Wanted: Hearts & Loos

As I ponder yet again what it really takes to Transform Disability Ministry Worldwide, it’s actually quite simple.  It all comes down to Hearts and Loos (that’s British for restrooms).

Before that simple yet profound  theory can begin to make sense, allow me to share three pivotal statistics regarding Disability Ministry:

1.  Disability affects 20% of people nationwide according to the US Census Bureau.

2.  80% of people with disabilities are “unchurched” according to Joni and Friends.

3.  Yet only 10% of churches nationwide have any Disability Ministry Outreach.

That’s the problem in a nutshell:  millions of people affected by disability are disconnected from the church because too few churches are reaching out to them in a meaningful way.   

So what’s the Solution?  Well first it’s being aware that a problem exists. Of course Luke 14:13 tells us that we are to “invite the poor, the blind, the lame and the crippled and you will be blessed.”   But a passive invitation alone does not suffice to proactively help people and families affected by disability truly build a lasting life-transforming Relationship with Jesus Christ.

Hey!  Wait a minute!  Wasn’t the landmark 1990 Americans with Disabilities Act supposed to solve everything?  Well a quarter-century later, not so much. In fact the 2010 Survey of Americans with Disabilities done by The Kessler Foundation found that adults with disabilities are significantly less likely than their able-bodied peers to attend church. Not to mention far more likely to have NEVER attended church! 

Pssst!  Plus the dirty little secret is that according to www.uscj.org, “in most cases, religious entities are exempt from the ADA requirements.” Leaving many local churches—both literally and figuratively—largely as inaccessible as ever.

In a YouTube video entitled THE DISABLED—ONE OF THE LEAST EVANGELIZED PEOPLE GROUPS IN THE WORLD an unidentified pastor with disabilities speaking in a heavy Scottish brogue declares:  “But the issue of inclusion for disabled people is not about ramps and loos, it’s about heart and attitude.”  I respectfully disagree. As I’ve said in a previous Blog entitled No Room For Rest,  “Though you may possess a God-given heart of gold for Disability Evangelism, without accessible restrooms your efforts go straight down the “loo!” 

But seriously—what IS the Solution?  Hearts?  Or Loos?  The Answer is:  BOTH!  Because combining Compassion with Accessibility unleashes powerful opportunities to minister not just To—but also Through—People and Families Affected by Disability in order to truly Transform Disability Ministry Worldwide.

In His Accessible Grace,

Linda

Image Source:    http://goo.gl/EW8cSh