This informative guide was written by Connie Hutchinson: Mom to Julie, Matt and Katie; and Director of Disabilities Ministry, First Evangelical Free Church Fullerton, California. In the introduction she writes:

“I entered the world of disabilities in 1975 when my oldest daughter Julie was born with Down syndrome. Julie’s brother Matt was born in 1977 and Katie was born in 1985. I can vividly remember while still in the hospital after Julie’s birth, claiming the verses in Psalm 139 that we are all fearfully and wonderfully made by God, according to His purpose. He knew our days before we were ever born. This truth has brought comfort, security and assurance to each member of our family over the years as we have discovered how God in his sovereignty has plans for each of us as individuals and as a family to glorify and serve Him. Since 1992, I have had the privilege of directing the disabilities ministry at the First Evangelical Free Church of Fullerton, CA. In this role, I have learned over the years the value of our people, regardless of our abilities and disabilities. God has shown me clearly how we all have gifts to give to strengthen the body so that we may be whole.

The purpose of this booklet is to remember the unique gifts, talents, needs and challenges faced by siblings who have a brother or sister who has a disability. This booklet was put together with input from my two grown children and a group of 15 incredible siblings between the ages of 6 and 12 who meet on the first Tuesday night of each month during the school year at First Evangelical Free Church Fullerton. This is their time once a month to share stories about their brothers and sisters, knowing that their feelings are neither right nor wrong and they are free to speak out without the fear of being judged. We laugh together, cry together, share our joys and frustrations and just have fun!”

Use the information presented as a guide to start and/or enrich your outreach to siblings.

Go to our Online store at www.ccfh.org, look under booklets, order today and be blessed.

We have updated our booklet on mental retardation. In keeping with current usage, we have changed it to intellectual disability.

The introduction to Including Students with Intellectual Disability reads:

Every person, regardless of age, sex, race, mental or physical capacity, deserves to know the love the Father has lavished upon us. We in His church have been given the responsibility of insuring that all people receive the opportunity to experience this great love. Whether teaching a young child who lives with her family and is part of the public school system or an adult living in a residential facility and working in supported employment, he/she can learn about the love of our wonderful Lord. We pray that this booklet will provide you with useful information about intellectual disability and give practical suggestions for making your teaching effective.

The terminology used in describing persons with mental retardation has changed often over the last several years. Most of the changes have been toward a kinder more sensitive word choice. Today, it is common to hear it said that a person has an intellectual disability or cognitive disability rather than using mental retardation. While the terms describe the same disability, in this booklet we will use intellectual disability. If mental retardation is used, it will be in a direct quotation from a published work. We urge people who continue to use mental retardation to do so with respect and kindness to the person and his family.

No matter what the label is, the important thing is to learn how the child is affected by the disability, how to appropriately program for him and to show the love of God to the student and the family

Helpful information about intellectual disability
• It is not a disease. It cannot be caught.
• It is not mental illness.
• It is permanent. The child will not grow out of it.

These few facts are important for you to know. Your ability to be comfortable with the child in your class who has an intellectual disability will be conveyed to the other students by your attitude, words, and deeds. Take time to explain these three facts to children in your class using words they understand. The more they understand about intellectual disability, the better equipped they are to become friends and encouragers for their new friend with an intellectual disability.

The student with an intellectual disability has the capacity to learn, to develop, and to grow. He can make a positive impact on his family, community, and your class.

The updated publication is available in our Online Store at www.ccfh.org.

The Disability Ministry Certificate program is not only for ministry professionals.

In this month’s Connections, Jennifer Narramore, a volunteer with a desire to learn as much as she can about disability ministry shares her experiences as a student in the program.  

Click to read Connections July 2009.

This issue of Connections is one that you will want to share with others.

Learn more about CCFH Resources that can build your ministry’s foundation for mentoring.

Click to read Connections May 2009.

 Jim Pierson delights in the growth experiences of his friend Corey.

A May 2008 article by Jim introduced Corey. Read this update and be inspired.

Corey Update

How can your church use Exceptional Teaching Online to enrich the training experience? Read this month’s Connections to see how ministries of different sizes and structures are benefitting from Exceptional Teaching Online.

Click to read Connections March 2009.

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Jim has met and learned from a lot of parents with children disabilities.  One of the most memorable was a father in Russia that carried his son to school to learn the lessons he was being taught so he could teach them to him later.  He wanted him to achieve.

While the letter is addressed to parents of children with disabilities, the advice serves well for all age groups.

Click this link - letter_to_parents - to read the letter. It is in pdf format so that you may easily print it to share with others.

Jim Pierson shares his plans for continuing to develop resources for disability ministry.

We gratefully announce the newest addition to our resources, The Importance of Good Social Skills: A Bible Study for Persons with Developmental Disabilities.

Please click to Read Connections January 2009.

An Open Letter to the Friends of CCFH Ministries:

Pictured above are the first and second presidents of CCFH Ministries.  I was the first and founding president.  Gary Spangler becomes the second president on January 1, 2009.

Today it seems like a long time since 1981. Yet, here we are 27 years from our first planning meeting and we have had some great success. We have built Riverwood Christian Community and operate an independent living program for adults with developmental disabilities. We supply people and churches all over the world with the educational material they need to reach those with disabilities. We partner with churches and individuals to reach out to our friends, brothers and sisters, who have special needs.

Even with our successes, we have not accomplished all we wanted to.  Now with a firm organization in place, we are ready to move to the next phase of this recognized disability ministry. 

So, I have decided to reduce my time to concentrate on developing materials and manage the educational piece of CCFH. All of the other duties will be the responsibility of the second president:  Gary Wayne Spangler.  A long-time member of the board of directors, Gary is originally from Louisville, Kentucky, where he attended the Okolona Christian Church where his father was pastor for 18 years. Gary is currently an elder at the McDonough Christian Church in McDonough, Georgia.  He has over 30 years of experience in the airline industry. Gary and his wife Becky see this venture in their lives as a real ministry.  I am happy for them and excited about the future of CCFH.   By the way, he has a wonderful voice (I don’t like to stand with him in church while we’re singing).

Pray for Gary and for CCFH and this time of transition.

Most sincerely,

Jim Pierson

President

In this issue Jim Pierson shares his thoughts in an article entitled “Training a Buddy for Disability Ministry is Easy”. He also addresses a question about participation in communion.

We are looking for your feedback. After reading, send us an email with your comments, questions, suggestions, or information about your ministry.

Check out our Nov 2008 Connections Newsletter.