Creative Ideas for Worship With All Abilities

I wear several hats in my everyday life; mother of many children, sister of a woman with Down Syndrome, a children’s minister, and a special educator. Creative Ideas for Worship With All Abilities is a resource that I will keep on my closest bookshelf in my office because it provides me with a wide range of options at my fingertips. I was provided with a copy from the publisher, but I have already ordered one of my own to use in my role in children, youth, and family ministries.

Ms. Bradley and Mr. Cargin have been practicing in the field of ministry with those with special needs for over 40 years. They bring a wide experience to this book, and I appreciate these pioneers for sharing their hard earned knowledge with us. They are British, so terminology is different from current language in the United States, but it does not get in the way of their message and wisdom from their experiences.

I frequently receive requests to help people discern how they can make their worship and faith formation ministries more inclusive of all people. This book provides several guidelines, questionnaires, and examples that will help congregations thoughtfully examine how they can be more intentional and effective in inclusion of all of God’s children. Congregations could use these sections of the resource as is, but also adapt it to fit their congregation, particularly in light of the changes that have happened since the covid pandemic.

I am very excited to use the section that provides scripts for 12 different worship services! While I do not lead worship, these skits are perfect for use in a variety of settings, and easily adaptable for multigenerational faith formation and midweek enrichment groups that include people with a variety of talents. I am already making plans on how to incorporate these into a summer-long drama ministry with my youth. 

This resource is a solid choice to keep on your shelves. You will find wonderful advice and ready-to-go ministry opportunities.