Spirituality & Worship

Places of worship can be important communities for youth with disabilities and their families. Teenagers who are welcomed into churches, synagogues or mosques have wonderful opportunities for socialization, education and recreation. But, as with other aspects of their lives, these adolescents will need to transition from childhood to adulthood as they find their own place in a house of worship. The "children's Sunday School" programs are no longer appropriate and the adult worship services may not yet be suitable or interesting to them. Fortunately, many religious communities offer programs that can be inclusive and welcoming for teens and young adults with special needs.

To find appropriate programs, you and your son or daughter should:

  • Visit several places of worship to find the most welcoming and inclusive.
  • Discuss opportunities to get involved in the work of your religious community with your pastor or rabbi, such as greeting members before services, volunteering with social ministry groups or participating in the worship service itself.
  • Encourage your teenager to be a self-advocate and to seek opportunities him/herself.
  • If needed, ask if there are volunteers who can help transport your son or daughter to worship services, meetings or activities.

Some of the benefits of participating in worship services and congregational life include:

  • Opportunities to interact with and learn from others - with and without disabilities - while enhancing social skills, self-esteem, self-worth and friendships.
  • A strong community network that could lead to meaningful volunteer work or successful employment in the community.
  • Natural supports for more independent living in the community.

If your congregation is not as inclusive as you'd wish, the following excerpt may help lay people and clergy open up a discussion and make positive changes.

An Audit of Barriers: An excerpt from That All May Worship, Seventh Edition

Many people with disabilities have had negative worship experiences in the House of God. They have met subtle thoughtlessness and outright rejection. Many have lost the will to worship and they question the relevance of faith.

When buildings are structurally inaccessible, those with mobility impairments cannot get in. When the Word is only spoken, those with hearing problems are denied some or all of the messages. When announcements are in print form only, those with poor sight miss opportunities. When general invitations are issued and members with a mental illness or another chronic illness are not personally invited, they may assume they are excluded. When leadership appointments are made and each person selected appears to be physically or mentally "perfect," the person with a disability may doubt his or her own usefulness.

For religious/spiritual supports, check out the following resources. Local programs and resources in the Southeastern PA region are listed first; more generalized resources follow.

  • Rejoicing Spirits:Inclusive Worship Services in Bucks, Chester, Philadelphia and Montgomery Counties

        Rejoicing Spirits encourages spiritual inclusion for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities, their families, friends and the local community. This is done through inclusive, adapted worship and fellowship time. Services include lots of music and joyous singing along with brief, meaningful messages and opportunities to participate and serve. Its "no shushing" environment gives worshipers the freedom to worship as God intends for them.

       To help faith communities get started, a guidebook “How To Start a Rejoicing Spirits Ministry” is available. Through a Rejoicing Spirits ministry, congregations become aware, educated and accepting of individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities.

       For more information, visit www.rejoicingspirits.org or contact program director Susan Crawford 610-363-6264 or scrawford@rejoicingspirits.org 
  • Peaceful Living:Creating belonging within a faith community for persons with developmental disabilities. 850 Old Skippack Pike, PO Box 130, Lederach PA 19450-0130. Peaceful Living is building a faith-centered advocacy service to help children and adults with disabilities establish life-long relationships within their faith community. Peaceful Living is for persons with developmental disabilities and their families, congregations, caregivers and agencies providing care. For information, contact Joe Landis, Director at 610-287-1200, or jlandis@peacefulliving.org
  • Auerbach Central Agency for Jewish Education, Bux-Mont Synagogue
    Contact Deborah Gettes, Consultant for Special Needs Education, at
    215-635-8940 x 1231
  • Gam Yahad (meaning "All Together"), a program of Jewish Family & Childrens' Services, celebrates holidays and hosts other events for adults with developmental disabilities, their families and friends. For more information about Gam Yahad and upcoming events, please call 215-673-0100 or go to www.JFCSphilly.org.
  • SIMCHA (Special Individuals Meeting Challenges with Heartwarming Activities)offers support for parents and youth with special needs. 101 Richboro Rd., Newton PA. Contact Rabbi Yair Robinson or Debby Chaiken at 215-968-3400.
  • That All May Worshipis a Philadelphia's interfaith network for people committed to building spiritual communities with people with disAbilities. Mission Statement: We, as an interfaith network in the Greater Philadelphia area, believe that all people with and without disAbilities, are spiritual beings and have gifts to share. Learn more about its Spirituality Resource Center for Persons with disAbilities in Philadelphia by contacting Jim McIntire, Center for Spirituality and Disability, j_mcintire@msn.com.
  • The National Organization on Disabilityoffers guidelines for welcoming and including youth and young adults with developmental disabilities into the life of their congregation. According to N.O.D., many congregations are not accessible to people with disabilities and their families. Barriers of architecture, communications and attitude prevent America's 54 million men, women and children with disabilities from participating in a full life of faith namely, worship, study, service or leadership.
  • Dimensions of Faith, a bibliography and address listing of resources for clergy, laypersons, families, and service providers; divided into areas of congregational ministry and outreach, e.g. worship, pastoral care, religious education, awareness videos, with sections on respite care, community building, person-centered planning, coping with grief, and more from the Elizabeth M. Boggs Center on Developmental Disabilities of the Robert Wood Johnson Medical School. 2005, 176 pages, $15.
  • Checklist of Easy Accommodations:For congregations and other resources, go to the University of Maryland, Community Connections/ Spiritual Leaders section at www.communityconnections.umd.edu and click on "spiritual leaders" in the left column.
  • Inclusion:Congregations can take specific steps to reach out to people with disabilities and their families and improve a congregation's capacity to welcome them. Read excerpts from "Including People with Disabilities in Faith Communities: A Guide for Service Providers, Families, and Congregations," by Dr. Erik W. Carter (Brookes Publishing, April 2007) at Brookes Publishing.
  • Family Village Worship Centerincludes religious/faith/spiritual resources for those who have disabilities.
  • National Catholic Partnership on Disabilityworks to ensure that the 14 million Catholics who are disabled are able to participate in the celebrations and obligations of their faith and advocates for their inclusion within the total fabric of society.
  • National Jewish Council for the Disabledis dedicated to addressing the needs of all individuals with disabilities within the Jewish community. NJCD strives to enhance the life opportunities of people with special needs and to insure their participation in the full spectrum of Jewish life.
  • The Religion and Spirituality Division of the American Association of Mental Retardation (AAMR)works to foster opportunities for spiritual growth for person with disabilities.