WEBVTT

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Pastors and church leaders, this video

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is for you.

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Maybe you've been going through our

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Disability Ministry Startup Workshop yourself,

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or

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maybe this video was shared with

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you by someone else who has.

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Either way, you have a very

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important role to play in whether

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and how people with disabilities will

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be included in your church.

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We know that the prospect of

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disability inclusion can feel daunting and

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overwhelming.

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We know you're extremely busy and

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that your plate is already full

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of responsibilities.

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We know you're carrying planning and

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budgets and staff management and pastoral

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care and theological issues and contextual

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challenges.

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And the disability ministry may just

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feel like one more thing that's

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too much to handle.

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Here's what we want to say

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to you.

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Disability ministry doesn't have to be

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a burden.

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Jesus actually calls it a blessing,

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and here are four reasons why.

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Firstly, in order to get involved

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in disability ministry, you don't have

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to start something new, you don't

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have to spend money, and you

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often don't even have to spend

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a lot of time.

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Sure, you might do those things

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eventually, but you don't have to.

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The biggest and most important changes

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you will make are probably going

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to be small tweaks to what

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you're already doing.

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A line in a sermon here

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or a meeting with a person

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there may be all it takes.

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Secondly,

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You are not alone.

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We highly encourage churches to find

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a few disability ministry leaders outside

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of the pastor who can steward

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the details of this plan while

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submitting to your overarching guidance and

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vision for your church.

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I guarantee that there are already

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people in your church who know

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people with disabilities, have skills relevant

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to this area, and are passionate

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about disability inclusion.

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Mobilize these people to own disability

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inclusion in your church.

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The Banquet Network also exists so

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that churches won't feel alone in

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their journey of disability inclusion.

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If you ever feel alone or

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overwhelmed, feel free to reach out

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to us for individualized coaching.

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Thirdly, remember that people with disabilities

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might actually end up making things

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easier on you.

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People with disabilities can be some

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of the most loyal volunteers and

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ardent evangelists and powerful disciples that

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you will ever have in your

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church.

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Just think about the banquet parable

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in Luke when everyone else

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is too busy and distracted by

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comfort and success to care about

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the master's invitation, the people with

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disabilities are the ones who show

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up.

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Finally, if we want to have

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a ministry that looks like the

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ministry of Jesus, then we need

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to have people with disabilities around

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us.

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There's no reading the Gospels without

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recognizing that Jesus was regularly engaged

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with people with disabilities.

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Disability ministry is not a niche

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ministry.

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It is simply imitation of and

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obedience to Jesus.

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So take some baby steps, see

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what happens.

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If you're intimidated, start small, test

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it out.

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You may quickly find that it

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turns out to be a blessing

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to you and your church, just

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as Jesus said it would be.