Videos regarding disability ministry: The Disability Ministry Course

 I have recently recorded and uploaded a variety videos about disability and disability ministry. They talk about both "What is disability?" and "What does the Bible say about disability?" There are currently 19 videos there, mostly short, with more to be added in the future. Hopefully, someone will find this training useful in both thinking about persons with disabilities, including oneself if you have an impairment, or in the development of ministry to and with persons with disabilities.  Here is the link:

https://www.youtube.com/@drjeffmcnair/playlists 

So, please check them out and share the link with others!

Thanks,

McNair

Meowoof Revisited

 

In 2016, I self-published a book called Meowoof. You can see my original post here.

https://disabledchristianity.blogspot.com/2016/11/meowoof-new-book-by-jeff-mcnair.html

The book is juvenile fiction about a world of dogs (it is fun!) written on the 6th grade level. It is very approachable. I have heard from parents of kids as young as 8 about the way it stimulated positive discussions about how people can be different from one another and what we do about that difference in terms of understanding and accepting people. It has also been used in community college programs for adults with intellectual disability with great success. I zoom with one class every year! In the years since its publication, I shared it with one of my supervisors at the university where I work. She told me that I must use it in my classes because of the ways in which it shares so much about the experience of being different, of being disabled. For the past few years now, it has been required reading in the introduction to special education course taken by all teachers. 

The book is deceptively simple in just telling a story about a dog family that has an unusual pup born to them. However, the themes are very deep, In fact for the undergraduate and graduate university classes, I provide discussion points to help them to see the actual depth presented in the story. 

At the close of each semester, I ask students to fill out an anonymous survey about their impressions of the book. I have been shocked at how over-the-top positive student comments have been. Other faculty who have used the book have had the same response. This has encouraged me to try to get the word out about the book a bit more through this weblog and my YouTube channels.

So, I share it with you once again!

McNair

How have we missed this? New article by Jeff McNair

 I haven't posted in this weblog for a long time, but I plan to do a bit more in the future.

Today I want to provide a link to an article that was just published in the Gateway Seminary journal. Perhaps you will find it helpful.  The link is below.

https://thegateway.press/journal/volume-1-issue-1-winter-2025/how-have-we-missed-this-persons-with-disabilities-in-the-christian-community/ 

McNair

Refusing to help

 Hello all,

I haven't posted for a while but something occurred to me this morning that I wanted to comment on.

I am teaching a class for a Christian college and one of the assignments is to interview pastors about ministry that includes persons with disabilities at their church. A comment that came up from my student's interviews was that pastors would say, "We haven't the resources to do ministry to this group." Here is how I responded to those comments.

One other point. When people say they haven't the resources, my response has become, "What resources are needed?" as I think that is often an excuse. Additionally, where in scripture is there a link between our required resources and ministry? Look at what is required in Matthew 25:31-46. Feed hungry people, give thirsty people a drink, welcome strangers, give clothing to the naked, care for sick, and visit those in "prison" (we could say those who have been socially isolated).  These are things that do not require "training." Verse 45 says, "I tell you the truth, when you refused to help the least of these my brothers and sisters, you were refusing to help me" (NLT). To claim a lack of resources is basically saying, "I refuse to help."

We need to be honest with ourselves about our lack of caring.

McNair

Loan forgiveness vs. supporting Americans with disabilities

 Over the years I have come to know many people with various disabilities who are living at or below the poverty line. Several have literally been waiting for over 10 years to get onto section 8 in order to receive housing benefits. In the community where I live, a small apartment is about 1300$ per month. If you consider that social security is a little over a thousand per month, you can see the difficulties people face just making ends meet. And you also realize that as you work your financial benefit decreases. So, these are people in desperate need of assistance that the government doesn't care about. 

But if you make over 100 thousand per year, they can find 10,000$ to give you to pay off a student loan. In all, they can find 300 billion dollars. I don't care what your political preference is, but it is easy to see my frustration with this. This is not caring about the needs of citizens. If we were really interested in the needs of citizens we would care for citizens who are the most needy and we don't. 

My friends wait for help so they can live above the poverty all the while being told there is no money available. While those in government are quick to give money to those who they think will help their political aspirations and bring them power. Otherwise they could care less about you. 

If you would like to disagree, tell me how people with student loans that they chose to take on are more in need than those with disabilities who through no fault of their own live in poverty. Tell me why we can find money for loan forgiveness but not for housing aid.  

This is just the latest from uncaring power motivated political hacks who call themselves "leaders."

McNair