NDI Receives Grant to Begin New Ministry Initiative for People with Disabilities

In January, NDI, in partnership with Wonderful Works Ministry, submitted a proposal to the Lilly Endowment to provide special resourcing to USA and Canada churches with the goal of equipping our churches to become more accessible to people with disabilities. We are pleased to announce that the proposal was approved, and NDI received a grant to support this five-year initiative. Here is a brief overview of this exciting new ministry proposal and the first steps being taken at this time.

Why Does This Ministry Matter?

The U.S. Center for Disease Control estimates that roughly one in six children in the United States has a developmental disability. This means that most of the current discipleship resources, which have been designed for typical learning styles, may not be appropriate for these children. Still, teaching all children how to embrace their faith and connect with the Bible matters.

How Do We Move Forward?

The Church of the Nazarene and Wonderful Works Ministry are joining in the effort to develop adapted Bible story videos and spiritual growth resources specifically for families affected by disability, as well as providing organizational support to help local churches learn how to disciple these families more effectively. This support includes the creation of an online adapted discipleship resource library filled with resources that are designed to meet the spiritual education needs of children with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD). In addition, special ministry training videos will be available for churches to use to train their staff and volunteer teams to become more equipped to serve students with disabilities.

First Steps

NDI is currently seeking a qualified person to serve as the Church of the Nazarene disability ministry coordinator. This person will help equip districts with the disability ministry training and consultation they need to be effective partners with parents who are raising children with disabilities. More information about this position is available at nazarene.org/careers.