Six Ways To Make Your Children’s Work And Holiday Club More Inclusive

20% of children and young people have an additional need or disability of some kind; if your church includes children and young people, some of them are likely to need additional support.  Many of these children and young people, and their families, feel excluded from a wide range of social and other activities, including church, … Continue reading Six Ways To Make Your Children’s Work And Holiday Club More Inclusive

I Too Have A Dream

I have a dream that my son will one day live in a nation where he will not be judged by his disability, but by the positive impact he and his life makes, by his loving character.  I have a dream that one day, children with additional needs and disabilities will join hands with many other children as accepted and loved sisters and brothers.

Disability And Brexit – What Could Happen With A ‘No Deal’ Brexit

We were closing in on the agreed beginning of the Brexit transition period, due to have commenced on 29th March 2019, but with Parliament gridlocked we've now agreed an extension to 31st October 2019; Halloween.  The departure as PM of the architect of the 'Withdrawal Agreement', Theresa May, and the impending leadership election for her … Continue reading Disability And Brexit – What Could Happen With A ‘No Deal’ Brexit

Children Jesus Met And What They Teach Us About Additional Needs

Jesus met lots of people, engaged with lots of people, helped lots of people during his three years of ministry; some of these, perhaps a surprising number, were children.  Some of the children had additional needs of some kind, although not all, but each of the encounters Jesus had with these children can teach us … Continue reading Children Jesus Met And What They Teach Us About Additional Needs

Disabled Access Day? How About Disabled Access Everyday

Many organisations and venues are hosting ‘Disabled Access Day’ on Saturday 10th March, following on from the organised events in 2015-2017.  If you’ve not come across Disabled Access Day before, here’s what the organisers say about it: “In 2015 Disabled Access Day began as a day to celebrate good access and created opportunities for people … Continue reading Disabled Access Day? How About Disabled Access Everyday

What The Man With The Withered Hand Teaches Us About Disability And Church

By stretching out our hand in welcome, in love, to everyone, we are doing what Jesus would have us do; and in following his teaching our own lives are healed, and our churches become places of belonging for all.

Children With Additional Needs, Autism Cures, And Abortion Advice

Oh my days, that’s quite a blog post title isn’t it?  All sorts of controversial topics wrapped up in there too… but it represents a compact summary of a bunch of things that have collided in the news, and in my mind, over the past few days.  Things that have in turn outraged, angered and … Continue reading Children With Additional Needs, Autism Cures, And Abortion Advice

Additional Needs Children’s Work: Using What They Enjoy To Help Them Learn

That moment… that moment as a children’s or youth worker when you realise during the ‘talk time’ that you’ve just lost some of your group.  They were able to focus for the first three or four minutes, but now, five minutes in, you see them starting to get distracted, starting to fidget.  You’ve lost contact … Continue reading Additional Needs Children’s Work: Using What They Enjoy To Help Them Learn

Children Of The Bible And My Autistic Son

The Bible is full of stories about children and young people; some of these stories are among the most well-known of all (Mary, Joseph, David, Samuel, Esther…), some are lesser known, more obscure, but none the less important stories (the widows son and Elijah, the slave girl of Naaman, Jairus’ daughter…).  In thinking about some … Continue reading Children Of The Bible And My Autistic Son

Be Devoted To One Another In Love

Devoted…  an important word, one which we often hear, and a word that we all probably think we fully understand; but do we?  How truly deep a word is it?  And what might it mean in the context of caring for a child or young person with additional needs; whether as parent, carer, other family … Continue reading Be Devoted To One Another In Love