Apr. 29—Tom Jones, previously govt director of SHARE, is now helming the Religion Inclusion Community.
It carries on a few of the identical work as SHARE, which stands for Sharing Fingers A Respite Expertise, by encouraging church buildings to incorporate folks with disabilities and their households.
The nonprofit Religion Inclusion Community is headquartered in Midland. It was in Norfolk, Va., beforehand.
“After I retired from SHARE, I wished to get entangled in some religion inclusion, inclusion in church buildings for folks with disabilities. We by no means addressed that situation at SHARE,” Jones stated in a cellphone interview.
He discovered the Religion Inclusion Community. They assist church buildings and different religion communities embrace folks with disabilities.
Religion Inclusion Community supplies sources, coaching and consultations and holds conferences and seminars for various church buildings.
“The one factor that they did that was actually cool is that that they had a list of all of the church buildings that included folks with disabilities and had packages. After I noticed that, I assumed … I might say 90% of our SHARE households don’t go to church … One of many causes, I believe, is as a result of they do not know the place they are going to be welcomed, and they do not know if they are going to be informed to depart or we won’t work along with your child.
“I assumed one thing like that might actually be useful to particular wants households right here in Midland and Odessa … the identical space that SHARE covers. I talked to them about beginning an affiliate out right here. That is what began my involvement,” Jones stated.
What additionally contributed was that he could not discover funding for a faith-based group in Virginia and he did not have the connections and those he did have turned them down as a result of they have been faith-based.
Jones informed the board he might discover funding in West Texas and the choice was made to relocate Religion Inclusion Community to Midland.
It’s now housed at First Christian Church in Midland.
“Our mission, form of just like SHARE, consists of Midland-Odessa … We wish to make an effort to contact these cities like Monahans and Andrews and a few of these smaller West Texas cities, as a result of we’re simply so remoted out right here from sources. There are such a lot of issues stepping into incapacity ministries these days, and we simply do not learn about it.
“We’re not related. We’re not within the massive metropolis the place loads of this stuff occur. That is one of many targets that I’ve for the Religion Inclusion Community, is to convey a few of these sources, make them out there, out right here, to our folks right here in Midland, Odessa and West Texas,” Jones stated.
Religion Inclusion Community provides coaching and connections that they should be profitable in together with folks with disabilities.
They maintain an institute on theology and incapacity and this yr it is going to be in Denver.
One of many first church buildings Religion Inclusion Community labored with domestically was Grace Christian in Odessa. One of many mother and father who attends there was in SHARE so she reached out.
“I used to be capable of go in and do some coaching with the Youngsters’s Minister, minister and volunteers, and bought them began” on how one can begin a particular wants ministry and what’s vital to incorporate, Jones stated.
He added that the Grace Christian ministry has taken off.
“They’ve a beautiful particular wants program, and simply very happy with them and the way in which they’ve taken off and assist households in loads of alternative ways,” Jones stated.
Catholic church buildings have additionally began particular wants lots.
St. Elizabeth Ann Seton has one quarterly only for folks and their households which have folks with particular wants.
The priest at Our Woman of Guadalupe has one as soon as a month.
Father Bala Anthony Govindu at St. Stephen’s Catholic Church simply began one final month, and can do one on the second Sunday of the month, Jones stated.
“There is a particular wants mass on the primary and the second Sunday of the month within the Catholic Church, and there is about 100 those who attend,” he added.
Jones famous that he’ll work with any faith, religion or denomination.
“It actually does provide a spot, and it is attention-grabbing, since you go into that mass and persons are making noises. They may blurt out in the midst of a sermon and simply all types of various issues. However no person cares. It does not matter. Typically the folks with particular wants are a part of the service. They may convey the weather up in entrance. They may do a studying. In that respect, they’re offering a spot for people who find themselves raised Catholic to have a spot to go,” Jones stated.
He added that his job is to speak to church buildings, see who’s doing incapacity ministry, and get that info and get the data to particular wants households.
“So lots of these households have been requested to depart church buildings, however a few of the analysis reveals that 84% of individuals with disabilities inform us that religion is vital to them and they also wish to have that non secular facet and meet these wants, however … solely 20% have helps for folks with disabilities. A few of it’s church buildings simply do not understand how or they do not have the sources,” Jones stated.
“That is the place the Religion Inclusion Community (can) are available in and allow them to know that every one these households are wanting relationships, and any measurement church can present these relationships. They are not on the lookout for packages. You do not have to have specialised folks … What they’re on the lookout for is acceptance and welcome and a church that is hospitable, and a church the place they will belong,” Jones stated.
He added that there is a little little bit of training that he has to do to let church buildings know they will present a spot of belonging for households.
At SHARE, Jones stated he realized it is not simply that one individual with a incapacity, “it is the entire household that is excluded from worship and from having their non secular wants met,” Jones stated.
He added that Religion Inclusion Community is likely one of the few organizations which might be faith-disability targeted.
Be taught extra about Religion Inclusion Community at faithinclusionnetwork.org
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