrg/tipsheet.pdf

Spotlight

National Organization on Disability, Religion and Disability Program

The Religion and Disability Program of the National Organization on Disability (N.O.D.) is an interfaith effort, urging national faith groups, local congregations and seminaries to identify and remove barriers of architecture, communications, and attitudes. The program helps to sponsor That All May Worship conferences in the communities of America. These conferences bring together people with disabilities and religious leadership to plan improved access - both physical and spiritual - in houses of worship. To link to the website for this organization, click here: http://www.nod.org/index.cfm?fuseaction=Page.viewPage&pageId=9

Recommended Website

Faithability

Faithability is a non-denominational website that has resources, ideas, and links that encourage awareness and discussion on religion, disability and spirituality issues. For this website, click here: http://www.faithability.org/religiondisability/

Book Corner

Recommended reading:

God Thinks You’re Wonderful (Max Lucado) --- (from amazon.com): Everybody needs to know that God thinks they're special. A warm-hearted gift appropriate for almost anyone at any occasion, God Thinks You're Wonderful is the perfect way to say, "You Are Special." Who wouldn't enjoy 96 pages of smile-producing affirmations such as: "If God had a refrigerator, your picture would be on it" "He can live anywhere in the universe, and he chose your heart?" "Our hearts are not large enough to contain the blessings that God wants to give" Each brief thought is accompanied by an irresistible drawing to remind readers of God's love and care. Chris Shea's delightful illustrations pair perfectly with Max Lucado's warm words in this unique, full-color gift book.

You’re Special (Max Lucado) --- (from amazon.com): Max was interested in helping children understand their value--not from the world's perspective, but from God's. Wemmicksville is a land created by Eli, the God figure of the story. He creates each Wemmick in Wemmicksville uniquely, each with its own look and personality. Each story and video is a new adventure with the citizens of Wemmicksville. Punchinello is the central character, along with his friends Lucia, Splint, and Chip. When Punchinello strays from Eli, he begins to have problems. Only when Punchinello stays close to Eli does he clearly see how to walk through his life in Wemmicksville. In this heartwarming tale, Eli helps Punchinello understand how special he is--no matter what other Wemmicks may think. Children will learn a vital lesson--regardless of how the world sees them, God loves each of them just as they are.

Humor for the Spirit

The Little Old Lady and the Atheist

There was a little old lady, who every morning, stepped onto her front porch, raised her arms to the sky, and shouted: "Praise the Lord!" One day an atheist moved into the house next door. He became irritated at the little old lady. Every morning he'd step onto his front porch after her and yell: "There is no Lord!" Time passed with the two of them carrying on this way every day. One morning, in the middle of a cold winter, the little old lady stepped onto her front porch and shouted: "Praise the Lord! Please Lord, I have no food and I am starving. Provide for me, oh Lord!” The next morning she stepped onto her porch and there were two huge bags of groceries sitting there. "Praise the Lord!" she cried out. "He has provided groceries for me!" The atheist neighbor jumped out of the hedges and shouted: "There is no Lord. I bought those groceries!!" The little old lady threw her arms into the air and shouted: "Praise the Lord! He has provided me with groceries and made the devil pay for them!”

Upcoming Issues

In upcoming issues:

January/February 2006: Building Bridges to Other Spiritual Communities (information on collaborating with other communities to enhance spiritual programs and tips on energy and cost-saving resources)

March/April 2006: Welcoming Spiritual Gifts in Ministries (information on recognizing and inviting all members to share and serve in spiritual communities with tips for spiritual leaders in various ministries)

May/June 2006: Keeping the Spirit Throughout the Summer (information on creating inclusive camp and vacation Bible programs with tips for educators, volunteers, children, and families)

We currently offer training and technical consultation to businesses, churches, and other community organizations to help make them more welcoming to families and children with special needs. If you know of a business or other organization that would like to take advantage of these services, please e-mail us at: communityconnections@umd.edu
OR
If you know of a business that is already welcoming to children with special needs and their families and you would like to share this information with other families and professionals, please send us your name as well as the name and contact information for the business with a brief description of why you believe they are welcoming to families. If appropriate, we will post the business on our website and we may even feature it as a 'Spotlight if the Month'. E-mail your submissions to: communityconnections@umd.edu

*Questions or Suggestions about our newsletter? Have an idea you would like to submit? Please feel free to contact us at communityconnections@umd.edu

Thanks for subscribing to the Welcoming Communities newsletter! Welcoming Communities is put out by Community Connections, which is a grant at the University of Maryland at College Park funded by the United States Department of Education. The goal of this project is to facilitate the participation of young children with special needs in community settings. We do this by increasing opportunities for kids with disabilities to participate in the community, promoting awareness of disabilities, and providing support to parents and organizations that include children with special needs.

For more information about Community Connections, please visit our website at: http://www.communityconnections.umd.edu/
Our website is updated regularly…Check back often for new info!

The Community Connections Team

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