Helping Our Friends Grow in the Word by Suzanne Williams

Not too long ago I was having lunch with one of my friends from YL Capernaum. We were covering all of the usual topics like dancing, movies, boys and good food when we turned to talking about her church. I know she just loves her church so I was asking her about how it was going and what she loved the most about it. She told me all about the music and how she loves to worship there. Then she talked about how incredible her pastors are, how they are her friends and she asks them to pray for things her life. She didn’t mention their sermons, so I took the liberty to ask her about them. As we were talking about it, she shared that she has a really hard time following along and isn’t quite sure what they are talking about each week.

This conversation led us to talk about what it might look like for a few of us girls to get together to look at scripture in a way that may be a little easier for all of us to understand it more. I asked her what she would want to study if we did that and in a split second she clearly articulated, “Well, I know that Jesus was born on Christmas and died on Easter and did a lot of amazing things but I don’t know what he was like when he was with his friends. So I’d like to learn about that.”

Last weekend, we gathered together at a coffee shop with a handful of different bibles. We took turns

reading the same story in each version that we had until we decided which one we could understand the most. We talked about what we liked about each one, what the words were like, which ones we could imagine more clearly and which were just flat out confusing. I so appreciated the honesty and beauty of our conversation.

We’ll continue to meet throughout the spring to look at this same story, time and time again. We’ll get to learn what Jesus was like with His friends and how He interacted with people.

I was so encouraged by the honesty of my friend. Even though some parts of church are hard for her, she remains there because she can worship, learn and be loved. And in the midst of that, God provides other sweet ways for her to get to learn all about His friendships while she gathers with her own friends. It certainly is a privilege to be one of them. I can’t wait to learn from each of them!

And ultimately, we love that small groups like this one are happening all over the mission of YL. Kids with disabilities are gathering with their YL leaders to learn about Jesus and what it’s like to walk with Him. Join us in praying for all of these groups around the world!

Inclusiveness of Advent and “Favorite Things” by Lyn TenBrink

When I think of the scene of Christ’s birth I think of all the “favorite things” of many of my Capernaum friends.

Elizabeth’s Dream 💫Come True

Mary’s Choseness👯

Angels Announcements of 📣Good News

A Donkey🐴 as Transportation

The Music 🎶of Mary and Zechariah

The Birth of a Baby Winning🏆  over an Evil King

A Sparkly🌟 Star

Gifts 🎄and Surprises🎉 from Fancy Magi

Animals 🐎🐄🐑in a Stable 

Silence 🙉and Holiness😇 in the Night

A Baby 🍼 who is Christ the Lord!!!!

Right from the beginning God takes great care including a variety of sensory details in Jesus birth story. He does not want anyone excluded from the thrill of hope, peace or joy that Jesus has come to offer!!  What a thoughtful, detailed and inclusive God!

In Young Life we have a founding quote from Jim Rayburn that has been repeated in our mission for over 75 years, “It is a sin to bore a kid with the gospel.”  And it is.  Because God ensures that everyone is included whether it’s the sparkly star, the soft fur of a donkey or the beautiful music coming out of Mary’s lips….God, through his angels assures us….

“I bring you good news of great joy that will be for ALL people.”

Luke 2:1-20

May we thoughtfully include ALL people in our celebration 

of Jesus birth!

Boomsauce Advocacy by Christifer Tomoson

Advocacy is consistently on our minds regarding the population we serve. Parents, teachers, and Young Life Capernaum Leaders spend much of their time advocating on behalf of our friends. Beyond being loved by a God who never disappoints, as Capernaum leaders we want our friends to have a voice (whether vocal or not). I’ve spoken with many parents whose desire it is for their son or daughter to be able to advocate for themselves. Whereas this is a noble pursuit, I want something beyond advocacy for my friends…

I met my friend Tyler about two years ago now, and our first phone conversation was difficult. I remember answering the phone and hearing someone talking, but I couldn’t understand anything that was being said. I asked Tyler if he could text or email me so we could set up a time to meet because I thought that I might be able to understand him better in person. We met at a local coffee shop and he began to tell me his story.

“Hi, I’m Tyler. I have Cerebral Palsy. Some people refer to me as having a disability, but I see it as a gift from God. I have unique characteristics that make me Tyler. By the way, I like to be called ‘Boomsauce,’ it’s the highest degree of awesome. God has made me awesome. I’d like to volunteer with Capernaum.” I was speechless. In the 7 years, I’d been a Capernaum leader, I’d never heard someone speak so passionately and elegantly about the ability God has equipped them with. Tyler not only knew how to advocate for himself, he knew where his identity truly was and wanted to enthusiastically share it with others.

Fast forward to October 27th, 2017. Tyler and 35 of his friends came together to celebrate his 29th birthday. While we were at breakfast, Tyler passed out the following:

Tyler is an incredible young man of God. He has grown into being a discipler for Jesus and longs to serve others first. This took many years of advocacy from his teachers, parents, and friends. I hope we would all desire to have the enthusiasm for life that Tyler has and advocate beyond who we are in our present lives to what God calls us to. We are forever Boomsauce in HIS eyes, as are each of our friends.

In Full View of Them All

by Brad Mowry

“I tell you, get up, take your mat and go home.” He got up, took his mat and walked out in full view of them all. This amazed everyone and they praised God, saying, “We have never seen anything like this!” Mark 2:11-12

The crowd had gathered to get a closer look at Jesus – to listen to his authoritative preaching firsthand. They hadn’t expected to get a picture that would blow their mind.

This is so much of what we are doing and the ripple effects of impact are felt all around what we do as people are watching.

I had a glimpse of this several years ago. My 18-year-old daughter, Hannah, has cerebral palsy and the church we attended had arranged for several women to rotate in spending the service will Hannah so my wife and I could attend worship.

“I’ve got to tell you a story!” the woman who was with Hannah for this particular Sunday said. She went on to tell a story of an older man who walked in to the church with tears in his eyes and told her that he’d never seen anything like what he saw in the parking lot.

I searched my mind, “What amazing thing had I done?” I wondered.

“I’ve never seen brothers care for their sister like that,” he said, hot tears filling his eyes.

I recounted the morning: my wife was already in the nursery, so I had the kids (only 4 at that time). I got out and started the wheelchair lift. Eli took over while I went to get Micah out of his car seat. Isaac backed Hannah off the lift, wiping drool from her mouth. Eli raised the lift back to the van, then we were off and heading to the door.

Amazing, huh?

I couldn’t figure it out – that’s just living for us. But to this man, who sat in his car each week while his wife attended the service, he saw love in a powerful way through a little girl who couldn’t walk, talk, or wipe her own mouth.

A similar thing happened in that house in Capernaum 2,000 years ago. Jesus impacted a man and did it “in full view of them all.”

We now have the chance to do the same. I firmly believe that when we love our friends with disabilities – in full view of them all – there is a powerful impact. The world is watching and when Young Life, and the Church care for the “overlooked and ignored” (Matt. 25:40, MSG) people are amazed.

Brad Mowry works for Young Life – an international adolescent outreach ministry. Brad is the Coordinator for Young Life’s ministry with adolescents with disabilities in the Eastern and Greater NY Divisions (an area that covers everything from Ohio to Virginia to Maine). The Mowrys have 7 children and reside in Western Pennsylvania.

Disability to Disciple

by Kaitlyn Goehringer

Also, check out this video of Kate talking about Capernaum Friends Serving On Summer Staff and Work Crew

A tie-dye cat t-shirt, a bright pink backpack – straps pulled tight - resting uncomfortably high on her back, a contagious smile that makes you wonder what she’s thinking– Although she is surrounded by a sea of her peers, I can spot her almost immediately as she exits the school building. At first glance you might use a lot of words to describe Liz – joyful daughter, unintentional comedian, intellectual disability, but if you’re anything like me when I first met Liz, the word “disciple” probably isn’t one of them. I am ashamed to admit that for almost two years my self-righteous heart had kept me from seeing the disciple in Liz and so many others with disabilities like her. My prayer is that as you continue reading you will hear both the honest confessions of a self-righteous heart and the invitation of our gracious Father into the very depths of the Gospel through people with disabilities.

Self righteousness is our attempt – misguided as it may be – to try and earn or prove our rightness before God and others and even ourselves apart from the finished work of Jesus Christ. In all honesty, I live as if my own performance and abilities are somehow capable of earning or proving my worth to the world and to God. I live this way because at my core I want to believe it. I hate the thought that I can’t earn my own merit, because if I can’t earn it, I can’t control it, and I love being in control. What does all of this have to do with Liz or disabilities? Everything. You see, the way we view people with disabilities is a very clear window into the self-righteousness of our own hearts. Nothing diagnoses a self-righteous heart better than a poor or absent vision for people with disabilities in the Kingdom of God, and this is the very tool God used to begin to uproot the deep-seeded self-righteousness in my own heart.

Liz is 22 years old and was born with an intellectual disability. Make no mistake about it, Liz was created uniquely and purposefully this way to bring something to this world that I believe she could not bring if she fit our definition of “normal”. Liz lives life with an honesty and realness that I deeply crave. Nothing is fake with her and she doesn’t even have to try – it’s just who she is. When Liz prays, it is as if God himself is sitting right next to her, holding her hand and hearing her prayers. Liz’s relational lifestyle is one big, bold, risk – and so is her ministry. It doesn’t matter who you are – the grocery store cashier, a friend at school, the bowling alley attendant, the CEO of a fortune five hundred company – Liz will proudly and boldly share with you what she refers to as the “Gossip” of Christ. At this point I’ve lost track of how many people Liz has directly impacted with the Gospel. “Before I met Christ I struggled with my anger so much that I had to go to Shepheard Pratt Hospital for 10 days. I felt sad and worried and depressed. I didn’t believe in God or think he could help me with any of my problems” Liz would share. “I learned that Jesus died on the cross for my sins and came back to life. I decided I wanted a strong relationship with Jesus. I am more happy now that I have a friendship with Jesus. If you have a disability or don’t have a disability, God loves you the same. Don’t be shy about your disability. I thank God for giving me a disability because he made me special and he made you special too!”

Liz doesn’t know anything about theology. She doesn’t know the books of the Bible in order, or any old testament characters. She knows only one Bible verse by heart which took us almost 5 months to memorize. But Liz exemplifies this verse better than any person I know: “For I resolved to know nothing while I was with you except Jesus Christ and him crucified.” NOTHING. Not a single thing. Except Jesus. Liz may not know the definition of sanctification or even that a word like sanctification exists, but Liz knows and lives the only thing that matters –Jesus Christ, his life, death and resurrection, and that he changed her life. For a very long time I had a very limited vision for Liz and her faith, because to be quite honest – she has limited abilities. The extent of my vision for Liz was congruent with the extent to which I believed her abilities could perform – in life, in relationships and in God’s Kingdom. Essentially what I was living and believing in relation to Liz was that our abilities determine our usefulness in the Kingdom of God.

By sheer grace God began to reveal to me both the simplicity of His Gospel and the self-righteousness of my own heart through my relationship with Liz. Each day I would preach the Gospel of “justification by faith alone” yet live something completely different, and the more time I spent with Liz, the more this became glaringly evident. If I really believed that my faith is grounded and rooted in Christ’s performance and not my own; if my power and goodness and usefulness comes from Jesus Christ and him alone – what makes me any more “useful” to God in his Kingdom work than Liz?

This past April, after a year of leadership training, Liz was placed as a leader on our Capernaum team. My biggest fear for Liz as she entered into our leadership community was that she would be viewed as a “nice addition” to our team – that she wouldn’t be taken seriously or that people’s automatic reactions would sound something like “Aww, isn’t that sweet…” – like we somehow did Liz a favor by letting her become a leader. Let me be blunt: Liz does not need our sympathy. She has everything you and I have that matters: Jesus Christ. Our Young Life community in Baltimore desperately needs Liz. We need the picture of the Gospel that she provides. We need her unique gifting. We need the freedom she offers each of us as she reminds us daily that nothing can earn our place in God’s Kingdom. Our community is more complete because she is a part of it. Don’t get me wrong, training Liz and finding ways to uplift her special abilities was not and still is not easy. It certainly isn’t convenient or efficient by any means, but it is necessary. I am thankful to say that our leadership has welcomed Liz and sees her as an integral part of our community, but this was not by happenstance. A community-wide theologically correct vision for Liz took great intentionality from myself and from the area director with whom I work. While people with disabilities do not need you and I to pity them, they do need you and I to advocate for them. We need to be the people who are willing get our hands and knees dirty as we bend down on all fours and invite them to stand on our backs. This is the position of true humility, and it is the very position Christ willingly took for us in order to restore our dignity and bring us to himself. Jesus saw us as disciples long before we could do anything to earn it. Do you want to walk in the way of the Cross of Christ? Start by choosing to see a disciple, not a disability.

Danielle Taylor

My dear friend Danielle and I only see each other once in a blue moon these days and we laugh about how old we are getting. We live several hours apart and while I wish I could bring her with me to train and equip leaders and staff to understand and work with our friends who are nonverbal, Danielle still helps me in spirit through this beautiful piece we worked on many years ago. This past month I shared it with our entire assigned team as we prepared to welcome friends with many different abilities to camp, and Danielle became a voice for others. I am so proud to call her my friend and to have her ‘join me’ in ministry from afar!

Danielle Taylor

Who am I? My name is Danielle Taylor and I have Cerebral Palsy. I am a person that has what lots of people like to call “special needs.” I am not able to speak with you using my own voice or words. I am not able to walk, run, skip, or jump. I am not able to do any of my own personal care- including bathing, dressing, feeding, or toileting. I cannot run away from unpleasant circumstances, because, in a lot of ways, I am a prisoner in a body that doesn’t function “normally.”

I am a person, and I do the best I can with the abilities that God has given to me. I do have feelings. I do have opinions. I get angry, feel happy, giddy, selfish, hurt, frustrated, and even at times ignored and forgotten. I hate to sit and wait with nothing to do and no one to respond; it may look like sitting and waiting is all I can do, but my mind doesn’t just “sit and wait,” its ready for action and challenge! I answer “YES” with a smile and my head up, and I answer “NO” with a nod of my head and putting it down (when my body cooperates). Sometimes people perceive my movements to be stubbornness, when most of the time, they are just something that my body does without permission from my mind. I can also let you know by my facial expressions if I am happy or uncomfortable, or by using this really fancy machine called the Dynavox. My Dynavox is really the first voice I have ever gotten. Just like you had to learn to use your voice as a baby, I am slowly but surely learning how to use my new voice, so please be patient with me and try to allow me enough time to express what I am trying to say.


I enjoy lots of the same things that you do. I love to swim. I love to read and listen to good books. I love to eat pizza and chocolate any time of the day! I love good movies! I love to get all dressed up for proms and dances- you ought to see me in this chair when I get going! I love to go to Young Life and church to see all my friends and learn more about God! I love to have my hair look pretty, and I love it even more when people notice and tell me how great it looks. I have a great sense of humor, and I love sarcasm and any kind of joking around or pranks; when you have a disability like me, you have to laugh to make it through life!

I am not “retarded.” I know my addition and subtraction, and I even know my multiplication and division tables. I have known my ABCs for many, many years, and I am tired of having to prove it to people. I can write a sentence using my Dynavox, but it may take me an hour. I can read, but the physical aspects like holding a book, turning a page, or even vision make it very impractical, so I just listen and let you read.

I am a person with hopes and dreams. I want to be challenged. I want to show you who I am and what my abilities are! I want to be treated with respect. I need love and understanding, kindness and caring, maybe even sympathy, but I do not need pity. I am not a child, but a young adult, and oh how wonderful it would be if people would believe me when I say that, and treat me like a young adult. Please try to get to know me, and please, look past this wheelchair and these flailing arms to see the person inside. Do not talk about me when I am there, talk to me. My disability doesn’t affect my hearing or my ability to understand what you are saying to me. Listen to my Grandparents, friends, and assistants who truly know me and know my needs- they are my voice. Put yourself in my mind and get to know me, let me get to know you. Believe in me. I can do many things that may surprise you if you just allow me to. Have faith in me, I deserve that. I have no hidden agendas and I will not lie to you. Treat me as you would want to be treated- I am someone just like you- someone with weaknesses and strengths, abilities and disabilities, hopes, and dreams, but most of all- a person with HOPE. My hope lies in knowing that someday, I will leave this “handicapped” body behind, and my spirit will be free for eternity with God in heaven- and then you will see!!

Xuan's Story: Not Defined By Limitations

Guest post by Xuan Truong
I was sitting in the passenger seat of a pickup truck at Young Life camp. My head barely reached the bottom of the truck door window. I looked up and stared fearfully at my friend who had spiritually mentored me during my last semester as an undergrad. “What am I doing?” I yelled through the crack of the window. All I got for a response was a smile and a chuckle. I could tell she had been excitedly anticipating this moment for days. She was going to have a blast watching me from below. Fear began to take a stronger grip as we made our way up the mountain. I listened as the driver made small conversation with my zip-line partner, trying not to think about what I just agreed to.

Zip-lining itself was not my main concern. It was the impact of the stopping brakes at the end that I

feared would crush my bones. In this case, the camp staff decided not to use the brake, but instead have someone catch me. I thought that was the worst idea ever. Having my body crash into some guy I barely met. What am I even doing up here in the mountains, at the hands of strangers? I am just a little person, not even 3 feet tall. What am I doing going on a zip-line? My parents would kill me.

I have a condition called Osteogenesis Imperfecta (OI) or brittle bone disease. Growing up, I was constantly reminded of my limitations. Statements like you can’t do this, you aren’t strong enough. You are too small. You are too weak. Your voice isn’t loud enough. You will always need help. Those phrases tore at my self-esteem, my core. They were repeated over and over again by not just my parents, but by most of my relatives and people who would barely know me. My world was a preset box of my inability.

But here I was on top of this cliff, watching as the crewmember attaches the hooks to the line. These hooks would be the security between the trench below and me. For the past five years I have been breaking the limitations my family has imposed on me one by one. It surprised them but more importantly, I surprised myself. From moving out on my own, attending multiple higher-level institutions and travelling abroad without my parents, I soon became known as the “adventurous” one in my family. Adventurous indeed. I was about to do something that many people in normal physical conditions would never choose to do. The lift that the camp employee was standing on began to lower. I was now fully strapped on to the zip-line. He let go and I slowly descended down.

The actual experience on that zip-line was a bit anti-climatic. Because of my weight, the speed at which I was carried down was much slower than expected. Nonetheless, when asked I told people

that this was my favorite part about camp. It taught me a lot about fears. Not just my own, but overcoming fears that others have placed on me. From then on, I realized most of the limitations I thought were my own were actually from others. Society has conditioned us to see the disability before the ability. In the country that my parents originate from, a person such as I going off to college was unheard of. Those restrictions they placed on my life were motivated by fear. In turn, I inherited their fears and subconsciously turned them into my own truths. When someone tells you it can’t be done, it’s more of a reflection of their limitations not yours.

As humans we all have our own individual limitations. That is what makes us unique. I have accepted long ago that I will never be able to walk. That alone closes a lot of doors both personal and career opportunities. However, recently I have started to notice how my own so-called “limitations” have been opening conversations about having a disability.

I now define my own limits. I know what I am capable of, when I need assistance, and when a task is not suitable for me to complete. My family, my friends, or society no longer defines these limitations. More importantly than that, I want others with disabilities to have opportunities to do something so daring that it transcends their own barriers. I want them to have my zip line experience.

Connection and Belonging by Brad Mowry

I stood in the doorway to the living room – I was frozen. It was a typical Sunday evening for us. We had several pizza boxes spread out on the dining room table and about 30 college students packed in our house. All of these Young Life leaders-in-training had come over to eat and hang out as usual.

But tonight was different. There was something added to the scene that I had never seen before. 

I grabbed my pizza and headed into the living room. My sons wrestled with and chased college guys around the house, the din of conversations and the ambience of the football game could be heard, and

Hannah lay on her therapy mat in the middle of the room.

What made this evening different from every other pizza night, was that there in front of me, Kristen was on the mat next to Hannah. She was combing Hannah’s hair with her fingers and talking to her. 

Hannah was cooing and laughing and looking in Kristen’s eyes – hearing her and being heard.

Why did I freeze? What was so different about this scene? In the 11 years since Hannah was born, this was the first time that someone other than a family member had taken this kind of notice of her. And, more than that, had really connected with her.

The Young Life podcast “On the Frontier” recently referenced the following quote by Brene Brown from her book, Daring Greatly:

“Connection is the energy that is created between people when they feel seen, heard, and valued; when they can give and receive without judgment.”

“Belonging is the innate human desire to be part of something larger than us. Because this yearning is so primal, we often try to acquire it by fitting in and by seeking approval, which are not only hollow substitutes for belonging, but often barriers to it. Because true belonging only happens when we present our authentic, imperfect selves to the world…"

Kristen took the time to truly connect with Hannah in a way that was meaningful to Hannah. Hannah was seen, heard, and valued by this young college-age woman who would eventually become her first Young Life leader.  

So Hannah and Kristen made a connection, but Hannah needs more than that. Hannah yearns to belong. She has a right to belong, and I want that for her and all of my friends with disabilities. 

How does one find belonging?  Brene Brown says, “true belonging only happens when we present our authentic, imperfect selves to the world.” What I have come to know from parenting a child with significant disabilities and befriending others with disabilities, is that no one presents their “authentic, imperfect selves to the world” better than people with disabilities.

This is a gift that people with disabilities have to offer the body of Christ. Because people with intellectual disabilities are often vulnerable and very accepting of others - presenting their authentic,

imperfect selves in relationships - they help us to do the same.

Able-bodied and able-minded people can, and often do, hide our authentic, imperfect selves. I hold back from letting you see the real me: I might not tell you my internal struggles, I can wear loose clothing if I put on a few pounds, or utilize the “comb-over” if my hair thins any more. I will smile when I’m really sad, and tell you I’m fine when I’m not doing well at all.

But Hannah cannot hide her “authentic, imperfect” self (and I don’t believe she wants to). Hannah’s perceived “weaknesses” are not hidden when you spend time with her. Being with Hannah encourages me to abandon my attempts to fit in and to forsake my need for approval. 

We need to discard these false attempts not simply because we are being inauthentic, but because we will not find true belonging while we continue to attempt to deceive others or ourselves.

Disability ministries like YL Capernaum offer the church the opportunity to enter into relationship with a group of people who are much better at creating a community of belonging, when we invite them in. 

If belonging is based in presenting our authentic, imperfect selves to the world, and people with disabilities do this better than most of the world, we ought to be falling all over ourselves to invite people of all abilities, in the midst of our imperfections, into our churches. We are robbing ourselves of true connection and belonging by not seeking out friendships with those with disabilities. 

Brad Mowry works for Young Life – an international ministry reaching out to adolescents. Brad is the Coordinator for Young Life’s ministry with adolescents with disabilities in the Eastern and Greater NY Divisions (an area that covers everything from Ohio to Virginia to Maine). The Mowrys have 7 children and reside in Western Pennsylvania. 

The Power of Friendship by Christen Morrow Ara

It was the first day of school. The cafeteria buzzed with the excitement, anticipation and pure awkwardness of freshman navigating the social arena. New clothes and backpacks and shiny shoes bragged of back to school shopping. After checking in at the office, I was headed to my spot with my people… the cafeteria lunch tables where students with disabilities waited to be served and fed by staff. After greeting several of our Capernaum friends, I spotted what I’d been praying about… the freshmen! There is always a sense of shock and lostness on their faces during those first several days, and I was determined to show up and meet kids on day one!

Quietly and inconspicuously tucked at the end of a table sat Abby. Her tiny walker was parked behind her as she waited for an aide to deliver her lunch tray. Her beautiful brown eyes captured me, and I asked if I could sit next to her. The conversation that followed was more of a monologue with a few one word answers to my questions. Though we would both agree that our friendship began that day, she would tell you that some strange white girl speaking Spanish just wouldn’t go away and had all kinds of tails of potential adventures of high school and Young Life.

A few weeks later I visited Abby’s home. It took some persistence as she was sure it just would not work for her to go to the football game with me and several of her classmates. I showed up a little early, knowing that because of her disability and because of the culture, I needed to meet her parents and earn their trust. Her home was ‘in the projects’ on the south side of town, in one of the four units with wheelchair access, right alongside 3 other Capernaum students. As I began to chat with mom, I realized that Spanish was her second language, Meztec was her first, and English was foreign. There were several other kids in the home and my ease with them began to calm the tension the whole family felt at the idea of sending Abby off in this giant white van with ‘Young Life Capernaum’ painted on the side. As the lift folded and the door to the van shut, I watched as the 6 family members stood on the sidewalk waving.

The game was a blast, we won, and she spoke a few words and even smiled. But there was more coming for her … club, scavenger hunts, Starbucks runs, girls nights out, and later on even prom, overnights and CAMP! In fact it was at camp where Abby was changed forever when she met Jesus. The next year, Abby flew to Colorado with our Capernaum friends and leaders for a discipleship week of camp.

As Abby grew in her desire to know Jesus, her dad picked up a Bible and began reading, her mom

returned to her childhood faith, and the family recognized they needed a church. During this transition, I switched churches so we could begin attending a Spanish speaking service together. I watched this hesitant, fearful, reserved family begin to grow in service and leadership. I watched as some of Abby’s teenaged brothers made a decision to follow Christ!

Fast forward to today: It’s been 13 years of friendship. Abby, now Abigail, has graduated from a training program for receptionists and secretaries. She works, she has gained citizenship, and she has a deep confidence and wisdom. Our friendship has extended through family tragedies and life changes. They’ve welcomed my husband, daughter Abigail (who is named after Abby) and now soon our second child into their larger family. She and her siblings serve together in a local Spanish speaking congregation in lay ministry. Bartolo, Abby’s father, leads men’s Bible studies. Eva, Abby’s mother, shows up with food and counsel for women in crisis.

Recently, I asked Abby to join me at an interest meeting for beginning Young Life in a nearby community, and here is what she said, “Young Life changed my life and introduced me to Jesus, and it changed my family for generations. We now serve God together, we minister to families like ours who are down and out, don’t know Jesus, and don’t know where their next meal will come from. Beginning Young Life in a community like this will transform the community!”

This is the power of a friendship between a Young Life leader and her ‘club kid’ over the long haul. What a gift I was given in the school cafeteria that day… and what an impact this family is making through their lives of service!

Tim’s Covenant by Brad Mowry

I hustled to the top of the zipline at Rockbridge – I admit, I drove rather than hiked up the stairs to reach the top of the quarter-mile long ride at Rockbridge Alum Springs. I was on assignment, but my area was at camp and they were taking the plunge on the zip that day.

One of my guys was getting suited up to take his ride. When I first met Tim, he introduced himself, “I’m Batman.”

“This is going to be easy for you, huh? Batman does this kind of thing everyday!” I said to Tim, noting that he was a little shaky. “Uh huh,” was his unsteady reply.

“Tell him about our bet,” one of leaders, also named Brad, said to Tim. The bet was, “If Tim wins (racing down the zipline), then Brad has to buy us ice cream. And if Brad wins…, then Brad still has

to buy ice cream.” A good bet to be sure!

We all laughed, and I enjoyed watching Brad and Batman sail off into the distance.

It wasn’t until I returned home and was listening to a Tim Keller sermon on God’s covenant with Abraham that I realized how much Tim’s “covenant” with Brad reflects the beauty of the gospel.

The traditional convent between two people in the Old Testament said, “If I break my end of the bargain, I will die. If you break your end of the bargain, you will die.”

But, God offered a different take in Jesus. God said, “If I break my end of the bargain, I will die. If you break your end of the bargain, I will die.” And, in fact, God never breaks His end of a promise, yet we do daily. And Jesus has taken on and conquered death on our behalf.

Did Tim and Brad know they were illustrating the gospel? I doubt it. But this is what happens often in ministry - we are ministered to. God shows the power of the gospel in little glimpses – even with a bet between Batman and his leader.

Poured Out by Elizabeth Robinette

In honor of my leaders at Rockbridge and all the leaders who served at camp this summer:

Have you sat on a bus on the way to camp and already felt overwhelmed? You were excited to serve a kid with special needs, but then you realized, “Oh my God, I am in charge of serving a kid with special needs.”

Have you had your personal space invaded, your water bottle stolen, or your hat removed from your head? Then you must be a Capernaum leader. Have you arrived at camp, sweating through your clothes and had campers hanging on you or hugging you? Then you must be a Capernaum leader. Have you realized it is Day 1 and come to the conclusion that perhaps you shouldn’t have volunteered; and you think you may not make it to Day 5? Then you must be a Capernaum leader.

Have you gone to bed, after an eventful day, in slightly damp sheets from the humidity, and woken up to a kid crawling in your bed? Then you must be a Capernaum leader. Have you panicked thinking you lost a camper….for the tenth time… and chased after him? Then you must be a Capernaum leader. Have you tended to every need? Tied shoes? Administered medication? Assisted in the bathroom? Cleaned? Redirected behavior? Served at mealtime? Encouraged to eat? (but not too much) Attempted to motivate walking to the next event? You must be a Capernaum leader. Have you tried to get your camper out of the pool, but he refuses to get out? And you wonder how you are going to make it to dinner on time? Have you wheeled your friend up the hill and realized you were not going to make it without help? You are a Capernaum leader.

Have you sat in a clubroom with hundreds of kids with special needs and other dedicated friends, watched faces light up with laughter at the egg drop game? Have you heard voices singing at the top of their lungs? Or watched dancing all out to Taylor Swift? Then you are a Capernaum leader. Have you witnessed your friends imitating the funny characters or repeating the lines? Have you realized that the person you brought to camp is no longer a kid with special needs but a friend? You are definitely a Capernaum leader. Have you realized this friend shares the same hopes and dreams you

have, the desire to be loved and accepted? Then you are a Capernaum leader. Have you watched your friend accomplish the ropes course (or at least try) and then celebrated together? Have you laughed together after being pied or dunked at the County Fair? You are a Capernaum leader.

Have you felt God’s strength in your weakness? Have you witnessed the smiles on the faces of friends being treated like royalty? Have you seen a glimpse of the Kingdom of God? Then you are a Capernaum leader indeed. Have you seen God’s glory in the other volunteers and staff as they cheer, serve, help, work, feed, love, give and give? Then you are a Capernaum leader. Have you shared God’s heart for people; God’s steadfast, unconditional love? Have you lived out your faith and not just talked about it, been poured out like a drink offering for the gospel? You are a Capernaum leader. Have you been the hands and feet of Christ? Have you been a light and revealed God’s glory? Then you are definitely a Capernaum leader. Have you gone home from camp excited for solitude, rest, air conditioning, and your own bed? But then you woke up missing all your friends from camp? You are a Capernaum leader. Have you watched your friends respond to the gospel? Have you rejoiced that they belong to God and are part His family, part of your family? You are a Capernaum leader.


Well done good and faithful servant! You are a Capernaum leader.

Oh How He Loves Us! by Christen Morrow

“Oh how He loves us….” Few places on earth give us a glimpse of the way God loves us in the way that Young Life camp does. We see this so clearly when our friends with disabilities are surrounded by leaders who know and care for them, when able bodied peers are experiencing camp alongside campers with disabilities and when an entire work crew, summer staff, and assigned team are serving behind the scenes.

Two weeks ago I was privileged to watch contagious joy as 134 campers with disabilities and their entire entourage of 99 high school age buddies and 94 adult leaders pulled into camp. The welcome was so wild, joyful, and outrageous that tears of joy poured down my cheeks. Rarely are individuals with disabilities received somewhere with so much anticipation, celebration, and excitement. From the moment they arrived, it seemed that heaven itself was singing, “He loves us, oh, how He loves us….”

As the week began and the games, activities, competitions, club talks and cabin times progressed, I caught glimpses of the impossible made possible. A camper who recently had her leg amputated left her wheelchair behind and was harnessed in to ride the zipline and then the giant swing, a sign language interpreter sat by her side making sure she was able to communicate clearly and knew exactly what to expect. Friends conquered fears as they mounted a horse, entered the pool, or climbed onto the ropes course. A group of leaders, who refused to be discouraged by their friend’s behaviors and were determined to continue to experience camp with him, got to witness as Ryan understood

JESUS was the light of the world and then asked one of his leaders to help him make Jesus the boss of his life! Watching our friends interact with Scripture through letters written to Jesus, activities in

cabins, and conversations with leaders were evidence of the love of Jesus being poured out. The moments and the stories are countless, but each one is known to God who loves us infinitely and who takes the time to display that love!

On the final morning, our speaker invited campers who wanted to make Jesus the boss of their life and live in the light to come forward and trace their hand in the giant sun she had used to represent the light of Jesus in the world. As our friends came forward with their leaders, they were lead in the song we’d heard heaven sing over us all week… “How He Loves Us.” Take a moment and listen to the sound of 327 people declaring along with heaven that God indeed LOVES us more than we can know… and realize that ‘US’ includes you. God’s love for our friends in Capernaum is a reminder of how God loves you and how God loves me! What a welcome, celebration and outrageous joy await us as we come near to Him!

When Do We Win?

At camp, each night there’s a fun game up on stage in which campers are chosen to participate in front of the whole 400+ people at camp. Last Monday night one of the campers, who was having a great time at camp but who doesn’t like loud noises and is a bit socially awkward, was chosen to come up on stage. He bravely walked up there, with his leader close behind him. The game on this particular evening involved the camper laying down on a scooter while holding a laundry basket. Meanwhile his leader was to push and pull him while he used the laundry basket to scoop small, colorful balls from the middle of the stage into their corner. The team that gathers the most balls wins.

Gradually teams were eliminated until it was just our friend and his leader and one other team. They battled and the other team was really good at this game; they were scooping up lots of the little colorful balls and their pile was overflowing. Our team was hanging in there, but their pile was substantially smaller when the music stopped and it was time to announce the winner.

However, then it happened, our team was announced and congratulated as the winners! The other team looked confused but graciously stepped off the stage, and the whole room cheered for our team. I looked around in wonder - here was a group of people who are really nice and who really desired to do the right thing, and yet they missed it. While it had been a brave act for our friend to walk up on stage and play the game in front of his peers, and we could celebrate this with him, he didn’t really win the game…..

The next night when it was game time, again one of our campers was chosen to participate. However, this evening was different. This evening the Game Show hosts were featuring someone from the audience with a special skill. They had heard of Sam’s skill and so they invited him to answer some questions in order to highlight his skill. Sam can name the exact release date of every animated movie that has been made since 2002 and can list the trailers previewed in the theatre before the movie is shown. So this night, after Sam named the dates and trailers for several popular movies, he received applause from the audience for his amazing memory. People were in awe of his skill. We were all amazed at the way God has made his brain work. This night we were not just allowing a person with a disability to win a game out of pity or because we didn’t know what else to do, but because he had a skill and an ability that we all enjoyed and could celebrate.

God has made each of us with gifts and abilities and skills that we are to identify, grow, and use for God’s glory. (I Corin. 12) Together, let’s celebrate those gifts with accurate opportunities to shine!

Living Generosity

By Lyn TenBrink

“Never again will I curse the ground because of human beings, even though every inclination of the human heart is evil from childhood…. “  Genesis 8:21-22

“I will bring you out of from under the yoke of the Egyptians.  I will free you from being slaves to them, and I will redeem you…” Exodus 6:6

“If you then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!”  Luke 11:15

Some of us grew up with a Bible that had all God’s promises highlighted.  I remember as a kid thinking it sooo great that God made those promises and He kept them.  So unlike anything I usually experienced in life with people. 

As I grew older and tried to mimic keeping my promises…I simply failed miserably, and it became a vicious cycle of disappointment.

But something changed in me as I developed friendships with people different than me, especially in   I began to see God’s intent in those promises as a covenant with humanity but also as extreme generosity!  He is God; He did not and does not need to make any promises to us!  But He did and does because of His extravagant love.  He proves He knows our needs and hears the cries of our heart by stepping in and lavishing His generosity of Spirit ALL OVER US!!!!! Everyday, Every hour, Every moment!!!

Capernaum.

His generosity gets even more personal through his Son:

“Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you…do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.”  John 14:27

“No temptation has overtaken you except what is common to us all.  And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear.”  I Corinthians 10:13

“Then neither do I condemn you,” Jesus declared.  “Go now and leave your life of sin.”  John 8:11

God generously offers us peace, the gift of being known, faithfulness, presence, grace… the list could go on and on and on.  Often we struggle to mimic God’s example of fulfilling promises, but His generosity is something we can grasp.  Since I have been involved with Capernaum, I feel like I have been taking a crash course directly from God on generosity.  

My Capernaum friends extend generosity like no one else.  I am not talking about a transactional give and take, I am talking transformational inside out.

My Capernaum friends generously:

-       Repeat the same word 5 times as I struggle to understand.

-       Suffer sore muscles because I lift them out of their chair incorrectly.

-       Endure noises they hate and that agitate them just to be a part of a worship experience.

-       Let me put words on how they feel instead of me actually asking them.

-       Come to a club I planned instead of me asking them for their input.

-       Quietly accept society’s lie that their worth is in what they do.

This list could go on and on.  Our friends with disability have so much to teach us about the generosity of Jesus’ lavish love!  The last few years of my life I have only ingested a mite of it.  But every once in a while I imagine how different my life, my church, my friendships, my community would be if the generosity my friends show us was shown back to them?   How different would this world look if we truly let the generosity of Christ’s love lavish over it?

Jesus’ time on earth was the result of a generous God’s love overflowing onto this earth.  Jesus then generously stepped into the lives of everyone He came in contact with and then generously lavished God’s love all over them.

What if we read scripture through the eyes of God’s generosity?  What if we met people like our Capernaum friends and dared to imagine all the ways they were generous with us in life, spirit, mind and soul?    

Stepping Into Different Roles

I have a lot of favorite parts of my job. I guess that’s part of why I can always say that I love my job. Of course, there are things that I could do without, but when my days look like they do, it makes it pretty easy to push through those things. Something that I have been particularly excited about lately is getting to help some of our Capernaum friends around the division step into different roles.

For some, it’s getting to do work crew or summer staff this summer. I’m thrilled about them getting to spend a month at a YL camp where they will work tirelessly to serve hundreds, if not thousands, of campers. They will fold towels, make beds, wash dishes, serve meals, clean game rooms, fill water balloons, pass out safety glasses and so much more. All for free, all so kids can encounter Jesus.

For so many of our ministries, it’s the transition that they are walking through where they are graduating their older friends into church ministries or other opportunities. This has been a goal of ours for the past few years and it seems to really be taking off this year. Building relationships with churches takes time and none of us were ready to just send our friends off to something that didn’t exist or that we didn’t believe in. Thankfully, churches around the division are stepping up to say “yes” to our friends with disabilities, yes the church is in incomplete without them, yes we aren’t quite sure how to do this but we will, yes we believe we’ll be better for it. Just a couple of weeks ago I was sitting at the Regional Special Olympics Basketball tournament. Many of our friends in YL Capernaum are on teams, as well as many of the young adults that graduated into a ministry called The Ascent, run by three churches. My heart exploded when I looked down the bleaches to see volunteer leaders (with their own young children) from the Ascent, filling a row, cheering on their new friends. The buzzer sounded and they jumped off of the bleachers, charged the court and were high fiving our friends. They get it… it is all about relationships. A bench-clearing buzzer redefines what they signed up for, not a program, but a relationship.

And for my friend Owen, it means making another mark in Young Life’s history. Owen is one of our Capernaum alumni from Fayette County, GA. His YL leader taught him about being a leader and about how to use his gifts and talents to serve others. He’s done program (the funny guys) for clubs, a few training events and even a weekend but this summer he’ll be the first person with a disability to serve on a YL Assignment team in a program role. He’ll be a part of the humor in camp for thousands. And not humor in the eyes of the world, where people would laugh at him. But humor in the eyes of Christ, where kids walls will break down, they will enjoy pure humor, they will laugh with their peers and they will be reminded that the world is a bit bigger than themselves. Owen’s taking the stage and it’s sure to be amazing!

As I sit in the Denver airport today, I find my heart exploding over these great stories and the knowledge that with every new Capernaum ministry comes the opportunity for moments like these years down the road. It’s just all so good.

Thanks for praying with us and cheering us on!

On A Mission

There is a beauty in our friends with different abilities serving one another at Young Life Capernaum. Last Wednesday, I got to see it in action again!

We were recently given the gift of a van that has space to transport our friends who use wheelchairs and our friends who don’t. Club was starting in an hour and we still had 2 pick ups to do, rush hour traffic, and of course the process of securing each wheelchair in our van all made for a bit of a rushed evening.

“I help you, Christen,’ said Zachary. Zachary takes service seriously and does it with a smile like at our local grocery store where I run into him bagging my groceries or at home, or hanging out with my family, his attitude is incredible! As we pulled up to Joey’s house, Zachary, always aware of safety, carefully got out, walked around to the back and opened the back hatch, lowered the folding ramp and stood by with a smile of pride and joy.

As Joey’s dad wheeled him toward the van, Zachary stepped forward; he said to me, ‘I do it or you?’ We didn’t need many words that day, Zachary and I worked seamlessly together and got our friends in that van, secured, through town, unloaded, and to club and right to the feet of Jesus!

When club was over, Zachary quietly stood by the van, opened the doors, unfolded the ramp, handed me tie-downs and LOVED helping! As we drove and talked about the club talk, I asked one of our friends Joey, what his experience with church was and he responded “I heard that God is nice and takes care of people but I don’t know much about Him….” I listened as my reserved friend Zachary piped up “I know about Him. He loves me. He helps me. You want Him help you too?”

I was amazed by the boldness of Zachary who told Joey about how God has helped him at school with his grades and to do a good job at his work sites. Next thing you know, our whole van is listening to Zachary pray for Joey who struggles with the way kids look at him. Zachary was asking Jesus to be Joey’s best friend, to help him find nice friends, and to know love. I was teary eyed. The van was quiet.

As we folded up the ramp and Zachary took his place in the van again, I asked my friends if they remembered the story we’d used all last semester to talk about Jesus. Zachary recounted perfectly the story of the friends lowering their friend who couldn’t walk down to Jesus’ feet. He even opened his Bible to show find the story. We reviewed the characters in the story and I asked my friends which one they were like. There was a long silence and I wondered if they were still tracking with me. I looked in the mirror and caught Zachary’s ear-to-ear grin as he said “I the friend. I take friend to Jesus, even push wheelchair.”

Zachary is on a mission. He is a junior in high school and this is his first year at Young Life Capernaum, but he is on our team! He is praying for his friends’, who also experience disability, not just to know about Jesus, but to know Him! We aren’t talking about him coming to camp as a camper this summer, he already knows Jesus! Zachary wants to get more friends to Jesus’ feet and he will do all he can to make that happen! We are working on a plan to get Zachary to work crew this summer!

Heart Of Stone - Lyn TenBrink

“I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh. And I will put my Spirit in you and move you to follow my decrees and be careful to keep my laws.” Ezekiel 36:26-27

I love rocks and stones. We have them all over our house as door-stops, on window ledges, in bowls on coffee tables. We have them as souvenirs from trips since our kids were little to now. I even collect “hearts of stone” that our family has found on various excursions. 

While these rocks are reminders of places, moments of time, history, beauty, creativity, they also remind me of where my heart has been and the places God has had to chisel away so He could give me a heart of flesh- a new spirit.

The older I get the more familiar I am with the process I have to go through with God and sometimes it comes in the most beautiful and unexpected moments and usually results in tears that I can’t explain. Tears that are both joy filled and sorrowful, tears that almost feel holy because they come from such a sacred place where God did His work. Where He literally loosened my fists and opened my hands, palms up, suspended in the air with expectation.

The last few years I have experienced God’s chiseling of my heart of stone MOST through my relationships and experiences with Capernaum friends. God has used them to begin a new spirit around:

Justice. As I have watched and walked with, in order to navigate a place for a wheelchair in a movie theater, a line of people or seating at a restaurant. Thanks Annie!

Knowness. As such a remarkable gift that it forces me, as a cracked pot, to look at the expanse of my Potter’s hands. Thanks Shawnzy!

Generosity. From a friend who has to repeat the same sentence 3-5 times until I finally understand, every time. Thanks Krissy!

Authenticity. In a way that when a song comes on at club, and despite the plan, a dance party bubbles up as if it was meant to be. Thanks Katie!

Honesty. As if there is no other way and the gift that goes with it is a genuine “new day” ALL. THE. TIME. Thanks Andy!

This chiseling of my “heart of stone” very rarely is comfortable or chosen on my part. In fact I avoid it. But I think God has had enough of our hearts of stone, at least mine. And I have a lot of new friends who give me a very real picture of what a “heart of flesh” looks like and I like it!

Do you need some new friends? Do you need a new spirit? Well, let me invite you to Capernaum!

Serve Not With 'Have To' But With Love

Last week, 5000 Young Life Staff gathered in Orlando to celebrate Young Life’s 75th birthday! The room was filled with people representing every aspect of ministry in the mission. We had people from around the world, unfortunately not all 99 countries that we are in but close. We had people from YoungLives, Capernaum, Multi-Cultural and Urban, Suburban, Wyld Life, YL College, Private Schools, Military Bases, Small Towns, Inner Cities… you name it, they were there.

Young Life did a lot of spectacular things in preparation for the conference and while we were there, but one of my favorites was how they chose to make the Work Staff Team representative of the mission. The team was made up of 60 folks, chosen from among over 400 applications. People came from around the globe to serve on this team and they worked hard. Harder than we can imagine and covered details that we’ll never know about.

We had the privilege of having three of our Capernaum friends serve on the Work Staff Team along with three coaches (amazing Capernaum leaders). They each brought their unique personalities and

 Jessica and Kara serving the YL store at YL75

gifts to the group. Owen brought his energy, passion and voice. GR brought his deep love for Jesus, joy and the gift of faithful prayer. Kara brought her sweet spirit, encouragement to others and a heart of gold. They all served selflessly, setting a bar for the entire team and really, for all of us.

On night one, Young Life had every flag from every country in which we have ministry. A woman walked out on stage and with a spotlight on her, delicately played her cello while all 99 flags were paraded into the gathering space for all of us to take in the greatness and vastness of what God is doing around the world. Kara was so moved by this that by the end of the week in our journey back to Nashville, when I asked her what her greatest highlight of the week was, she said “the flag ceremony, I was just so amazed by how big God is and how awesome it is that people do ministry in those places. I couldn’t believe that I got to see that. I cried the whole time.”

It wasn’t Magic Kingdom or Universal Studios. It wasn’t free swag or all of the new friends that she made. It wasn’t a daily trip to Starbucks or endless amounts of great food. It was the picture of God at work around the world at the same time that He’s at work in our hearts.

Jessica, who served as Kara’s coach, said that every day Kara prayed out loud for the international staff and volunteers. She “thanked God that they could be free to talk about their faith and not be persecuted for it”. And then she would end her prayers asking God to help her and the work staff to “serve not with a ‘have to’ or with haste, but with love”.

May our hearts cry out in the same way and our memories be greater for the kingdom perspective that Kara has reminded us of!

Freshmen by Christen Morrow Ara

I love freshmen. I love contact work with freshmen. There is something so exciting in the air when you walk on campus and meet students who have recently entered what can be a terrifying world of high school and begin to be their friend!  The excitement of new possibilities, new lives transformed, new families touched, new camp experiences on the horizon, and all the life to be had together through friendships built in Young Life Capernaum…. And this fall, our Young Life Capernaum team in Fresno, California has had an exciting new emphasis on freshman. Our club is so alive and full with new friends who are freshmen in high school!

As my husband Christian and I enter into relationships with students, particularly those from Spanish speaking homes, we are having a blast! Our friends are now one semester into their high school career… and can you guess what they are talking about, dreaming about and looking forward to? According to our friend and co-leader (and also their teacher), Mike, Young Life Capernaum club is

the main topic of discussion from the morning after club until minutes before the next club begins! Mike said that they are trying to guess what the next themed club might be, who ‘gets to be last’ in getting dropped off; thus giving them just a little more time in the front seat of the mini van with their leader. They can’t get enough! Here are a few of this fall’s highlights from our freshmen friends: video game nights, pajama club, human bowling, super hero club, movie outings, Starbucks ‘just to catch up’ and riding “shotgun” with their wheelchair loaded in the back and long forgotten.

As we watch many of our older Young Life Capernaum friends transition and into the next stage of their lives and faith journey, we are so excited about a whole new generation of high school kids who are becoming our friends, who are being invited into a fullness (and silliness) of life that they haven’t ever dreamed of, and who will be introduced to the One who made them and loves them! What a privilege we have to start all over again with a new freshmen class and be sure that every teenager with a disability is invited into all that God has for them!

What has been the highlight for your freshmen friends??

Universal Design by Lyn TenBrink

Universal design is the design of products and environments to be usable by all people, to the greatest extent possible, without the need for adaptation or specialized design.

It has taken me awhile but I am learning that with the nature of my job and all the traveling to and fro, God uniquely weaves and connects learning points for me. For example just in the month of October I had a conversation with:

• A woman in the airport who works with cities to create “universal design” in their public spaces. She was most excited about the variety of people she got to meet while working on a variety of projects.
• A woman at a meeting I attended is working to develop a “universal design” around worship services.
• A gentleman who was my seat-mate in the airplane has a cognitive disability and he works for a company that anticipates challenges he may have in his travels, and makes arrangements so that nothing gets in the way of his job. As he states it, “I work for a company that gets ‘universal design’ at every level.”

You get the message here; I have spent a lot of time thinking about “universal design.” As I have, questions have come to mind such as: 

 

Why do we need agencies and people to be intentional about this? 

Why don’t we practice hospitality and accessibility more often?

Why are public organizations more aware of and moving forward with UD than Christian organizations?

Why do we need laws to demand UD?

How have I been intentional about universal design in the last 24 hours?

These questions may have a variety of answers, but one thing I am convinced of is that these questions are part of the reason Jesus came.  He spent so much time modeling hospitality and accessibility; including a variety of learning styles and contexts so that people could hear “good news!”  He went to such a variety of people that his actions simply screamed, “ALL of these people are included, celebrated and needed” in the gospel of universal design!!!!  Jesus brought an inclusive, universal gospel of hospitality!!!!!

Our friends in Capernaum are part of that picture!  Jesus blew it up on so many different levels.  Our friends in Capernaum are changing those of us involved, and they are also opening our eyes to other “varieties” of people that Jesus came for!  Because I know Shawnzy,  Allen and Zach, its easier for me to invite Keisha and Azreal into my life. 

God is opening our hands so that we can invite more people to the table!

What does the life of Jesus in Luke 14 and Corinthians 12 have to say about “universal design?”

• We prepare, invite and go intentionally as if it’s a new day!!!
• We need to flip our individualistic thinking. We often think that we are the key to others flourishing, however THEY are also the key to my flourishing.
• No part of the body is indispensable. None, not even one.

What would it take for us to be a people of universal design as Jesus intended?

Let’s keep going my friends!