CRC, RCA Release Training Videos for Youth Ministry

The Disabilities Concerns offices of the Christian Reformed Church and the Reformed Church in America have produced and made available five new training videos for those doing ministry with children and youth who have disabilities.

“Creating videos is a new area for us, and I’m pleased we can do it,” says Rev. Mark Stephenson, director of the CRC’s Office of Disability Concerns.

Making these videos available is an example how  the CRC and RCA Disabilities Concerns offices are responding to instructions they were given this past summer by their respective synods.

The CRC’s Synod 2014 passed a recommendation encouraging “the inclusion of, and engagement with, children who have disabilities as an important part of congregational ministry programs.”

Meanwhile, the RCA’s General Synod 2014 directed the General Synod Council to “create a list of resources for ministry with children and youth who have disabilities …”

Other resources are available for training purposes. But these videos cover a lot of ground in an easily accessible manner, says Stephenson.

The videos come from a joint Disability Concerns conference this summer that was led by leaders of children and youth ministries, disability ministries, and it incorporated family members too. About 140 people attended.

“We had a videographer who covered all five segments of the conference,” says Stephenson.

Among the videos are:

One in which three veteran youth ministry leaders describe ways that they seek to ensure that all children and youth, including those with autism, developmental disabilities, and physical, visual, hearing and intellectual impairments “engage fully in the life of the congregation.”

Another one is on the Young Life — Capernaum program that offers youth ministry leaders ways to minister, in a group setting, to high-school-age participants who have a range of disabilities.

Other videos include ones on church experiences of parents with children and youth who have disabilities; resources for disability awareness and ministry, and a video that discusses a way “to respectfully redirect participants who are having a hard time staying focused.”

Stephenson encourages churches and youth ministry leaders to take advantage of these new training materials so that they can be better able to meet the needs of those who have disabilities and include them in the life of a church.

“The church is enriched and enhanced when it welcomes in people of all ages with a variety of disabilities. What better way to reflect what the kingdom of God is like?” asks Stephenson.