Why and How to Serve Those with Disabilities in Your Ministries
Paul reminds us that our friends living with disability are indispensable to the body of Christ. A church without disabilities, then, becomes an incomplete church.
If we as youth leaders want this message of the gospel to reach as many students as possible, we need others in the church, in particular the leaders, as allies in this work.

Paul reminds us that our friends living with disability are indispensable to the body of Christ. A church without disabilities, then, becomes an incomplete church.
The younger generations are hungry for a place to belong, and that is what the gospel gives us through the local church. In Jesus, we who were once far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ (Eph. 2:13).
If you tend to your soul, your church as a whole and the youth ministry will be healthier. A leader’s energy and ambition to change lives, while admirable, can lead to burnout if not kept in check. We are not our students’ savior; Jesus is.
The best messages come from an intense struggle with the text in the heart, where the teacher is as convicted by the Word as his or her hearers. Merely memorizing words conjured up by an algorithm won’t produce the same result.
To build a volunteer team that loves students well, we must encourage our volunteers toward faithfulness, because in God’s kingdom, faithfulness leads to fruitfulness.
Whatever the outcome, it’s important that we follow up. This might look like a time for testimonies and rejoicing over the Lord’s provision or lament and continued prayer. Either way, good or bad, we need to help students see that God is still in control and is at work.
