News release: Journey with Jesus for Disability Awareness Week 2024
Disability charity Through the Roof is inviting churches to celebrate Disability Awareness Week. Everyone is encouraged to include local disabled people and to hold a service on Sunday 22nd September 2024, or a day of their choice. A free church resource pack is available here on the theme ‘Journey with Jesus’, featuring ‘Andrew’s story’ of his life-changing accident.
Plans for an action-packed Disability Awareness Week
Disability Awareness Week will begin on Sunday 15th September 2024 with a launch service which will be live-streamed on YouTube. The launch service will be led by Revd Helen Cameron, who will be President of the Methodist Conference. Helen is one of over 700 ‘Roofbreaker’ disability champions with Through the Roof, who listen to disabled people in local churches and work together with them to enable full inclusion. The charity hopes every church will nominate a Roofbreaker!
During September’s awareness week, churches are encouraged to find ways to meet with disabled people in their community. Suggestions are to hold a coffee morning with home-baked cakes and invite local disabled people. Or hold a social gathering, with craft activities or music that everyone can enjoy. Or come up with your own great ideas.
Why is disability inclusion in church important?
Churches often have outreach to youth but rarely think about disabled people and the Great Commission. But Jesus said they should be included in God’s great banquet: ‘Go out quickly into the streets and lanes of the town. Bring in those … who can’t see or walk ... compel them to come in so that my house will be full.’ (Luke 14:23, NIrV)
There are many barriers disabled people can face on their journey to join, or be fully included, in church fellowships. Accessibility of church buildings isn’t the only barrier for disabled people. There are lots of invisible barriers too, such as challenges fitting in socially and feeling you belong emotionally. That’s why we’re inviting churches on the ‘Journey with Jesus’ towards disability inclusion, to enable Access, Belonging and Commission of disabled people, to use their giftings in the Church.
Free resources available for Disability Awareness Sunday
The Disability Awareness Week resource pack shares more about the ABC Journey with Jesus. The pack includes a video story of Revd Andrew Miles, a retired pastor and wheelchair-user from Derby. God has called Andrew as a hospital chaplain, using the empathy and understanding gained from his accident and lived experience of disability. He says:
“I think because I'm in my wheelchair, people are a little bit more ready to listen. I hope that by my journey, my faith, they can see that God has brought me through one of the most challenging times... and He stayed with me. And here I am still ministering, still preaching the Word, seeing lives changed.”
Join us on the journey – Hold a Disability Awareness Sunday service or event in your church.
Order a free Disability Awareness Week 2024 resource pack, available at: https://throughtheroof.org/forchurches/disability-awareness-sunday/
Through the Roof’s mission is to transform lives through Jesus with disabled people. For more information, visit www.throughtheroof.org or @TTRChangesLives on social media.