Start by Saying Hello

Access Leadership Network Virtual Gathering

Monday, Jan. 27 @ 7 p.m. EST

Jody and Bp. Alex Farmer, Gulf Atlantic Diocese

“Start by saying, Hello!”
Tips for meaningful friendships with people with disabilities. 

Jody Farmer will offer insights for initiating relationships with people in your church and community with disabilities. Learning to engage with the person. 

We will also talk about how our churches welcome people with disabilities and disability etiquette. 

During the seasons of Advent and Christmas people who may not regularly attend church often return to “check it out” or come to a special program. It is an expectant time. People accepting an invitation to come wonder if they will feel welcome. Meeting new people evokes various levels of anxiety for each person.

We each have different comfort levels when meeting new people. Initiating and maintaining a friendship with someone who has a visible disability may seem like a challenge too big to attempt for some of us. When a conversation with someone with a less visible disability turns awkward, we can become frozen and unsure what to do or flee to relieve our anxiety. These are not the scenarios we want visitors to experience at our churches. We want everyone to experience a warm welcome.

Recognizing the reality of these challenges and preparing ourselves with helpful options sets up everyone for fruitful and meaningful friendships and building God’s kingdom. Join us for learning and discussion around this topic at our next virtual gathering in January. Stepping into the new year with new insights and “tools” for extending God’s love to everyone, including folks with disabilities.

The Access Leadership Network seeks to discover, develop, and deploy leaders working to build communities of belonging for those with and without disabilities in parishes across the ACNA.