How to Create an Accessible Church with Abby Howard

In this episode of Raising Disabled, we talked to Abby Howard from the Accessible Gospel about how to create a church that is accessible and inclusive to the disability community.  

She shares practical tips for how to implement a program at your local church and shares why it is so important for churches to be welcoming to disabled children and adults. 

You can follow Abby online @theaccessiblegospel 

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Transcript

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Deonna: [00:00:00] Hey y'all. Welcome back to Raising Disabled. So today we have Abby on, she is with the accessible gospel, and as always, I am always scrolling Instagram way too much I'm afraid. But I'll see these people and I'm like, oh, that looks like a person that would be fun to talk to on here and things like that.

And like we said, we always ask and it's maybe they'll say yes, maybe they'll say no. And it always makes me feel really happy when somebody gives us a yes, because you have such a unique mission and a unique thing that you're trying to do for churches. And so, first as we get started, Abby, just tell us a little bit about yourself and where you live.

Abby: Yeah, so my name's Abby. I am 25 and I currently am in Colorado, but I work for my local church as the disability coordinator, and I graduated with my degree in special education. So that's just a little [00:01:00] overview. 

Deonna: People that get that degree are so special to me now. I mean, it's just, oh my gosh, I love it. 

Rhandyl: Yeah. Yeah. So you said you, got your degree in special education, so, with that plus your disability ministry that you are so passionate about now like when and why did that become so important to you?

Abby: Yeah. So disability ministry was never on my . Radar. I honestly, I didn't even know it was thing admittedly. And then. During my senior year of high school, I became disabled overnight. So it was January of 2020. I had just signed to play college soccer. I was running track super healthy. Mm-hmm. And I woke up one morning with just excruciating back pain. And I just remember, like I no stranger to pain playing soccer. Mm-hmm. But I just remember thinking like this, something is different about this pain. And I describe it as I truly thought I was dying. I was like, there's no way that I can continue [00:02:00] feeling this much pain. Mm-hmm. And so I ran downstairs, told my parents about it. And even in that. There's just so many miracles in that morning. The fact it was MLK day, so I was not at school when it happened and my dad was home from work. Mm-hmm. Just right there is wow. Mm-hmm. That the Lord was watching over it. I ended up saying, something's wrong. I think I need a chiropractor appointment. And then I fell asleep and then within the hour I woke up and I was paralyzed from my chest down. So I lost all function. Mm-hmm. And we. We did end up going to the chiropractor who immediately sent us to the er. Yeah. 

Yeah. Yeah. We just didn't, he's I know. So we did not realize the gravity of the situation. Yeah. Yeah, I just, I lost all function. I was in the ER for a while, went through a lot of different scans, MRIs, and it took a few days, but I ended up getting diagnosed with a rare spinal stroke mm-hmm. From my T two through my T seven and was considered which caused a spinal cord injury, making me a [00:03:00] paraplegic. Mm-hmm. So that is. That is my disability story. But within that, I just truly believe that the Lord has used that to open my eyes to the church and how inaccessible the church can be. Mm-hmm. And how the gospel is inaccessible to a lot of people. So that is how the Lord has intertwined those stories. 

Deonna: Well, and you were saying you had a spinal stroke, which my daughter had a spinal stroke and it ended very differently for us. But did you have to like rehab for a long time? Or what was your journey like getting out of the hospital and back to, I would assume more normal body function now? 

Abby: Yeah. So at that time I was living in Arkansas and I was flown to rehab in Colorado and I was in, I finished my senior year of high school in the hospital, but I, we truly did not know what it was gonna [00:04:00] look like. Mm-hmm. Because I had complete blockage in my spinal cord. And I, it's, I mean, there's no other words for it other than it's a miracle that mm-hmm. Um, While I was at rehab, I learned to walk again for a while. I was a full-time wheelchair user, but what a lot of people don't see with spinal cord injuries is they just assume it either, depending on the level, affects your legs or affects your arms and legs, but they don't realize that everything below your injury level is impacted by paralysis.

Deonna: Yeah. Your organs, everything. 

Abby: Yeah. Yeah. And so a lot of people see that I can walk and just assume that it's. Completely healed. Mm-hmm. But I still struggle with everything that anyone else with a spinal cord injury struggles with. So I don't I can't feel pain or temperature, Oh, really? Ended up with the, yeah. Ended up with the neurogenic bowel bladder. So all of those fun things. Gosh, yeah. Anytime I get sick, it's like my lung field, it's really hard to mm-hmm. Cough and things like that. So 

Deonna: I could of course, could see that. [00:05:00] I could see that like you got movement back, but the internal, didn't quite catch up to the extremities. Right. I could see that happening. That's crazy. Oh my, 

Rhandyl: that's wild. Did they ever was it , just something that happened? Was there ever like any prognosis or like a diagnosis reason why all of a sudden you are this healthy, almost collegiate athlete and then you just have this spinal stroke? It's just wild. 

Abby: Yeah. Yeah. So it was spontaneous. Okay. And I. The thing with final stroke is that one, they're so rare. Right. And then it's especially rare when there was no contact injury for me. Mm-hmm. I was just sitting in bed and so I, we went through every testing under the sun, genetic testing, blood clotting factors, everything came back negative.

So I ended up getting a diagnosis of exclusion of a, this is kind of a big word, but fibro, cartilaginous embolism. So they think that a piece of my herniated disc broke [00:06:00] off and entered into my bloodstream. Oh. Lodging into my spinal cord. But the issue with that diagnosis is that a lot of doctors don't even believe it can happen in humans. So it's just at this point, just a mystery. 

Rhandyl: Yeah. Oh, I just love all these undiagnosed things. My Right. My, yeah. I'm just like, isn't that fun as you're saying this? Yeah. My, we've had so many, . False diagnoses. And ultimately my daughter, she's undiagnosed for physical and neurological. Mm-hmm. Disability, so. Mm-hmm. And, I'm at peace with it. We deal with it as we can and we, don't need like a. Definitive answer. And I mean, are you at the point to where you're like, this happened to me. It's okay. Like I don't need to know why. I'm just curious about how you feel about that and this, that was a change. That was your senior year of high school 

Deonna: and Right COVID. 

Rhandyl: Oh yeah. 

Deonna: Yeah. And then during COVID, that was a fun time to have a spinal stroke. Beginning stroke. Trust me. Of COVID. Yeah. 

Abby: Yeah. I think it took me. Quite a few years. [00:07:00] I don't think grief has a timeline, so it took me quite a few years to get to that point. And because I just kept going through new testing. Mm-hmm. There was a lot of, I would say maybe for lack of better word, anxiety surrounding it, it was happen again. PTs D especially. Yeah. Yeah. Especially because it was so out of the blue, I didn't have very many warning signs leading up to it. Mm-hmm. Definitely no warning signs that made me think I need to go to the hospital. It just, there was nothing. So, yeah. 

I, at one point, I, it was around May, 2020, so I was home from the hospital, but everything was shut down, so I was doing Zoom appointments and I had a Zoom neurology appointment with a neurologist I had never met. So it was just like tough fun right then and there. That's just a mess. And in that appointment she, with my parents sitting there, she diagnosed me with a. Incurable, life threatening condition and said, there's nothing that we can do for you over zoom to monitor you over Zoom. And [00:08:00] I mean, we we didn't even know it was spinal strokes were a thing.

And so we're dealing with that. We're dealing with living, living life in my new body, my parents being my caregivers, and then being told like, this is what that is. It could have just happened overnight. And so I'm terrified, like a terrified teenager going to sleep every night thinking that I have this life threatening disease.

Mm-hmm. Which I ended up testing negative for it, but , it was months. It was I think August when finally, gosh, tested for that. Gosh. Yeah. So just within the, just those months and. I ended up having different health conditions spur up after the stroke. Mm-hmm. And so it took me a few years to get to that point where it's this is the road that the Lord has laid out before me. I'm thankful there is a road and I know that he's gone before and prepared the way. Mm-hmm. And I can be at peace with it and just dwell in his presence. Because that was the only thing getting me through those nights. I mean, I was like not even sleeping 'cause I was so scared to sleep. 

Rhandyl: Oh, I can only imagine.

[00:09:00] Mm-hmm. 

Abby: Yeah. So it took a while. Anxiety and, oh, 

Deonna: yeah. I wrote, this is a weird thing that I just thought of, but when before my daughter's spinal stroke, , I do calligraphy and like hand lettering and stuff, and I had done this huge sign in my house that said he's already there. Yeah. And I, I don't know why I did that. I think I just, it was weird. But then now it's like this prophetic thing kind of mm-hmm. In my house and now it's in the room where all her meds are. And I look at it a lot because it's like what you're saying, he'd already walked ahead of you and there's all these scriptures about like how he goes before you and he comes behind.

And I mean, it is, it does make you feel better, but when you're young, like you were, or a lot of these kids it's hard to, I don't know, when it's you, it's so hard to feel those things. So were you at the Craig? Is that where you were rehabbing?

Abby: Yes ma'am. Yeah. 

Deonna: Oh, that's crazy. Our friend Brooklyn rehabbed at the Craig, but I think she was there like, [00:10:00] when was it Randall? Like August of 2020. Yeah, I think I was gonna say there. I wonder. But yes, after you maybe. 

Rhandyl: She was, she said she was the only girl there. Yeah. 

Abby: Yeah. Spinal cord injuries are a male dominant for sure.

Rhandyl: Oh yeah. Yeah. They're more stickers. 

Deonna: They do more dumb things. So, that's how that happens. Yeah. Although my kid was like a feral, crazy child, so that makes sense. But yeah. So how did you first start your disability ministry? Was it years after what happened to you, or was it in the midst of it, or when did that happen?

Abby: Yeah. So I always like to say that everything that I've gone through, the Lord has been preparing me for this. Mm-hmm. So, yeah, even when I was younger, I think I started serving in my church's disability ministry when I was maybe 12, and that's when I was living in Texas and then we moved all over. So any church I was at, I would always ask do y'all have a special needs disability ministry?

And then throughout high school I just [00:11:00] felt like the Lord had given me a huge passion for missions and unreached people groups and mm-hmm. I just didn't know how all of it was going to collide. And I think I had a really narrow view of it, and then I became a part of the disability people group and I continued serving within my local church and, but I just couldn't like, figure out what major I wanted to do.

I had to take two medical gap years in college, which was a mess and mm-hmm. You just, I think people. I think when you go through an injury, you're just going to heal and get over it. When you have, like, when it's a chronic, lifelong thing it affects your every day and every single decision is impacted by it.

And so there was a lot of frustration of being like, God, I don't know why you made me so passionate in all of these areas when I feel like I'm not gonna be able to ever mm-hmm. Do any of that. Yeah. Specifically the missions aspects. And I just had a lot of people praying for me and then just seeking the Lord through [00:12:00] scripture and I just was so distracted by God, what is my purpose when.

I was just missing the fact that it's in his word. Like he's already told me what to do, which is to go and make disciples and to count it all joy and all of these commandments in scripture that I'm like, I need to focus on that and keep my eyes fixed on him, and he will show me what my next step is. And I truly believe that his word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path. And yeah. And so in that, I just, I came home one day from serving in my church's disability ministry and I told my parents, I was like, I think I figured it out. I think this is it. And my parents were like kinda like, duh. Like it's been right in front of you. Like we've always thought that's funny.

But yeah. So that was when I fully declared my major in special education. And just knew that this was exactly where the Lord wanted me to be. And I just feel so blessed and honored that I get to be a voice in this space. And for those who can't speak for themselves and say [00:13:00] everyone deserves access to the gospel and mm-hmm. Yeah. And so that's been like. We'll see my head since, I don't know, 20, 23 maybe when I declared my major. 

Deonna: . , So your church already had a disability program going, and are you, do you run it or are you just work for them, or is that your main job or that work?

Abby: Work, yeah, so when I started serving in my church disability ministry mm-hmm. They had just launched it. Oh wow. And so it's about. Three and a half years old now. And so I was on the serve team for about two, two and a half years. Mm-hmm. And then it's been almost exactly a year that I stepped into part-time role. And then at the end of this month, I'm stepping into full-time disability ministry at my church. 

Deonna: That's cool. Wow. I love that. Yeah. I, in my mind, you had developed the entire program. Mm-hmm. But it's really cool to hear that a church already had mm-hmm. Something going because [00:14:00] I don't know, like I haven't really experienced that much in our town where churches have that, which is why we wanted to talk about this, but mm-hmm. There's one church that I know of that has a ministry that's going and is doing really well, but yeah. That's cool that they already had something going. That's amazing. Yeah. Yeah. 

Rhandyl: So , you went through this whole journey of trying to figure out, you knew this similar, that what you wanted. You were a Christian from a very young age it sounds like. Mm-hmm. But how has your own faith journey been shaped by working with these individuals that have so many diverse needs? 

Abby: . Yeah. I always tell people that these students teach me more about Jesus than anything else. And I love my pastor I think he's amazing but these students truly teach me about who Jesus is in what his character his characteristics are. And, i'm just reminded through getting to see them every day that they are [00:15:00] made in his image. So knowing that he's an intentional God and that he truly has a purpose for each and every one of them. And so when I see them, I'm just reminded of his grace and his mercy. And then I'm also challenged in a lot of ways with patience and being unhurried and being compassionate.

Yeah, I truly believe that every step in. My walk with the Lord is a constant refining process. And while the refiners fire is never comfortable, I just pray every day that the Lord uses it, to yeah, just refine me more into his image so that I can not just serve these students, but also show them that they have a purpose within the body of Christ. And I truly believe that the body of Christ misses out when those families aren't there. And so I just feel, every time I'm just reading a scripture, I'm like, man, the Lord's heart for these families is [00:16:00] so evident and I feel so challenged in my walk with the Lord when we are as like capital C Church, missing. These families. Yeah. 

Rhandyl: Yeah. We talked with our friend Chris Holshof while back about disability ministry in the church, and he, and just like you said, it does take so much patience and time and a lot of churches, it's just ultimately just too much work. Mm-hmm. Um, When it comes down to it., But I love that you're advocating for this and it's out there more and more that Yes. , These families, these children need to have a space where they can learn the gospel and feel comfortable and people having the patience and just the, individuality because my daughter's not gonna learn about the gospel the same as a typical 9-year-old. That's just the way it is. . Yeah, I just, I love your videos and I can't wait to get into more about like how you witness and yeah. [00:17:00] 

Deonna: Well, and I've noticed with a lot of churches, like when there is a disabled child in that church, and we're not even going into probably the adult side of it, which is like when we talked to Chris, he was saying mm-hmm. A lot of times a church will dedicate some time to a disabled child, but then as soon as they age out, 18, they're like, oh, I don't know what to do with you now, what do I do with you? And so that's a problem in itself. That's probably for a whole nother day.

But I think it's such an important thing how you're trying to make sure people who are in leadership positions, or even not in leadership positions, but are willing to put in the time and energy, to know that. These disabled kids are worthy of mm-hmm. Learning the gospel just the same as some somebody else. I think sometimes they're like, oh, like we're just gonna babysit them or entertain them and they're, and you're telling people no there can be more to this [00:18:00] than just putting 'em in a room and watching them while their parents go to Bible class. Right. You can really teach them things. It's something that is possible.

But yeah, it's a lot of work. It's, it takes some thought for sure. Yeah. When you say the accessible gospel, which is your, your tagline in your name what are the biggest barriers that you're trying to break down in churches by what you're sharing?

Abby: Yeah, that's a great question. I think even though I do agree that it is a lot of work, something that I'm super passionate about sharing with my followers is that it's truly not that hard. We just make it hard. Mm-hmm. Right. We're not, it's intimidating not asking. Yeah. Yeah. I would say intimidating and.

Like I said, I didn't even know disability ministry was a thing until I became disabled. Mm-hmm. And so I wanna be very careful with how I approach it, but I do think we just tend to make it a lot harder in that A lot of churches don't even [00:19:00] try. They just say we're not equipped and they want to pass, they wanna pass off the responsibility to the next church who is also passing off the responsibility.

And so, yeah. I just feel very strongly about, another thing I hear is, or another comment that I've gotten a lot is, I'm sorry, but this is just not my calling. And I'm like, I actually, we have it all wrong because we're all under the great commission. Yeah. We're all commanded to make disciples. 

Deonna: We've all been called and 

Abby: Absolutely.

And I am big on the, we are not just babysitting these kids. Mm-hmm. We are meeting them right where they're at. We are meeting their needs and within that we're getting to share the gospel and the love of Christ. But yeah, it's anytime I get those comments of we, we don't know what to do or we're not equipped to do this I just try to push back on that and I say, you, they just need the same thing that any other neurotypical student [00:20:00] needs.

You need to love them and you need, make sure they're safe. And then we're gonna figure out how they are most receptive to the gospel. Mm-hmm. And we're gonna do that. And I think it's okay to say that Jesus went to great lengths in the gospels to make sure that people knew him. And so if we have to rip a couple roofs off or mm-hmm. Make sure our churches are wheelchair accessible or fill in the blank. Yeah. I don't think that's farfetched to say that's exactly what Jesus would want us to do. 'cause that's what I see in the gospel. 

Rhandyl: Mm-hmm. I love that. Me too.

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Rhandyl: I'm just curious about . What you think are some unintentional things that common church practices you know, not necessarily purposefully, but end up excluding people that could be easily changed? I mean, you mentioned the wheelchair accessibility. I mean that's something that, come on, it's 2026. Should be a no brainer. Should be yeah. Wheelchair accessible, but yeah. 

Abby: Yeah, I, something I see I talk a lot about kids' ministry 'cause that's what I got hired for. Mm-hmm. But something I see commonly in kids' ministry our serve team [00:22:00] saying these students are so disruptive, they won't sit still, they fidgeting. And I typically will try to say it nicer, but I'm like, is what, are we teaching the Bible story in a boring way? The Bible is not boring. And to have students like we said, it's 2026, to have students sit around at a table and have them sit completely still and try to do wrote memorization and answer the questions. That's just not, I mean, research shows that's not how students are learning. Mm-hmm. Right. And I mean, we can go all the way into play-based learning and things like that. But I was 

Rhandyl: gonna say you're very, you're educated in all of that, obviously as a special education. Major. Yeah. Like you were saying, like even the typical kids, sorry to interrupt, but I think about it's my typical 4-year-old he's not going to learn in, the Sunday school class where you just sit, you, like you were saying the whole sit down. Mm-hmm. Try to memorize this or that. And even if he did participate in that, he's not going to really [00:23:00] get anything out of it.

Abby: Right. 

Rhandyl: It's not, and , the play-based is huge for just, kids in general. Mm-hmm. And then like for my daughter, it's funny, like kind of an example for things that they're doing in her classroom to help her be a little more engaged with her learning right now. It's really been really cool to see they'll find things that she's highly motivated with. So like, she loves Bluey and Bingo, so they bought this little figurines and they're doing math and all sorts of sight word things utilizing things that she's more interested in than mm-hmm. Writing 1, 2, 3, 4, like doing math on a piece of paper. That's just, a little example and she's been soaring with that. Yes. Soaring.

And it's very individualized. That's the thing. The way one kid learns is, especially in those life skills special education classes the majority of kids are gonna be, it needs to be an individualized type learning experience because they all have different needs and interests so . I love that you are [00:24:00] taking that into effect and bringing up like the whole sitting around and, yeah. Yeah. 

Abby: I just seen too many. I'll walk in. That's a big part of my job on Sunday morning is just checking in on different classrooms and seeing how our students who are fully integrated are doing. And I'll walk into some rooms and I'll be like, I don't blame you for eloping. I think I would wanna be out of here too, if it's like a little bit loud, because it's really hard to get students to comply when they've already been in school for five days out of the week. Mm-hmm. Right? And they just wanna get up and they wanna move their bodies. And so I think the biggest thing I see not just within my church, I think my church does an incredible job, but just in ignorance and just saying we don't know what to do.

And just being willfully ignorant about it when there are so many resources out there. And Jesus loves children. Like it's so evident in the gospels and I just wanna make sure we're doing everything to convey that [00:25:00] love and mm-hmm. To make sure that I want our students to look back at church like it's not gonna happen overnight. It's not gonna happen within one Sunday. But I want them to look back at church with a fond memory and knowing that the Lord is working in their hearts in ways that we can't see. I'm not even gonna pretend to try to understand how the Lord's working, but I know he is. And so I just wanna support that and try to be a resource that helps yeah, helps students. The gospel. 

Deonna: And you're by, you're creating these, curriculums and these printables and these things like that, that people can get from your website, and so you're kind of taking away. That excuse of well, I don't know what to do. Every once in a while I'll sit with my friend Samantha's daughter and I was trying to let them go, just have a break, go to class. Just let me watch her and hang out with her. Which that is hard sometimes [00:26:00] for parents to allow another parent to take on their kid or, whatever, because it's just it's their kid and they know how to work with that kid the best.

Mm-hmm. But watching your stuff has inspired me to try after we're done with our rotation with my daughter to. Look into what she could do and what we could do with her. And 'cause yeah, I've used that same excuse. Like , I've told people, well, don't you, if you have a disabled kid, don't go to our church, go to so-and-so church because they have a program going. And then you're kind like why can't I do the same thing? I mean, I can do this. , But it is, it's just intimidating anytime you volunteer because you know that if you are the one volunteering, you're gonna be doing it for the next 15 years. And so that's been my experience with my church experiences as I'm like, oh, now I do this because I said I would do it once.

Yeah. But when we're talking about [00:27:00] churches that feel like they wanna do it, like they just feel really overwhelmed and they feel uneducated about what to do. Where's like a simple place they could start? Or what is something simple they could do? If you have one kid in your church that just needs some support and needs maybe their own little individualized curriculum or classroom, what's the first steps?

Abby: Yeah, that's a great question. Something that as you were talking, it reminded me that one thing. One thing I try to tell churches is that, and I'm sure you guys can relate with this, but a lot of disability families they have a lot of choices made for them because things are either inaccessible or mm-hmm. You have feeding times scheduled medicine times. And so , I don't want church to also be a decision that's already made for them, right? Mm-hmm. We have to go to this church 'cause it's the only place my child is supported. Yeah. 

When it's no, [00:28:00] they should be able to choose just like any of us get to choose about where we wanna go. Mm-hmm. To church. Yeah. And so to, I just to look at someone in the eyes and say. We're not gonna be able to support you. You're gonna have to go somewhere else. We don't do that to any other people group, right? Mm-hmm. We're gonna try to do everything we can to bring them into the presence of God.

And so I tell people one, disability ministries are free to start. It literally means just meeting, seeing a need and needing that need. Mm-hmm. And also disability ministries. Like they don't have to be Yeah. They don't have to be expensive. Yeah. 

So if there is someone within your congregation who needs support, my number one thing I think about first is safety. So safety of the kid, safety of the serve team, the students around, and as well as I want the parents to feel safe leaving their kid in our care. Yeah, that's huge. And so that's the way, yeah. Yeah. So the way that [00:29:00] we do this, what has worked for us, I'm not saying it works for everyone, but we start with intake forms because I think that's a way that we're able to quickly get to know students and know how we can best support them.

Just talking about Rhandyl, your daughter liking, I think you said Bluey. Oh yeah. Yeah. One of the things we put on our intake form is what does your student enjoy? And if it says PAW Patrol, you better believe like we're gonna be sharing the gospel with Paw Patrol. And if that makes him feel safe and want to come in, then that's what we are going to do. Yeah. 

And so my encouragement to people are like, they don't know where to start. Just see a need. And meet that need and ask people how ask parents or guardians or caregivers, how we can best support them so they're in service being discipled and so that their kid or student, whatever age it is also being discipled. So. Mm-hmm. 

Like I said, we start with the intake form and then I also think going in and training serve team is super important as well, because I want them to feel [00:30:00] supported. I don't think it needs to be an hour where it's like we just have to make it through the hour or just keep them alive until 10 0 5 or something. I'm like, please don't ever say that. This is a bigger calling than that. 

Deonna: Yeah. It can be more.

Abby: Yeah, absolutely. And so it's truly, I don't think we need to over complicate it. 

Rhandyl: Yeah. I love that you guys do the intake forms. That's a great idea because, I mean, you can have these conversations, but then, the church community can see this is what that specific child's needs are, what their interests are.

But so you kind of answered it in this last bit, but before the intake form, before all of that, what do you wish churches understood better about disabled people before trying to serve them? 

Abby: Yeah. I wish they would understand how big the need is as another assumption I get a lot is, well, we don't have anyone in our congregation that [00:31:00] needs. Supporting and I'm like, it's truly because my mouth does get me in trouble a lot, but 

Deonna: it is ours. So yeah. You're in good comfort here on that one. 

Abby: Yeah, but I'm just not really afraid to say that it's because we're missing them. I don't like, we just mm-hmm. We can look at the statistics. We can see one in 36 students are getting diagnosed with autism and within, like the area that I live, 113,000 students receive public school special education services.

And so I just don't buy the lie that there's no one in your congregation mm-hmm. That needs the support. And so I wish they would, one, understand just how big the need is. Two, I wish they would go and look at their mission and vision statement and then recognize that it will never be fulfilled if they are not making sure that the seat at the table is accessible for all.

Rhandyl: Yeah. Yeah. It's funny you say that. So I we have a [00:32:00] local church here that I really love, but they, and they are adaptable to my daughter's needs. But it is one of those she has her private duty nurse with her, she goes into the typical like age group classroom and, they work with her, but there's not like a specific disability ministry and I mm-hmm. And with the population, like you said all of these districts and there's, thousands of kids that are enrolled in these social education programs. And so I think that the need is there, but even for me. Sometimes it's just like overwhelming and a lot of work to take my daughter to church because Yeah.

I've even considered well it, there's not really a great disability ministry, but we'll just I'll just take her to big church with me. But then I worry about her being overwhelmed with the sounds Wow. Noise. Yeah. And the music. Yeah. And then it's, but she won't wear a headphones, so there's just a lot that goes around. Yeah. Like that. With church in general, that's like overwhelming for me to take my daughter [00:33:00] because it's I can take her to the children's ministry during the service time, but it's like , she doesn't really enjoy it. Then I feel bad is she really getting the word? So obviously, my goal for her to, learn about the Lord is really at home and through fun things and really neat, like educational videos and things like that.

But I think that they're there, but they're, yeah, they, it's so not a thing with so many churches that a lot of families like mine. Were just like, , if there was more churches out there doing disability ministry, then they would see that there is such a need. Yeah. 'cause a lot of these families are just not going to church or they're not bringing , their disabled kid to church.

Abby: Yeah I wish churches did a better job communicating that. All are welcome. So one of the things that, like I said, we require the intake form, but it's because disability families are like [00:34:00] searching through websites to see is my kid gonna be welcomed here? Which is so sad. What do you mean your kid's not gonna be welcomed at church? Yeah, but they are. They're, yeah, they're looking through, they're like, how can my student be supported?

And so I just wish more churches would communicate that, whether it's through the website, the Instagram, like all churches, almost all churches have media teams now. Mm-hmm. And so we're not communicating that they're welcome that disability families are welcome, then they're probably not gonna come. Right. Because they know that their student needs a little extra support. And as a church, we should be the first saying like, how can we serve you?

Sometimes it's just asking a lot of our students. We have integrated students and we have sensory room, and one of the things I ask the parents or guardians is, what is your goal for your student on a Sunday? Mm-hmm. And a lot of them will say, or some of them will say, they have worked so hard at school all week and therapy all week. We don't [00:35:00] want church to be another thing where they're having. Follow a strict schedule. Mm-hmm. We would love for them to stay in the sensory room and be discipled there.

And then there's some families that are like, we want them integrated with their neurotypical peers, the best way that can happen. And so just even asking straight off the bat, what do you want and repeat, that has been so impactful. And I think like we've seen so many students thrive because we are trying to reach them just right where they're at. 

Rhandyl: Mm-hmm. Well, I love that because the parents know them best. Especially a lot of these kids that are nonverbal. Mm-hmm. Just asking them, I mean, 'cause they know their weekly routine. I mean Yeah. Our girls are just, I mean, there's so much that goes on like Monday through Friday and yeah I love the idea of. Church being obviously not another therapy or lesson. Yeah. It should be enjoyable and fun and most importantly, learning about Jesus and the love, [00:36:00] that he, 

Deonna: well, and it's hard with church too, because, I, Randall knows about this story and I won't go into the full thing, but you know, last year. I thought my daughter should do this thing that everyone else in the church was doing, and I was told she wasn't going to be able to do it because of her disability.

So I started looking into it and, churches don't have to abide by the same rules as like a school or a, some business. And that was hard to realize. And then I, it kind of got a little bit messy there for a minute because I was like, she's doing this and you really don't wanna tell me No, she's doing this. And, it got it. Got a little weird. And it was hard because, if a school makes you mad or something, you're just kinda like, eh, whatever, like school, whatever. Mm-hmm. 

But when your church is telling you. Hey, , your kid is not welcome in this situation or this event, or this, [00:37:00] whatever. It cut me to I mean, my core, it was so bad and it was all kind of actually like a huge misunderstanding and somebody not wanting to be liable in case something happened to my daughter who's incredibly medically fragile. And I had to assume all risks. And I mean, it, it turned into this whole like, deal.

But, it's so hard because we wanna be included at church and I've talked to lots of friends and, their vibe is I just don't wanna, put anybody out. Like I, this is my kid. I don't want somebody else to have to. Do anything and then it kind of hurts, that like that nobody's willing to do it. You get so scared, I feel like as a disability parent, that you're gonna bother somebody or you're gonna make them, have to do something a little over, over what they're used to or cost money or, whatever it is.

Yeah. I mean, it's, but I feel like what you were saying, I [00:38:00] mean, if you serve the kid, you're serving the parent and whether you make any progress with that kid or not, which you probably will if you try, you're teaching those parents that their kid is loved by God and that they're worthy and that they belong there. And I mean. That'll create such a, I don't know, like a forever person that goes to your church if you can. Yeah. Like just put in that tiny bit of effort. It's really not that hard, but yeah, just i've had somebody willing to do it. 

Rhandyl: Exactly. Yeah. I remember trying to find once Remi started school she just loves to be around kids and people. And in the summer she was just, bored. So I remember trying to find when she was younger, a parents day out program in the summertime through different churches. And I was not surprised, but the, I think the liability gets a lot of churches. She was denied even though I was very open, like she will not come unless she has her [00:39:00] private editing nurse with her. But oh, I can't even tell you how many churches were like, no, let's not. It's not, yeah. Not impossibility. And then, but she ended up going to one for multiple summers and it was great. And it was through a local church here, and they were wonderful.

And then also, I remember the first time I, this is I still get mad about it, thinking about it, but speaking of schools and churches, so these Christian private churches you go through and you I remember going through and just being curious about a specific private school and was just looking through their criteria, things like that, and mm-hmm. It was just very blatant in, their curriculum and just eligibility for school. That if you have any learning disabilities, physical disabilities basically you're not welcome. And I just remember, I mean, which I understand, like there's a lot of funding that goes into having special education. But I am just like, what is wrong here? Something is, this [00:40:00] is not of the word. This is not Jesus. Like he would want everyone to be. And of course this was a school, but it was also . A church, yeah. I was just like, how does, they're not under those same laws. I don't wanna go to that. Like it's just, yeah. They don't have to follow, like Deonna was saying earlier.

So I'm hoping that the more and more people like you and the more people that are just trying to like, make this not so taboo. Mm-hmm. It's not, yeah. It's just, it's something like, it's 2026, like we said earlier. Now come on. This shouldn't be a thing. But 

Abby: yeah, this should be the norm. Yes, this should be the norm, not the exception. And I've honestly gotten to the point, like just hearing both those stories makes me like rage with anger. Mm-hmm. But I've just gotten to the point where I, if things get denied or hearing all of these stories that I just say, I truly believe that every single one of us. One day we'll have to give an account for everything we've said we've done and what we didn't do. [00:41:00] Mm-hmm. And so a lot of churches are going to have to give account to God for not letting his own children be a part of church. Like I, I understand. Maybe there's liability things now. Yeah. But that is nothing.

Jesus crossed oceans and mountains to come to us to say, I'm gonna stand in their place and I'm gonna take this sacrifice on their behalf. There is nothing that should stop us from letting these families experience and hear that good news. Mm-hmm. And so, yeah, maybe we have to climb some mountains, but. It's worth it. There's not no doubt in my mind that it's not worth it, and it's truly an injustice when it gets denied. Do we just skip over the stories in the Bible where Jesus is flipping tables to make sure that people with disabilities, I was just say that, yeah, I was, 

Deonna: when that, when all that was going on and now it's resolved and everything, but when it was going on, I told my mom, I am having [00:42:00] some table flipping righteous anger right now. I'm, and I mean, it was like, I think sometimes Christians are like I can't, and that's a culture that some of us grew up in. It's well, I can't get upset about this. They've made their decision, and that's the end of it. Mm-hmm. That is not my vibe. It was my vibe before, but now, and I don't know, I have a very everything needs to be just, and everything type personality. But yeah, it's okay as a Christian, even if you see somebody else being mistreated by the church, churches are not perfect. I think people sometimes expect that, which is hilarious to me. But no church is perfect and it is okay to sometimes tell a church. Hey, you need to do this, or, mm-hmm.

But on the flip side, I remember one time this lady who was like 90, I was at, it was one of the first churches I went to as an adult, and she knew I was moving to El Paso and she told me, she's like, you know, [00:43:00] you need to, you need to serve whatever church you're going into. You can't be lazy. You gotta get in there and you gotta work. And I said yeah. I will. And she was like, and if there's not something I. Started and you see that it needs to start, that's on you. It's not on anyone else. If you notice the need and you don't do it, you have to answer for that basically.

Yeah. And I remember being like, okay, this is, I mean, at the time I wasn't very old. I mean, I just remember thinking, well, I can't start it, but then I got to this new church. They needed these different things that I ended up doing and it kind of prepared me for even where we're at now. Mm-hmm. 

Right. But you, that's the hard part, is like, what is it they say I. 10% of the congregation does 90% of the work, and then 90% of the congregation complains about the work that's being done by the 10%. Yes. But I mean, you do [00:44:00] have to roll up your sleeves sometimes, especially in this, and it does suck. 'cause I feel like a lot of parents have disabled kids probably end up leading these ministries because yeah, they know what the need is and they can do it, but, mm-hmm. I, I think people outside of the disability community can volunteer and do this, alongside us. I, yeah. Truly believe that. 

Abby: Yeah. And that's something we do, I do hear from some of our families is that they never want to feel like their child is a burden. Mm-hmm. Or they, yeah. They do feel bad that someone has to be with their kid as a one-on-one or, yes. Even something that I've seen is they'll say, can we serve? And I'm like this, which if they wanna serve, I'm like, this is your time to, to step away. Mm-hmm. Knowing your kid is safe and also something I remind. Remind them is don't deprive someone else who is trying to walk in obedience.

Mm-hmm. There are so many [00:45:00] people who are gifted and talented and who wanna step in and yeah, just serve these kids really well and love them really well. And so I, I'm like, just let them do that. They want to do that and for them, that is them practicing. Being obedient to a calling, they felt like the Lord has placed on their lives, so mm-hmm. Yeah. Let to let them walk in it and do it. 

Yeah. I do hate that. I feel like so many of these ministries have started because no one else has done it for these families, so the family members are having to do it. And that's exhausting. Living with a disability is exhausting. And then, yeah, exactly. 

Deonna: Oh my gosh.

So you offer these adapted bible lesson curriculums that you guys sell, and so what are some key ways that you, or like what are your favorite curriculums you sell, or what are your best tips mm-hmm. For, modifying a Sunday school lesson for a kid who maybe [00:46:00] is like nonverbal or, whatever the case may be.

Abby: Yeah. Yeah. Anytime I get asked that question from churches, my encouragement is always to think about the different learning styles and try to offer something within each of those learning styles. Mm-hmm. And so when I know a lot of churches when they're doing disability ministries, they either have no budget or it's out of their own pocket, which I think is terrible.

Mm-hmm. And so I write these I write curriculum. 'cause some people are like, we don't have the time. We'd rather buy it. And then some are like, we can't afford that. Be me afford that. Yeah. So it's there, but I always tell people, I'm like, it's not hard. Trust me. I just think, okay, how would an auditory learner process this? How would a visual learner kinesthetic someone who learns through music? And I just try to offer a different yeah, just a different, whether it's a worksheet or whatever it is within each curriculum, because I honestly, a lot [00:47:00] more ministry gets done on the playground and while we're swinging and telling them about Jesus than sitting down at the table. Yes. Mm-hmm. 

And so while we do have our little table that has a ton of stuff on it, I would say each kid probably engages with one thing. Mm-hmm. And then I see I see that worked well for them. And so the next week I'm gonna try to replicate that, but with the new like storyline or something like new story. A new, yeah. Yeah. Simple. All it gets easier over time.

Rhandyl: Yeah. But once you figure out each kid's individual learning I just think of Remi she's obsessed music. Mm-hmm. If I'm trying to like, explain something to her sometimes and she's just like, I'll just start singing it. And she's just like, yes. Ah, I'll just start just singing the most goofy things. And so yeah. I just become a complete goofball and then she seems to, yeah. Especially if I'm singing she's, yeah. That I just love music is pretty important for that. She's awesome. Yeah.

So you mentioned the buddy ministry a little bit, so mm-hmm. Is that like a one-on-one thing that you guys have implemented? [00:48:00] And what is the first step? If a church hasn't started a special needs program? To start a buddy ministry. Is that something that you recommend, starting off the bat or just figuring out your students and talking with family, things like that?

Abby: Yeah, so the way that we operate, and I know a lot of churches do it differently, this just works for us, is we do one-to-one buddy system. So kind of like a para at school or an RDT at school. Every single one of our students is paired one-to-one. So whether they are integrated or in the sensory room, the way that we have been able to ensure the most safety is to have a one-to-one support.

I love that and it's been so beautiful. I do. Recognize that there is a lot of burnout that comes within this space. So our serve team is on an AB rotation. So each student technically has two serve team members or volunteers. We [00:49:00] just call them serve team. And they switch off every other week to help with burnout.

And then I know that automatically brings up Wow. You're gonna have to have a lot of searching, which is true. Yeah. But I believe that the Lord once sees families at church even more than we do. And he has provided every single time. There are a few people who they're like, no, we wanna be here every week and we allow that.

But for the most part each student has two serve team members that switch off. And so they are their one-to-one buddy. And if they're in the classroom or they're going to worship or they're going outside, that buddy goes within everywhere. And is their. Basically they're little shadow.

They're the ones I love that. Making sure that they're being, yeah, they're being included in the game or maybe the craft needs to be adopted. 'cause we are struggling with fine motor skills, so mm-hmm. They are just making sure they're included in all aspects and that their needs are being met. And so I, my [00:50:00] personal recommendation, especially when churches have no budget, is to start with the buddy system.

So to train up really solid serve team whose hearts are completely in it, that can be paired with these buddies and that's it. That is how simple it can be. Yeah. And I understand there's like medical complexities and there's really big behaviors, but it's nothing that we can't figure out, yeah. 

Deonna: Well, and the parents could talk to that buddy before things get going and be like, Hey, these are things you maybe should not do with my kid. Or, I mean, it wouldn't have to be that complicated. Right. Like for me, like my daughter doesn't have a nurse with her at church ever. We don't do that. And so me and my husband are always kind of hanging around in the halls, but it would be nice for her to have somebody that's kind of with her that's just looking out for her best interest the whole time. Absolutely. Yeah. And that's kind of something we have, but it [00:51:00] rotates a lot, so they just sort of get to know her and then it changes. Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm. That's like what I'm doing right now. But yeah, we, me and my husband aren't quite. Feeling comfortable walking completely away because of the medical complexities. But that's not really the case with most disabled kids. It's not, like they aren't like all medically fragile as medically. Yeah. So I mean, for most people you can walk away, but, yeah.

So what are the you talked about a sensory room, which most people listening to this kind of know what that is, but if you could kind of explain what that is and what are the things that you guys have in your church sensory room that the kids love, and how does that help you guys when they're, trying to experience the stories of the Bible and things like that?

Abby: Yeah, Yeah. So I recognize that we. I truly was that we have a permanent space. It is a small room. A lot of people see it. 'cause I film in 0.5 and they're like, it's [00:52:00] massive. I'm like, actually I can walk across and actually it's not, yeah, no. Three steps and I'm at the end of the room. But we do have a permanent space and we put a lot of boundaries around our sensory room. So the only way that you can use a sensory room is if you're in the buddy ministry. Mm-hmm. 

Which goes all the way back to starting with the intake form. I have phone calls with parents. We do snapshots. So there's a lot that goes on behind the scenes to make sure that we know what these kids need and what their medical complexities are. But you, like I said, you don't go into that room unless. You're in the buddy ministry. 'cause we wanna make the, it's not a playroom safe space. Yeah. Thank you. It's not a playroom, it's your kid outta here. 

Yes. Mm-hmm. We wanna Yeah. Ensure the safety of our students and make sure the room is being used appropriately and mm-hmm. Not for playroom 

Deonna: and not getting destroyed. 

Abby: Exactly. And there, there have been a few instances where there has been a behavior on a Sunday morning with a new kid. Mm-hmm. [00:53:00] And we have taken them in there, but then it's been immediately followed up with a conversation with me and the parent or guardian of sure. Hey, how can we best support this need? Because this is the behavior that we saw. 

Yeah. But within our room, I focus mainly on movement based things. 'cause that's what the needs of our kids, our current kids are. So we have a lot of sensory tools and fidget tools, but I keep them locked in a cabinet. Mm-hmm. And then we have the big movement stuff. So we do have a swing that we have hung from the ceiling. Mm-hmm. And we have a crash pad, a ball pit a lot of light features. And within the room, I always ask myself like, what is the what is the sensory need? Is it a deep pressure need? Is it proprioceptive need?

And what is in our room that's gonna support that? Because I have noticed that when certain kids are in maybe just a moment of dysregulation. I know one kid is a huge deep pressure [00:54:00] seeker and so how we intervene with that is gonna look different than a kid who maybe really just needs to do some like heavy work or mm-hmm.

A different intervention. And so everything in the room is very purposeful and I'm constantly talking with parents of what's working at home. 'cause they are their biggest advocates and supporters. Yeah. And they the best. And then I'm also constantly talking with the serve team members. 'cause they are the ones that are with them the full hour.

I'm bouncing around, just checking in. Yeah. Helping in situations. So, I'll have serve team come up and say, Hey, he's like really struggling with biting. Can we get him a, a chew tool or hey, I noticed that he does really well when he's spinning. So we have a spinning chair. Yeah, within that I always feel like I have to preface it because the comments I get are always insane.

You just have so much money and actually almost over half of the room has been donated through an Amazon wishlist from random people. Oh, that's [00:55:00] cool. Online. Yeah. It was just, I was just floored by people's generosity. They, I was just like posting photos of the sensory room and they're like, please start an Amazon wishlist. And yeah. So it doesn't have to be's an 

Deonna: idea though, for a church to do. It's, if they wanna do it. 

Abby: Exactly. So there, there are ways to get around it, and I've never heard of a valid excuse. I've heard of valid concerns, but not a valid excuse. Least. That's funny. 

Rhandyl: So to kind of flip it back to how you minister and how your church ministers to kids how would you recommend a church talking about sin and suffering and healing to disabled kids without harming them? Or just disabled people in general, I guess? Mm-hmm. 

Abby: Yeah, that is, wow. That is a huge concept. I think I, I'm so thankful for. The road that the Lord has led me down because that's questions that I've struggled with myself waking up mm-hmm. Every [00:56:00] single day with a spinal cord injury. Like some, I mean, most days, not most days, every single day that I can get out of bed is a miracle. Mm-hmm. But it is hard. It's like why this suffering? And so I, I think this would be more for like church leadership. We don't really bring up this topic within our sensory room and teaching our students about it. 'cause we no right. We truly believe that these students made in the image of God in that the Lord doesn't make any mistakes. And so, we just believe that they are going to be used for his glory. So we don't think that we need to, yeah. Pray for that healing over them. 

Oh yeah. But I wanna be very gentle with how I respond to this. 'cause I know everyone has a different lived experience. Mm-hmm. So some people believe like autism is their superpower and some people believe that it has stripped them of everything and it's unfair.

Mm-hmm. But I just think more for church leadership, it's going back to the very beginning that the Lord created the world in perfect unity and [00:57:00] to have complete communion in his presence. And we now live, I tell people that we live in the awkward in between that one day Jesus is gonna come back.

And all will be made new. But that's not it right now. No. And so we can't try to understand him. His understanding is beyond measure. But we can also look in the scripture and think, I don't, I'm not sure what gospel it's in, but the disciples are like, God who sinned his parents or like, why is this man blind?

And he's like, it's so that the works of God can be displayed. Mm-hmm. And so I think if we approach it like that and be like, they have a story that's. None of us have, and because of it, the works of God are gonna be displayed. And approaching it like that instead of just always approaching healing, I think has been healing to me of mm-hmm.

Man, somehow the Lord's gonna use this. And I don't understand his ways all the time, but I know his character and it's not in his character to leave a [00:58:00] situation broken, but he is also not just gonna rescue me from it. I truly believe that he's going to yeah. Redeem it. And I think that's so beautiful. And I'm okay with saying this side of heaven, I'm not gonna understand all of the topics of like, why they're suffering. No. But yeah, just wake up every day and be like, okay, God. I'm on the altar today and I'm excited to see what you're gonna, what you're gonna do with it. But yeah, so that wasn't like super formulated thoughts, but

Deonna: no, I am, I don't think there is a way to No. Organize those thoughts because it's kind of messy. I have thought all of those things before. Mm-hmm. And there's been times where I'm like, why did my kid not get physically healed or whatever? But she had a lot of healing obviously from day one, but it's still not, she's not healed in the way that. People outside of our house want her to be and everything.

Well, we want her obviously to be healed that way, but sure, it's unlikely. But it is such a messy and difficult concept for us to grasp. But I [00:59:00] remember in the chosen, there was this moment where one of the apostles wants to be healed and mm-hmm. Just like a limp or something like that. And Jesus is basically saying, he's gonna use that.

And I just remember being like, I was like bawling my eyes out because it was really hard, because, that's tough that I feel like sometimes is what my daughter's going through. And she's 10. She knows it. She's like, yeah, god's using me for something and it's really hard and it sucks, but I'm just going to keep going and do what I gotta do. But, it is hard when it's us that's happening too. It's, oh, yeah. It's a tough thing to wrap your head around for sure. 

Abby: Yeah. Yeah. Not understanding like why it's happened to you or yeah. What, see, it's like why in this season of life there's so many questions, but I mean, we serve a guy who welcomes those questions and mm-hmm. He also, a quote that I constantly repeat myself is that, god, you can handle my anger, but you don't deserve my [01:00:00] anger. And but he takes it and he does. I'm just so thank, I'm just so thankful for that because yeah, it's a very big grief journey every single day, but could, like just stepping back and saying, when I just don't understand like why I'm having to deal with certain things.

Just saying, okay, God, I cannot wait to see how you use this because I know he is going to Yeah. Like he's gonna make it. I mean, he did his best work with dust, right? And so I'm like, this story feels like it has, it has been shattered. It's not even broken pieces anymore. It's just absolute dust, like in mm-hmm. And so it's like, all right I'm even in surrender, surrender in the soil and say, okay, God, yeah, there's something beautiful that's gonna come from this. 

Deonna: Yeah. No, that's. I feel like that mentality takes a lot of time and, it work. But you can, I think we all, well, a lot of us get to that point, but, and some never do. And they just get angry and they walk away from this whole thing. Yeah. And it makes me sad [01:01:00] because they're missing out on so much by doing that. But, it's, that's, that to me is tough to watch. 'cause yeah. Yeah. I see the, I don't know, just the huge support and benefits that have come from sticking with God and oh yeah. Because yeah. It hasn't been easy every time,

but for people who've been burned by the church, we all know people you go through this terrible thing or some people haven't even gone through a terrible thing and they just feel burned by the church. But, I know a lot of people who've been through a traumatic experience or a loss or a child born disabled or what's happened with me where they get hurt or whatever. What do you want people to hear who have been burned by a specific congregation or just by what they view? I think a lot of times they get burned by one congregation as Christians and they view it as the international Christian. Mm-hmm. Everyone which kind of makes me laugh [01:02:00] sometimes, but what do you want them to hear if they've been burned by the church?

Abby: Yeah. Starting off strong would be, I'm sorry, because mm-hmm. I, and also to know that I don't say I'm sorry, flippantly, my family and I walked through a lot of hurt, like coming back from being hospitalized outta state. Mm-hmm. And, if people have not walked the road of disability, they don't understand it. So they just want to hear that you're fully healed and that you can go on. And what I wanna say is makes them uncomfortable. It, it does. And what I wanna say is there's so much more to this story and praise God for this weakness because his power is resting upon me and mm-hmm. 

And I think Paul says in Philippians what has happened to me has actually served to advance the gospel. And so, mm-hmm. You know what praise God for this, but also I feel so not supported by you guys right now. And that really hurts. Mm-hmm. And so starting off with, I'm sorry because I will be the first to say that I think that the Capital C Church has done a really [01:03:00] poor job of being the hands and feet of Jesus. Mm-hmm. 

I think we can get very, and I'm saying this of my own self, like we can get very distracted with our own personal selves and Oh yeah. I just miss the people around us that, that are hurting. But in that I would also, I truly believe that the church is just one of the greatest gifts and that Jesus is coming back and so, mm-hmm. Even in the hurt, I would just encourage people to continue trying to seek out a church home. Which is hard, like I understand that's gonna be really hard after you've already been burned. Like I've talked to so many people who have said we have tried 13 different churches and we're not accepted.

Mm-hmm. But I also know that there is no way. I, and I tell my family this all the time, I'm like, I don't know how I would get through this if I wasn't a Christian. Like I [01:04:00] know, I have hope. Yeah. And I wanna share that hopes so many people walk through this without the hope and so mm-hmm. 

Yeah, my encouragement would be like, would be to continue trying to find that church body and know that there are so many people praying for you to find that church body, because to have that community around you, it's not gonna fix every problem, but it does help a lot, as I have found in my personal experience, so. Mm-hmm. 

Rhandyl: Well, you mentioned hope. Mm-hmm. What gives you hope for the future of disability ministry in churches? 

Abby: Yeah. Yeah. I just think truly the Lord is having a revival spread, spread across this specific ministry area. Mm-hmm. So encouraged by the messages I get, not just within the US but around the world. Like churches from, I think there's like Ireland and Scotland. I'm like, there is the harvest is plentiful and the workers are few, but the workers [01:05:00] who are saying, so workers who are saying yes and stepping out in obedience, I know the Lord is going to bless it. And I truly believe when you pray and ask, Lord, use me for your glory, and that for your name to be spread among the my neighbors and the nations, that he's gonna bless that.

And I see so many people doing that right now. Mm-hmm. And I truly believe one day it's gonna become the norm. Like just media ministry. Mm-hmm. And I think all of those things are airy needed, but I do believe one day disability ministry will become the norm. But I do think it's gonna take a lot of advocating and mm-hmm. Educating which I always say I don't always get it right, but it's worth it to, we're human. Yeah. Sometimes get it wrong, knowing that at the end of the day, I just want the gospel to be made known.

Deonna: Okay. So you have a store and you can go on if you decide, I wanna start a disability ministry at my church, you have things set [01:06:00] up where you can go on, buy some curriculum do you got, and things like that. So how do people get access to that? And then also as we wrap up, just tell people how they can follow you online and what mm-hmm. How they can support you, whether that's through prayer or donations or, whatever it may be. So just kind of tell us all those things to wrap up today.

Abby: Yeah. So unfortunately I'm not super tech savvy. That's been a bit of a downfall for me, but that's funny. I, yes, I don't even really have a website right now, but I just post all of my stuff on Instagram and TikTok. Okay. At the accessible gospel. Actually, I'm not even sure that's my TikTok name, but and then I have a storefront that's linked in my bio that I'm working on getting some more resources published for churches and individuals mm-hmm.

That are interested and who are stepping out in obedience. So that's it. I have right now. There's more things coming [01:07:00] and different dreams. And I truly believe, like I said, that the Lord is gonna do something big through this. So are there other, 

Deonna: Are there other resources that you guys use at your church that you would like to recommend to people?

Abby: Yeah I, if someone is looking for. Curriculum that. Is like over years long. Mm-hmm. I recommend people to Lexi at the adapted way. She is doing incredible things. And then a little extra love on Instagram. Does a lot of church trainings. Okay. So there, yeah, there are quite a few resources out there. Yeah, I think mainly you can find them on Instagram. I think both of them also have websites as well. 

Deonna: Okay. Yeah. We'll link to them because mm-hmm. Because I do think that is the most intimidating thing for me is just I don't have the time to create all this stuff. Mm-hmm. But I wanna print it and try it out with some kids. So it's just having that where [01:08:00] you can get in and do that is, is nice. Yeah. Yeah. 

Well, thank you. So much for talking to us today. I had no idea how young you were. I'm like, oh my gosh, you're like young and nothing things happened, but and yeah, I didn't know about your spinal cord.

I mean, I didn't know anything. So this has been really cool getting to learn all about why you started doing these things and everything. And so we're just so thankful for the work you're trying to do and how you're trying to inspire people to just step out of their comfort zone. Mm-hmm. It's really scary sometimes, but disabled kids, I feel I don't know. Like they just love you so unconditionally. Mm-hmm. If you're just even trying to, have a relationship with them, they love it. They may give you a lot more time every once in a while, but you know, it is what it is. But I'm glad you're doing this and we're just so thankful for you talking to us today.

Abby: Yeah. Thank you for the opportunity. This has blessed me so much.

**Disclaimer

Before we go, I wanna remind our listeners that this podcast is for the purpose of education and entertainment only, and is not a replacement for seeing a doctor. We suggest you seek out the help of a trained professional for help with your child's specific situation.