Disability Sunday is a fantastic opportunity for us to highlight issues around disability and to encourage what it means to be a truly welcoming Church. I love the fact the vision behind this special day is to celebrate the
abilities
of disabled people, rather than simply focusing on blocks and barriers.
Alice Kemp, Diocesan Disability Adviser
This year, Disability Sunday is on 5 July. Its a day for churches and fellowships to focus on celebrating the abilities of disabled people - although if 5 July doesnt suit your church calendar, simply choose another Sunday!
Through the Roof has taken the lead in preparing the Churches for All Disability Sunday Resource Pack for 2015.
If your church is doing something to mark Disability Sunday, please let us know so we can share it with the rest of the diocesan community and feature it on our website.
Alice Kemp, Diocesan Disability Adviser, says, Disability Sunday is a fantastic opportunity for us to highlight issues around disability and to encourage what it means to be a truly welcoming Church. I love the fact the vision behind this special day is to celebrate the abilities of disabled people, rather than simply focusing on blocks and barriers.
There are lots of different ways churches can mark Disability Sunday. Perhaps you could think about practical ways to make your service more accessible to disabled members of your local community. Or how about inviting someone like me to come and preach on disability, or inviting a disabled person in your church family to share their story of faith?
The Churches for All website provides a wide range of practical resources including a quiz, discussion activity, a variety of sermon outlines, drama script, video download, suggestions for songs and childrens activities. And Im available if youd like to talk through any ideas of your own or questions you might have.
And heres what Tim Wood, CEO of Through the Roof has to say about Disability Sunday
A recent survey by SCOPE revealed that 67% of people admit to avoiding disabled people. Often, this stems from anxiety about unwittingly offending or encountering needs one cannot meet.
When Through the Roof surveyed disabled people about their experience of church, their greatest heart-cry was a longing for real, deep, reciprocal friendships between disabled Christians and their fellow church members.
In response to these findings, the theme of Disability Sunday this year is friendship. We are encouraging churches to explore what the Bible says about friendship, and demonstrate how building deep friendships with disabled people will transform not only their lives, but the whole church and ultimately the world.