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ERIC Number: EJ803035
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2008-Jul
Pages: 3
Abstractor: ERIC
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-0046-9157
EISSN: N/A
An Atmosphere of Welcome and Mutuality: How Do Faith Communities Work Together to Create It?
Uitvlugt, Nella
Exceptional Parent, v38 n7 p45-47 Jul 2008
Faith communities can be wonderful places for creating a welcoming circle of support for families with members who have a disability. Parents may assume that leaders of their faith community will naturally know how to be inclusive, but this is not necessarily the case. The members may never have heard of individualized education programs (IEPs) or supports. This does not mean they are not interested, just they may not know how to go about including people with disabilities. The task of approaching one's congregation can be daunting, especially after struggling daily to meet all the obligations associated with raising a child with disabilities. This author encourages families and faith communities to strategize together on how to create an atmosphere of welcome and mutuality. The most desired outcome is to create quality communication between the family and the congregation or team. This will require some diligence on everyone's part. Families who pretend there are not needs to be addressed or who come with a sense of entitlement cause frustrations within the congregation. Church staff and volunteers who presume that everyone should be exactly the same will turn families away. Each person's uniqueness, both in gifts and needs, can contribute to a greater sense of community within the congregation.
EP Global Communications Inc. 551 Main Street, Johnstown, PA 15901. Tel: 877-372-7368; Fax: 814-361-3861; e-mail: EPAR@kable.com; Web site: http://www.eparent.com/
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Descriptive
Education Level: N/A
Audience: Community; Parents
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A