Let your church be a community that gathers around the needs of people. To get started, visit joniradio.org.
Check out church resources here.
SHAUNA: I’m Shauna with Joni Eareckson Tada: Sharing Hope. Thank you for joining us. You know, Joni, I heard you say the other day that we all need community.
JONI: Oh, Shauna, I love that word – community. And I hope our listeners do too because a vibrant community is a place where you feel secure, a place where you have purpose, you receive rewards, you’re free to offer your authentic self to others. I mean, doesn’t that sound great?
SHAUNA: Oh, it sounds so good.
JONI: Well, it is great. And it’s one reason why I’m grateful for my paralysis. Every morning a friend comes to get me washed, dressed, sitting me up in my wheelchair. And then there are friends at work who open books for me, who help me with projects, who feed me lunch, and more. Then, in the evening, a neighbor comes over and helps me with dinner, gets me ready for bed. I am drawn incredibly close to this circle of friends. We’re close with one another, we pray for each other, we remember each other’s birthdays, we jot each other encouraging notes. And when we cross paths, we give each other big hugs. And I tell you, when I travel and am away from home, I miss these friends. I miss my community. They are, to me, the body of Christ and thankfully, my disability has helped organically create a wonderful community that has gathered around my need.
And perhaps the most fundamental of all human needs is the need to belong. To find your place in this world. To not only fit in a community, but to serve among that same group of people – especially if the people are in your church. Yes, that’s right, your church should be a fulfilling community that should bring health and wholeness to everyone. A community where you unreservedly give yourself, where you have a purpose, where you feel free to offer your authentic self to others [and others in turn should offer themselves to you]. You can’t help but feel like you belong where Christ is at the center of things.
And this is why people with disabilities [people with limitations and needs] can be a valuable part of your church. Because true community just happens when people gather around someone’s needs. Christian community forms around weakness. It’s what happens naturally when people bear one another’s burdens. And this kind of community fulfills the law of Christ. Where people roll up their sleeves and practice God’s love on one another. Such as my friend who comes in the morning to give me a bath and get me dressed. She’s practicing love. A vibrant community develops when we serve each other; when we naturally and organically help [let’s say] a special-needs mom who is struggling. Or someone like me in a wheelchair who needs assistance with some routines. It’s why 1 Corinthians 12 says that the members that seem to be weaker are highly valued in the church [and I think you can see why]. It’s because weaker members are needed. People with disabilities have a need and through them, your church creates a fulfilling environment that brings health and wholeness to everyone. It’s why the body of Christ works organically and naturally.
SHAUNA: And that’s exactly what we believe at Joni and Friends isn’t it, Joni?
JONI: That’s right.
SHAUNA: And we have a wide array of proven resources to help you create a strong sense of community surrounding people with disabilities in your church. So, visit us at joniradio.org today. We’ve put a link to our Church resources there for you. Let your church be a community that gathers around the needs of people. Joni, all they have to do to get started is visit us at joniradio.org!
© Joni and Friends