Kristy 0:06

Welcome to Unshaken, the podcast where unwavering faith means real life. I'm Christy, and together with my husband Tony, we dive into authentic conversations, offering biblical insights and sharing stories that inspire resilience, especially for families navigating the unique challenges of disabilities. Join us each week as we explore faith family and the journeys that keep us grounded in Christ. Don't forget to subscribe so you never miss an episode. Let's stand firm together. And today we're gonna talk about something a little bit different than we usually do. We want to talk about the church and what it is to be someone who is impacted by disability in the church. And then in response to that, uh some things that can facilitate much cooler outcomes for the people that are impacted by disability. If there are goals with this, it would be just to open eyes, bring awareness, to honor families who are impacted by disability, and then to just empower people. I think when it's over, if you guys, our listeners, can look back over the episode and say, Oh, I never saw it like that before, then I think we've probably done our job. Uh, what we want to start with is we want to create a situation where what we're about to tell you becomes proactive. So let me say this. In a lot of cases, families uh who are impacted by disability really struggle uh in church. And we'll go into the reasons why uh in just a little bit. But what I think happens a lot of the time is that churches, through really no fault of their own, other than just not being aware, don't see those issues until they have to. And they have to when a family is leaving because their needs weren't met. So we're looking to bring this to a situation where we saw it up front and then we were able to be proactive in creating an environment that's welcoming for everybody. Over time, just like in the world at large, perspectives around disability and accommodation have really changed over the years. There used to be a situation where whatever the minimum standard was had to be the legal requirement that had to be good enough. And I think that over time, with just awareness and growth in general, we've come to a place where we know better, where we are able to be ahead of the game a little bit and anticipate needs. And instead of reacting on the backside with whatever we have to do, we can proactively plan and create and really open doors so that everybody comes in and a difference isn't relevant because everybody's needs are met however they show up. And I think that most people mean well. I think that I don't think there's anybody who attends church or who works at a church or anything like that who ever would want to minimize or um who doesn't care. People really mean well. And I think it's just like anything else, right? Until you have awareness, until you see a situation, until it's brought to your attention, there's no way to know. My hope is that this evening, or or whenever you're listening to this, we will be able to bring it to your attention and help you see something that you won't be able to unsee. And then we'll empower you to act on it. You know, I think a couple things this past year have been really instrumental for Tony and me with regard to this. Um, one was um a class that we took essentially around this topic, around inclusivity and just creating a welcoming space as Christians, as members of church at large, really leveling the playing field and being able to fully love and include and serve with our sisters and brothers who live with disability. The other thing was a conference that we went to. Um, and Tony was able to uh sort of be a supporting presenter there. And it was just amazing. You know, we sat in a room full of people from churches from all over the state here, and people just called out, you know, situations that they had seen as problematic. This was a breakout section. There was probably, I don't know, 12 or 15 people in the room, and every church that was represented had different issues. It doesn't look the same for everybody. And at the same time, the issues that are relevant to one are really going to be relevant to all. Let's jump in with some scripture, scripture, and let's see God's heart on this, and then we'll jump in. This week we have two anchors. Uh, the first is from 1 Corinthians. It's 1 Corinthians 12, 21 through 26. And it says, the eye cannot say to the hand, I don't need you, and the head cannot say to the feet, I don't need you. On the contrary, those parts of the body that seem to be weaker are indispensable, and the parts that we think are less honorable, we treat with special honor, and the parts that are unpresentable are treated with special modesty, while our presentable parts need no special treatment. But God has put the body together, giving greater honor to the parts that lacked it, so that there should be no division in the body, but that its parts should have equal concern for each other. If one part suffers, every part suffers with it. If one part is honored, every part rejoices with it. The second is from Proverbs 31. It's verses 8 and 9, and it says, speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves, for the rights of all who are destitute. Speak up and judge fairly, defend the rights of the poor and needy. In both, I think what we're what we're seeing here is that every part of the body of Christ, meaning every person, matters. However, whatever part you bring, whether maybe you think you're the pinky toe, or maybe you're the brain, you know, maybe you're the shin or the belly, like it, it doesn't matter because where every part brings a different function, they all are necessary. I would also say that God notices the overlooked. He's just got a little something special for people, for the underdog, for people who aren't seen. Inclusion on our part is reflected throughout scripture. It's it's it's reflective of theology. Going from this place as our sort of jumping-off point, how we treat the vulnerable, it really reveals what we believe about God Himself.

Tony 7:29

This episode is not about beating you over the head, saying all the things that have gone wrong. This is about extending grace so that we can create an environment where we're able to say to everyone that walks through our doors, we're so glad you're here. And it won't matter whether they have uh a physical disability and an intellectual disability or no disability. It's just we're so glad you're here. Because you walked through the doors and you came in into your father's house. When we think about the experience and about what it feels like to walk in when you are dealing with a disability, there are so many different variables that go into what it's like to walk into a church building. There's certainly the emotional load because there's nerves when you walk into a church building. Because you don't know how you're going to be received. You don't know what that's going to feel like, what it's going to look like. That can be very nerve-wracking.

Kristy 8:45

Um, I would just add that whether it's your first time in church or your first time in church in a long time, or if you're someone who goes every week, when you live with disability, society at large notices and they don't always notice with kindness. And so when you've been asked to leave a restaurant because your neurodiverse kiddo is noisy, or when you've seen, you know, a situation where someone's body is dysregulated, and so they're acting in a way that looks and sounds different from what everyone else is doing. Even it might just be like a situation where you're in a wheelchair and it just doesn't fit. It doesn't, it doesn't always go through the doorway nicely, or um it's difficult in a restaurant to, you know, to find a table that works or whatever. This happens everywhere. It's not just church. When you come to church and you think about what you think church is typically like, where someone is talking and everyone else is quiet, or you know, people are singing or whatever, like those things can really generate a lot of fear. Tony was right. It there's some anxiety that comes with that just based on what's happened in the rest of the world. And then when you think about those church-specific activities, it's not your run-of-the-mill sitting at home on a couch kind of at your father's house.

Tony 10:13

This also points to how much planning has to go into getting to the church. Most church services are early on Sunday mornings, and mornings can be tough. I know for me, mornings are very tough on my body just because in the morning my body isn't warmed up. You've been sleeping, you've been maybe in one position for a very long time, and now you've gotta, you know, get moving and get going. And those of us that that have a physical disability, if you are in one position for a long time, there can be some stiffness that can just make that process of just getting out the door a really labor-intensive process, and then you're having to navigate a parking lot maybe that you're not used to. You know, maybe there's some uneven sidewalks or surfaces that you're that you're having to navigate, and all the more so if there's a a wheelchair involved or a walker involved or something like that, there's there's just a lot of planning that has to go into what that looks like when you've got the emotional load and you've got the planning, like Christy said, there's also going to be that fear of like judgment. If people are expecting to walk at a at a certain pace and I'm not keeping that pace, are people annoyed with me? Because I'm not going at the pace that that they're expecting. If you're a parent of someone that is that has a disability, no matter if it's physical, intellectual, whatever it is, there's that constant state of vigilance that you're always looking at and and looking for. So while you may have been looking forward to going to church, it still is nerve-wracking, even though there's nothing, you know, maybe that's going on with you personally, you're looking out for your person. And I know that sometimes you know, even for Christy, because she's looking out for me, she's looking out for anything that might trip me up. When we are both able to finally sit down in service, there's this kind of like exhale, like okay, we're good. We're we made it, we're we're in the building. It's one of those things that the easier we can make that transition to go from the parking lot to the building, that's one step in this process. And then once you get in into the building, then a whole nother host of things that you then have to navigate just depending on the type of building that you're walking into. Are there different levels, are there different transitions? When you walk into the building, is it very loud? And so if you've got sensory issues or your loved one has sensory issues, that could be sensory overload just from the music or the choir maybe practicing. I know a lot of churches have rehearsal or or practice before service. So that can be something. There can be transitions between services. So maybe you don't go to the very first service and you go to the second service. Well, there's gonna be people both coming and going. Traffic both ways in the form of people, but then there's also parking lot traffic that has to be navigated and people coming in and out of classrooms if there was if there's Sunday school classes going and all of those kind of things. Bathroom break is needed, maybe there's you know some seating issues, depending on just mobility. When you add all of those things together, there's also going to be that social awkwardness, especially if it's your first time going to a church. We don't know anybody, and nobody knows us. And we're just trying to get to a service.

Kristy 14:28

I can say so. This week, when Tony and I went to church, Tony has very long legs and he walks with a crutch. And so when we sit down, it's really beneficial for him to be on an aisle. Uh, it gives him a little bit more flexibility in straightening his legs or, you know, just moving to be comfortable, finding a place to put his crutch. Like it's just beneficial. We went in and we sat on an like on the aisle, but the the row that we were in on the the opposite end from us, there's a bar that like that prevents people from coming in on that side. Tony and I essentially were, I was in seat two and he was in seat one. We got there early. We always get there early so that we can have more space and more time to navigate. Worship started, and this couple came up to us and, you know, we're asking, like, can we scoot in here? And then of course we were like, Yeah, of course. And then they saw that it was a little bit tough for Tony to stand up. And the the woman in the couple was just like, oh, no, no, no, it's okay, never mind, never mind. And we're like, dude, come on in, just give us a second, you know. And so Tony was able to get up and and they came past us and whatever. But that brief interaction, like during a song, it came up multiple times. Like, you know, the pastor said to like say good morning. And so then she made kind of like a little comment or like an awkward little, like, good morning again, sorry about that, kind of a thing. And then at the end of service when we left, it was again, and I was just like, gosh, you know, way to way to spotlight the difference. You know, and Tony was cool about it. He always is. Uh, and it's not super easy for him to stand up, but it it it worked out, you know. But just it's just an example of how something as silly as, like I said, that bar at the end, the other end of the aisle really makes things tough.

Tony 16:26

And so if you're starting to feel the weight of this, I just want to keep reiterating throughout this episode, this is not about guilt and this is not about shame. This is about awareness and opening up your eyes to what potentially could happen with different families and different people that are dealing with different challenges when it comes to disabilities. Understanding that just getting to service can often feel like a marathon for those that are dealing with any type of disability. It doesn't just have to be physical, it can be any disability. When you see a family that maybe is on edge, or maybe you see a family that isn't all smiles as they're walking in, there might not be anything wrong. It just might be that they've just run out of gas getting into the building and they'll be fine once they're able to kind of sit down and take a minute to catch a breath to what happened earlier, you know, when we went to service. The one thing that I will say, and I didn't say anything to this couple, there was no reason to. But patience does go a long way. Waiting an extra thirty seconds or even sixty seconds for someone to be able to get up. There was no important information that was being given out that was being missed because it took me a second to get up, it was just about being able to get to their seats.

Kristy 18:07

They were mired up in their own perspective, right? They knew they were running late. That was what was on their mind. They've they've already started, the singing's already started, and they were stressed about getting to their seat. And instead of being able to set that down and take the perspective of somebody else and say, you know what, it really is just the singing and we can sing in the aisle for a minute, they weren't able to do that. And it wasn't out of meanness, it was truly uh it was with the best intentions. I I think the lady just didn't want to be disruptive, didn't want to make it difficult, whatever. But if she had just been able to, like Tony said, just be patient just for a little minute and say, like, yeah, they they've said they'll get up, you know, they're they're happy to do it, they're smiling at us. Just take a little minute to just try to think about what it's like to be that person and just give it a minute. Um, that would have been awesome. And I want to just again highlight it, it wasn't her fault. Like she it she just had never encountered that before. And, you know, when you're already late and you're already rushing and whatever, like when you meet a new situation under those circumstances, it is gonna be tough to err the right way. And I think that's kind of the point of all of this is let's sort this stuff out before people are in church and somebody's running late and you know things are tense and whatever. Like, let's just sort this out up front.

Tony 19:37

This just leads to what it means to be seen. I'm gonna give this to Christy so she can um talk about this. Just one thing that I do want to mention, I know for her, she knew that I had a disability the entire time that we've known each other, but I think it became real to her in our first date, and we talk about our first date back in episode two, I believe.

Kristy 20:01

In all of this, when things are tough and and we've kind of brought to you guys like the tough side, right? What it is to show up at church when you or someone in your your family, your party is living with disability, the whole group really is living with disability. But what I want to kind of switch us to right now is what makes it better. And honestly, just being seen, just being seen for who you are and valued for who you are and met where you are really makes such a difference when one person says, Oh my gosh, I'm so glad you made it. You know, oh my gosh, we were afraid you guys wouldn't come. Like, oh my gosh, it's so cool to see you. How was your week? Those things really, really, it just helps. It makes a big difference. I think just like anywhere, right? Everybody wants to be seen and valued for who they are, not for the inconvenience that they bring with them. And so when you see people as people and you treat them as people, it's really a big deal. Having said that, accommodation is also really helpful. You know how you go to the movies, right? And when you first come in, you can go up the stairs and all of those rows have a row in front of them. So when you go to your seat, you're sort of squeezing between the seats in front of you and your chair behind you. And so you can't just really walk down the aisle. But when you first come in, there's that one row where there's nothing in front of you. It's it's where they leave room for for wheelchairs and for the companions of the person in the wheelchair to kind of sit there with nothing in front of you. That's huge. And as it works out, our church has that situation. And holding those seats, like being able to just walk up and sit down without having to make your way down an aisle. If there's not an aisle seat available, For us, heck yeah, we want to sit in that, you know, in that one. We don't want to have to creep past people and step on their bags and their legs with Tony in his crutch. And it's tough for him to kind of have that sideways motion that you have to have. Just that availability of an open seat that is unencumbered is really, really cool. You know, it could be anything. It could be any accommodation. It could be that the lights aren't as bright. It could be that your church has, you know, those little soft foam earplugs at the door for people who, you know, who are going to struggle, maybe be overstimulated with that noise. There's just, there's so many small things that really could make such a big difference. One friend, one person who, you know, who waits for you, who wants to sit by you, who, you know, who who is just excited to see you and maybe hasn't seen you since Wednesday or hasn't seen you since last Sunday, and and just calls that out. Like that's such a cool thing. I think that people who who live with disability are a lot of times kind of the odd duck out. And it's because of those, it's the quirks, right? It's the, it's the difficulties in showing up and just sort of merging in with everybody. It really does sort of spotlight the difference. And so when somebody is able to see past that and just love you as a friend and just be so stoked to see you, that's so powerful. You know, maybe it's one staff member, one leader, one, you know, somebody that can really do something about it listening. And, you know, and when you go after the service and say, hey, you know, this happened or this little change would make such a difference for my family when you're taken seriously when they say, you know what, we never thought of it that way. Absolutely, we can definitely make that change. That's such a big deal. Just being seen in that way and being just regarded as a peer and not just as a friend to, you know, to sit with, but more than that, somebody to serve with, somebody to worship with. You know, I think this speaks to, you know, the full body of Christ, that all of the members, they're all important, they're all necessary. And God favors the ones that we don't see as quite as presentable as the others. God has a soft spot for people who are different, for people who are unseen or undervalued.

SPEAKER_01 24:31

And we should too.

Tony 24:33

I think it's uh also important to mention, because this is a tug of war that I have to fight all the time. Being seen is not about pity. And it's also not about just checking a box. Oh, we did our one thing for that disabled guy or whatever. Like being seen is about dignity. There have been several occasions where I've been asked to speak to a large group of people in churches or in other, you know, large group settings, and I've always been honored to do it, but at the same time, the tug of war that goes on is are they asking me to do this because they just want to check a box and say, Yep, we you know, we had our inspirational moment and like we can go on and we're not going to do anything? Or do they value me as a person and they value the things that I have to say and contribute? That's the thing. God has a a purpose for every single one that's in the body. If all you're doing with families that are dealing with disability is just serving them and not looking for opportunities to serve with them, then you're missing the point. Because it's not just about ministering to them, but it's ministering with them. So that we can all participate as part of one body. What can we do as individuals?

Kristy 26:20

Because church is more than than attending service. That's kind of where we've focused so far is you know, what it is to sit in that sanctuary, you know, with the music, with the with the lights, with the seating, with the whatever. But that's not all there is to it. And if if we're thinking that's all there is to it, that those people with disabilities that they should be done, then, then Tony's right. We're we've got it all wrong. It's about belonging, it's about community, it's about being part of the whole, not just about showing up to service.

Tony 26:57

So let's turn this to really a practical way to start putting the pieces in place. Here's how we start. We learn. We listen to those that have disabilities to find out what they need. We talked about it a few episodes ago. When I fall down, the biggest thing that Christy does for me when I fall is she gets other people to listen so that I can say, Hey, this is what I need, whether it be a chair, whether it be an arm, you know, whatever the case may you know. The first thing is to listen. The second thing is just to observe how are people navigating your building? You know, how are people navigating your parking lot? How are people navigating your service, your your classrooms?

SPEAKER_01 27:55

Watch and and just see what's going on. Notice when they leave. Do they leave early? Do they stay till the till the very end? The last piece of of learning is just to ask.

Tony 28:08

It's okay to ask. But ask when you do ask, ask respectfully and ask with dignity so that they know that you are looking to give them the same experience that everyone else is able to have walking into that church service. Beyond learning, now we're having a conversation. Now we share stories, we talk to each other, and we share stories, and we start the connection because we start using the word we. So it's not you, it's not I, it's we. How are we going to do this? How can we do this together? How can we fix this? So this is not about blame, this is not about pointing fingers, this is about how can we do this better together. Once you start, even that mindset of we, now we start modeling it together. So, what does that look like? We sit together, we invite people to sit with us. We normalize what's going on. We don't have to point out, oh, they're in a wheelchair. Who cares if they're in a wheelchair? Just sit by them, have the the conversation with the family as if it was just a part of everyday life. Because guess what? For them, it is a part of everyday life, it is normal. And then lastly, as we're now modeling and and as we're moving into that space, now we can advocate. We've learned, we've spoken, we've modeled, and now we advocate. What I mean by that is is now as we learn things that could help the families that we know and we love and that we've spent time with, now we can go to our leaders and say, hey, this would really help my friend Christy and her family. Or that bar that's at the end of the aisle makes it tough for Christy and her family because there's only one entrance now to that row, versus there being two entrances for people to choose one or the other. And we can offer ideas. We can say, hey, like Christy was saying earlier, can we get some of those soft earplugs? Is there a room that's that's empty that we can use as a sensory room? Are we able to get a a golf cart to help in the parking lot so that people don't have to walk if they parked really far? The biggest thing with advocating is to always stay kind and stay persistent. Because if you say it once, people are gonna forget about it the next day. But if you keep bringing it gently, again, very gently, very kindly, very respectfully, if it keeps coming up, then people will remember, and hopefully it'll be a spark plug to change what's going on. You don't need a church title to start a change. You don't need to be on church staff to start a change, it's just about taking one step, and that one step could be sitting with a family, it could be talking about a buddy program. Any little thing, any one step is a step in the right direction that wasn't happening before. And you don't need a church title to show the love of Jesus that we're all called to show anyway. It's just deciding to say, you know what, I see you, and I'm gonna love you like Jesus loves you.

Kristy 32:03

So let's say, Tony, that I'm at church and I see a situation and I feel like, gosh, those people probably could use some help, but I don't really know how to help. And I don't really know what the disability is or what the the need might be. And I've never seen this kind of situation before. So what should I do? How do I approach?

Tony 32:27

The simplest thing is just going up to the family and introducing yourself. Say hi, say hello, say, I'm so glad you're here. And just start the conversation and let the conversation itself bring you to a place of, hey, is there anything that I can do to help this situation? You don't have to walk up and say, hey, how can I help you? You can just walk up and say hi. And when you do that, you're doing two things. You're providing the dignity because you're not immediately calling out the fact that that something's going on. Now, obviously, if there's an emergency situation, yes, you want to go and just figure out how can how can we help. But if if it's just a different situation or what feels like an awkward situation, just go and say hi. Start by introducing yourself, and I I think that's the the easiest thing to do. And when you do that, you break the ice, you let that family know, oh, we are welcome here.

Kristy 33:35

It's okay. Let's talk a little bit about if it's if it's your family, if you are the family that is living with disability, what are some things that you can do? You know, I would encourage you to, I mean, I don't want to say like make a detailed checklist, but you want to sort of document your needs because what this is gonna do is allow you to be specific. So when you go and you say, oh, the music's too loud. Well, what do you mean the music's too loud? When is the music too loud? You know, whatever the specific concern that you have is, the more specific you can be, the easier it's going to be to, I don't want to say to convince somebody because it's not about convincing your reality is your reality, just to show, to be, to clearly show what the issue is and and where you really need change or where you need support. I think just like with anything else in life, the more specific and the clearer we can be, the more likely we are to get the support that we need. I would also say ask for a meeting, call the church office after church on your way out the door while the pastor's there like shaking hands on the way out. That's probably not the best time to have that conversation. You know, there's a lot of things going on. It's not that you have to do it like separately. I don't mean to imply that at all. Do it at a time in a in a place where where you can have the full attention of the person who's able to, you know, to hear you. Give them the opportunity to to truly hear you and to remember, to so that it's not that, you know, quick two-second conversation that they just have really no chance of remembering when they've spoken with another 40 people in that same five-minute period. Connect with others. One person is reason enough to make a change, but two people or six people or or whatever it may be is even more reason to make a change. Whatever it is that you could be benefited, you know, by whatever the action is, you can be absolutely confident that you're not the only person or the last person that will benefit from that. So if you ask for something and and you, you know, you feel like, oh, I'm kind of being a little extra, you know, we don't want to be that family. We don't want to be, you know, those people that always are are pointing out something or asking for something, really that's not the case because somebody else is going to benefit also. It's not just you. And even if it is just you, it's not just anybody. You're an equal sister or brother in the family of Jesus. And, you know, start small. You don't wanna, you don't want to say, oh, we need to overhaul this whole building. Maybe they do need to overhaul the whole building. But let's start with asking for a ramp or asking for maybe a larger stall in the bathroom or for a bowl of earplugs at the the entrance to the to the sanctuary, you know, and then go for from there, just like with anything else, see how your requests are received and then act accordingly. If you're concerned about being misunderstood or whatever, then just keep talking, explain, like be heard, make sure that you are heard. And while that's not, it's it's the other person's responsibility to hear as much as it is yours to speak up. When you go and you're able to be specific, to talk about how you are impacted, what you think might help, going in that prepared way is gonna help you to make to get the changes that you that you want to see.

Tony 37:12

In all of this, parents, caregivers, you are not a burden, and your family is not a burden. You're not inconvenient, you are loved, and you belong in your father's house, and you belong as part of the body. It's important for you to be a part of the body, because when you're not, then we all miss out. We all miss out on what you bring to the table, and we need you there, we need you to be a part of the body. So if you're tired, if you're a parent and you're just tired, or a caregiver and you're just tired, we see you. We hear you. Please know you're not a burden, you're not an inconvenience, you're loved, and we want you to just know that from the bottom of our hearts, as part of the unshaken family, we want you to know that we hear you, we see you.

Kristy 38:19

The last thing that I would say in this area is that you are not responsible to minimize your footprint or to minimize anything about yourself. If you sing and you want to sing in the choir, show up and sing in the choir. If there's something that you're good at or a gift, or just some way that you feel led to serve, show up and do it. Um, you are no different from anybody else that is part of that, part of that church. If you want to teach Sunday school and you feel equipped to do it, show up and tell them you want to teach Sunday school. You are deserving of every opportunity that anybody else has. And even if it would take, you know, some accommodation, even if some change would have to be made in order to make it work, please don't let that stand in the way. Don't feel like you shouldn't show up and be the best version of yourself possible, that you shouldn't live out who God made you to be and the skills and abilities that he gave you. Like you should be able to use those at church or anywhere in the world just the same as anybody else. Don't minimize that for yourself because you don't want to ask or because you feel awkward about that. Tony's gonna get to this in a minute, and I'm not trying to steal your point, babe. But next week we're gonna talk about how churches can meet you there or can proactively be there so that you don't have to make these requests and you don't have to ask for these awkward things. But at the same time, if they don't know, they can't help. If if they don't know what change to make, they can't make the change. And so don't be shy. Show up and be yourself, be who you were meant to be and be it as fully as you want to be it. Um, you are an equal part of the body of Christ. You are, you know, again, your sister, your brother, and what you can do matters. It matters just as much as what anybody else can do.

Tony 40:21

If you're listening to this episode, there's three questions in this. What is God showing me in this moment? What has been your I never thought of it that way moment in this episode? What do you now see that you didn't see before? What's one step that may be coming to mind that you think or you or you want to to take to just move the needle forward just that much more? And if you're not sure if like your if your head is swimming, let me give you just just three really quick points on this. Learn who is coming into your building, learn who they are, speak to them, and then offer one step of support. Again, just to move that needle forward. This episode is about encouragement. It's not about oh my gosh, we've been failing for twenty years or what no no no no no. This is about, hey, we wanted to bring the awareness to you so that we can move forward in a better way. I hope that this gives you if nothing else but excitement of what could happen or what can be done. And if if your head is swimming, like Christy said, ne next week we are going to get really, really practical and we are going to talk about some practical first steps that you and your church, you as a church body, can make in in helping our entire unshaken family be a part of not only the body the body of Christ, but know that they are seen and loved and welcomed at God's table. I really do hope that this episode has been an encouragement to you. Don't miss next week's because we are gonna get really, really practical, and I can't wait for next next week's episode. At the end of the day, we're gonna start small and we're gonna still be faithful to what God is calling us to do, which is to fill his house because everyone is welcome at his table, regardless of what disability or challenge you are facing in the moment. Please, please, please share this episode with anyone that you want to help and maybe even partner with to just start making those those changes and start with those small steps for your church and and and for the the body that you serve with. Let's just do something to where it's really special and where we are able to say to everyone who walks through our doors, we're so glad you're here. Oh, Christy, would you um close us in in prayer?

Kristy 43:42

Father, we come before you, very, very grateful for this time with our friends, for the opportunity to talk about some of these issues and just bring awareness to those who are underserved by your body here on earth. We ask that you would open our eyes to opportunities to serve in the church, to uh to support people who we see struggling. Help us to to be confident and bold in just asking, how can I help? You know, this looks tough. How can I help? Give us hearts that are open, open to not only what we see and and um, you know, ways that that we believe we can help, but also to just meeting people, meeting people as people, um, and loving them as friends, loving them completely as fully integrated members of the church and not marginalizing people who are different or who have struggles. Give us the courage to do the hard work that it takes to bring change. Give us the courage to not only reach out to people in our churches and in our society who have disability or live with disability, um, but also if we are someone who has disability or lives with disability, please give us the courage to speak up and to take the place that is rightfully ours in your body. Um and finally, God, we ask that you would just give us the strength to keep showing up and to, you know, whether you're someone who lives with disability or someone who's just trying to make a difference, please, God, just give us the strength to keep on going, to persist when when it doesn't seem easy or when when it feels like we're not getting anywhere. Please just give us the strength to keep on trying so that we can do our part to bring your kingdom here on earth. Glory. We love you, and we're just very, very grateful for our friends, for our listeners, and um we just pray protection and joy for everybody who hears this. We love you, and it's in Jesus' beautiful name that we ask. Amen.

Tony 46:05

Amen. Thank you guys. Hope you guys have a great day and a great rest of your week, and we'll see you next time.