Indispensable People
Making the Gospel Accessible to people of ALL abilities so that they may know Christ, grow in Him, and serve Him with the gifts He has given them.
Indispensable People
Jesus Used All Five Senses, Why Don't We?
We explore how understanding information processing is crucial for inclusive ministry, focusing on how information gets in, how it's processed, and how it gets out. Drawing insights from Barbara Newman's book "Accessible Gospel, Inclusive Worship," we examine practical approaches to make ministry accessible for people of all abilities.
• Focus on what individuals CAN do rather than just their limitations
• Deliver information through multiple sensory channels for better reception and retention
• Use all five senses when teaching, following Jesus' example with communion
• Provide supportive environments that help with attention and processing
• Create diverse opportunities for people to express and communicate what they've learned
• Accommodate different learning styles to benefit everyone, not just those with disabilities
For deeper dives into these topics and more, check out indispensablepeople.com and visit Amazon to purchase the books "The Indispensable Kid" and "Gospel, Accessibility and the Indispensable People."
Hi, my name is Tracy Correll, and welcome to Indispensable People. I'm a wife, mom, teacher, pastor and missionary, and I believe that every person should have the opportunity to know Christ, grow in Him and serve Him with the gifts that he has given, no matter their ability. Over 65 million Americans have a disability that's 25% of the population. However, over 80% of them are not inside the walls of our church. Let's dive into those hard topics biblical foundations, perceptions and world-changing ideas. Hey, hey, welcome to this episode of Indispensable People, where we're talking about information how does it get in, how does a person process it and how does it get out? This is going to impact greatly how we interact with people in ministry spaces and really anywhere beyond, and so I am going to share a lot with you today, particularly from a book called Accessible Gospel Inclusive Worship, and it is written by Barbara Newman, so please understand that a lot of this information is coming from her book, and it's brand new to me. I'm just getting into it. So I'm excited about continuing to broaden the ideas and the thoughts and the perceptions that we have when we work with people with disabilities, and we need to continually be growing in our understanding and attempting to see what we can do to better bridge the gap in our ministry spaces.
Speaker 1:And so in this book it goes into talking. First of all, one of the things says asking the right questions. What can the individual do? So first, I want to just kind of make some comments about that. A lot of times when we consider those with disabilities, we really tend to focus heavily on what they can't do, and we do that. I don't think that's necessarily a bad thing to identify the things they can't do, and we do that. I don't think that's necessarily a bad thing to identify the things they can't do, right, because in knowing and understanding that it helps our response and our way to reach out. But we cannot go against or not recognize what they can do, because that is an even bigger field to open up access for communication, for understanding, for relationship building, for all of those kinds of things. And so the next question in the book says how does the individual take information in?
Speaker 1:And Barbara Newman explains that oftentimes pastors, ministers, volunteers, those who tend to be comfortable speaking and sharing a message, they do that orally. Right, we're speaking, we're standing on a stage with a microphone in our hands, all of that kind of stuff and that becomes the way that we communicate. But what happens in that process is that there is an assumption that that is how everyone else receives I'm speaking, so they're receiving, but that's not necessarily the case, right? I've said this time and time again. This is not new information, but we need to be aware that people in our presence, regardless of their ability, learn in different ways. I am a visual, hands-on learner. If you just stand and speak at me, I will be in my head forever laying out my to-do list, my grocery list, what I have to do when I get home, which kid has a game this week, all of that kind of stuff. I am a multitasking person. That's just my way of being and my way of doing, and to solely just focus only in one sense is really difficult for me, and so many of us want to have that tangible thing, whether it's smell, touch, taste, you know any of that kind of thing. I've always said if you can use the five senses, then the brain is going to receive it more readily and it's going to retain it more readily. That is just brain science. That's how the brain works, and it is incredibly important to know that and identify that, especially if you're in children's ministry, because our children need desire, that connection with the senses when you're providing information to them. Don't forget things like providing communication in different ways, such as sign language or braille or large print materials. We want to make sure that we're considering all the different ways that information can be taken in and we want to capitalize on that. And that might sound a bit overwhelming to you, but I've said this before and I will continue to say it again Anything you do for someone with a disability will only benefit everybody else in the room, because the strategies that we provide you with are brain science. It is the way that the brain learns and so, therefore, everybody else in the room is going to learn.
Speaker 1:So the next step in the process that we talk about information right, we're already discussing how information is taken in and we want to deliver it through the senses, the best way that we can. But let's talk about how a person processes the information, okay, so they see it, they hear it, they smell it, they taste it, they touch it. Right, we're using all the five senses to bring in that information, but also listen, adding rhythm or movement to information, think about especially younger kids and doing like a memory verse, whether it's to motions or to a song, so much of scripture that is easily retained can be found in music. And also knowing that when we're processing information, we want to boil it down, we want to simplify it as much as possible, maybe deliver it in points, very simple points, and if you can get one main thing okay, like what's the big idea, what's the main point? This is what you want to walk out with understanding today. That's going to be ideal for those that are processing information. The other thing that you're going to highlight on that process information by giving them the five senses. But also I want you to consider that the ability to process information, take information in, has a lot to do with how we can pay attention. If I can't pay attention to receive the information, then it's likely I won't retain any of it. I may not even hear it, I won't know what to do with it.
Speaker 1:So some very simple things to consider in that respect is providing optional seating. Sometimes a really uncomfortable chair will only allow you to focus on how uncomfortable the chair is, but if you can sit in a rocking chair or a chair that might spin a little bit, or even on an exercise ball that might allow your body to move. You can access some sensory movement that provides feedback to your body, that allows it to calm so that you can listen. Also, like I said, providing comfortable space into doing that. I mean think about in an office space. Today, it is not uncommon to find people who are using the standing desks okay, even to the extreme of those who maybe work from home and you now have a treadmill with a desk attached to it.
Speaker 1:Now, don't get me wrong. I do understand that those are health-based purposes, right, you don't want to be sitting all day, you want to get some movement in. But it's also scientifically proven that people are more productive in those kinds of ways. Why? Because we're receiving and we're taking in information in better ways. Also, understanding that when we're delivering information, that we can break tasks down into smaller pieces and parts and they're easier to receive. Providing other supports like fidget tools or maybe an ability to write down or draw or doodle while you're listening to someone speaking.
Speaker 1:Again, we go back to the hands-on participation, all that kind of stuff that will bring positivity and excitement and participation, which is really the most important. In that sense, we don't want the information, especially in the church. We don't want necessarily the information to come across in an authoritative type way. We love that. We serve a God who gives us choices, gives us free will. Yes, that free will can definitely get us in a whole lot of trouble, but he does not force his hand. The door is always open, there is always access.
Speaker 1:But choosing to follow him, choosing to dive into his word and to memorize scripture and to make it a part of the daily life, all of that kind of stuff is a free choice to us and we want to make sure that as we deliver that to people, we are helping them to see that, are helping them to see that I think that goes back to years and years of you know the black and white yes, and no kind of outlook into everything. And I'm not saying that God does not. God is, he is firm and he knows what he's. You know he's not ambiguous about the things that he has communicated to us. I'm not saying that at all. Please don't take that that way. But what I'm saying is that, yes, god gives us commands, he gives us directives, ways to live and follow that, but he also gives us a choice and he gives us a choice and he recognizes that choice and rewards that choice.
Speaker 1:But it is not a standing over someone wagging your finger kind of look, the Holy Spirit convicts us, speaks to us right where we need it, directs us how we need it. And so we want to do that, especially in this community of people with disabilities. And the reason why is because so often failure is experienced. Ok, so many people with disabilities struggle to do the things, maybe that the person next to them does not, and so you're already experiencing those negative type things. And so we want to make sure that our delivery and our excitement of the word is delivered and shared in a way that encourages, that lifts one another up, that we can be the iron sharpens iron. That doesn't mean we can't say the hard things, but we say it in relationship and care and love the way that the Holy Spirit speaks to us. I want to remind you this is a really great kind of picture into Jesus.
Speaker 1:Okay, so let's talk about Jesus and the Lord's Supper. Taking the Lord's Supper the way that it is explained in scripture is a full-on sensory experience. Perfect example for us In the Bible. He set up a way to remember me in communion. He involved the five senses, the whole sensory systems, are in process. He's increasing the likelihood that we will remember it all. Partaking in the Lord's Supper is something that we can see, touch, taste, smell and, when combined with God's instructions in scripture, we can also hear it. And really, in scripture we can also hear it. And really, and this is what Barbara Newman says she said that God set the gold standard for us in remembering, taking in information.
Speaker 1:The last thing that I want to share with you today is about how does information get out? Okay, so we're talking about how information is taken in, how it's processed once it's in there, and then also how do we respond, how do we utilize the information that we have? How do we communicate with someone about the information that we received? Please know that we want to have open doors for this, whether it is through verbal communication, whether it is through visual communication, whether you know cards, drawing, any of that kind of stuff. Maybe it's actual written words, maybe it's through sign language. Also, be aware that, depending upon the person's abilities and tendencies and characteristics, they may be a repeater of words. So just because they repeat the words doesn't mean they understand them. So we have to be aware of how that is being utilized. And again, gestures. Gestures are huge.
Speaker 1:If you think about your communications that you've had all day long, how you have made your face, smiled at someone moved your hand, pointed, any of those kinds of things those can be a direct mode of communication in a world of technology, and that has brought great opportunities for communication, whether it is in voice texting, whether it is in being able to type, whether it's in using visual communication systems. In technology there are so many options. There are the ability to type in and then make your device speak for you and say what you have inputted in it. So the doors open wide, but we need to be aware of how people take information in, how we're delivering it, how they process it once they've received it, and also how are they responding through their modes of communication that work best for them. This opens doors for great relationship building, for incredible discipleship opportunities and not only that, the return of co-laborers who can then repeat the discipleship process, because they took it in, they understood it and they know how to communicate it in the way that works best for them.
Speaker 1:So give it a try. I hope these tips help you Do. I know everything about disability ministry. Do I have all the answers? Have I done everything perfectly? I have absolutely not, but we are going to continue this conversation so that people of all abilities can have the opportunity to know Christ, grow in Him and serve Him with the gifts that he has given them. For deeper dives into these topics and more, check out indispensablepeoplecom and visit Amazon to purchase the books the Indispensable Kid and Gospel, accessibility and the Indispensable People.
