Action Pack Helps Churches Reach Out to Learning Disabled

Tuesday June 13 2017

A new free resource has been launched by the Church of Scotland to help congregations in their ministry with people with learning disabilities.

The Learning Disability Action Pack is for churches that are hoping to do more to work with the 0.6-1% of the population – in every community in Scotland – with a learning disability, but are not sure where to start.

The pack leads users through a series of exercises helping them to understand their own local context, and what might be most appropriate for them – whether that’s adapting their existing worship, starting new groups, working in the community or one-off events – and how they can start to go about it.

It also passes on the stories of learning disabled people and their families in their own words, and suggests further reading and useful organisations.

The action pack has been produced by the Learning Disability Working Group, part of the Mission and Discipleship Council.

The working group convener, Mary Ritchie, said: “The Learning Disability Working Group put this Action Pack together to be a fun and interactive step by step guide for everyday folk.

“It takes you from first questions about making church better for those with Learning Disabilities, through finding out about your own church and community to deciding what best fits your hopes and resources to hosting your first events, having your first conversations or making your first small changes. It is a truly inspirational and really helpful free resource.”

In a brief theological reflection, the former Moderator of the General Assembly, the Very Rev Dr Angus Morrison, who is President of the Scottish Churches Disability Group, writes: “People with ‘disabilities’ have often found themselves somewhat sidelined by the church. They have failed to conform to our stereotype of the ‘normal’, and so, in our embarrassment, we have kept them firmly on the periphery of the church’s life.

“Whenever this has happened, we have done our disabled friends an injustice, and we have deprived the church of immeasurable blessing.”

The pack will be sent out to learning disability contacts by post by the end of June, and every remaining congregation in the autumn. After that a pdf version will be available to download.

For further information contact Hannah Sanderson, congregational learning development worker, on 0131 225 5722 or email hsanderson@churchofscotland.org.uk

Post Tags: learning disabilities

Comments

There are currently no comments on this post

Add a reply

All fields are required. Email address will not be published.