FAMILY RETREATS
Statistics indicate that families with a disabled member have extraordinarily high rates of strained relationships, stress, and divorce. It is therefore imperative that effective disability ministry seek to embrace the needs of entire families. JAF’s Family Retreats do this by providing an exciting summer program. Held in nine locations throughout the country each summer, Family Retreats offer a full range of activities in a supportive environment where families affected by disability feel welcomed, understood, and accepted. Here they can relax, have fun, attempt new experiences, and explore their relationship with God. It is also a great opportunity for networking and building relationships with others who know both the joys and relentless demands of life with a disability.
Each summer hundreds of families enjoy the renewal and respite of a Family Retreat because of the work of our Servants Team volunteers, who are paired with families during the week. Each volunteer is trained to provide friendship and assistance so family members can have time to enjoy much-needed rest, recreation, and reflection. Professionals in a variety of related areas are also available to offer practical help and information to the families.
At Retreat, families experience a respite from the everyday challenges they face. It is an enriching and inspiring interval where families build lasting memories, new friendships, and an enduring strength grounded in faith.
WHEELS FOR THE WORLD
The explosive growth of Wheels for the World testifies to the critical need for wheelchair distributions in developing countries where the cost of a chair can equal a year’s wages. The World Health Organization estimates a worldwide need of 18 million wheelchairs. Living in isolation, lacking simple mobility, and cut off from society, many disabled people are also tragically cut off from the local church and have never heard the gospel message or experienced the love of Christ.
The beauty of the Wheels for the World program lies in its teamwork approach: local communities collect used wheelchairs destined to be transformed into a life-changing opportunity for someone overseas. The meticulous restoration takes place in the U.S. by carefully trained inmates in correctional facilities located in various parts of the country.
The wheelchairs are shipped overseas, where short-term mission teams, made up of professional disability specialists and wheelchair mechanics, work diligently to achieve the best fit possible for each person receiving this precious gift of mobility. Skillful training in wheelchair use and upkeep is provided for both recipient and family. Along with every wheelchair comes a Bible in one’s own language and the Good News that Jesus Christ loves and values each one of us regardless of our abilities or disabilities. This joyous message drives Wheels for the World from start to finish.
Wheels for the World has delivered over 8,500 wheelchairs to over forty developing countries. By increasing output capabilities at existing restoration sites, and opening additional centers, JAF is aggressively addressing the staggering need worldwide.
In a partnership with Echoing Hills, JAF is assisting in the development of the National Center on Disability in Ghana. Plans for the Center include a residential and job training facility for the disabled, a disability ministry training institute, and a wheelchair repair and modification center. This Center will serve as a model for establishing permanent ministry in countries around the world.
INTERNATIONAL MINISTRIES
In the year 2000, Joni and Friends expanded its involvement in international ministry by chartering like-minded, Christ-centered ministries abroad who are committed to heighten disability awareness within the church and community, to equip and train leaders, and to assist in and carry out disability ministry.
Since the end of the Cold War and the unification of Europe, the political and ethnic unrest in Eastern Europe has brought the needs of Europe’s disability population into sharp focus. In wartorn regions such as Kosovo, the number of disabled persons climbs steadily due to injury and war, while little political or governmental attention is devoted to those whose lives and bodies have been torn apart as a consequence.
Today, Joni and Friends’ Chartered Ministries, such as Through the Roof in the UK, are recognized as leaders in Christian service in the disability community. Ministry programs include the sponsorship of Disability Awareness Seminars, leadership conferences, Family Retreats, and Wheels for the World distributions. Wheelchair restoration sites are located in The Netherlands and the United Kingdom. To date, Joni and Friends maintains a presence in twenty European countries by assisting local disability organizations. Ministry in India and Latin America takes place via local missionaries, while in China, JAF cooperates with government agencies to educate and provide tangible assistance. Future plans include continuing efforts to cultivate relationships with government and missionary agencies around the world in a prayerful effort to meet the compelling needs of disabled people worldwide.
READY FOR SOME ADVENTURE?
If you’re looking for exciting short-term ministry experiences, we’ve got some great opportunities waiting for you! Here are a couple of examples:
Family Retreats—Every summer, we need hundreds of volunteers to staff our disability focused Family Retreats held in various locations across the country. Servants Team members are assigned to families as helpers. We provide training, and will match you up with a family appropriate to your skill level. We also need leaders and teachers with expertise in a broad range of practical subjects helpful to families living with disability. Our volunteers frequently comment that they were blessed by their experiences far beyond what they’d imagined possible.
Phone: (818) 707-5664
E-mail: [email protected]
Wheels for the World—If you’re looking for adventure overseas in places like Ghana, Romania, Cuba, or China, just to name a few, Wheels for the World outreach may be the answer. We’re seeking disability specialists, such as physical and occupational therapists and wheelchair mechanics. We also need support staff, disability ministry instructors, and people with construction expertise. Together, these people make up the Wheels teams we send around the world for life-changing experiences. Be ready for hard work and overwhelming blessings.
Phone: (818) 707-5664
E-mail: [email protected]
We even provide a kit with tools and tips on how to raise the necessary support for your adventure!
Disability Resources—Joni and Friends’ Correspondence and Resource Department exists to offer encouragement and practical resources to help individuals and families affected by disability. Our center provides resources covering various physical/mental illnesses, diseases, and other disability-related concerns, with new information and additional categories being continuously added and updated. Each list includes an average of fifteen agencies along with their descriptions and provides a starting place for connecting with specific, helpful services.
All our resources are available on the Joni and Friends website at www.joniandfriends.org under “Helpful Disability Links and Resources.” Here are just a few:
Employment
Prison Ministries
Financial Assistance
Spinal Cord Injury
Caregiver and Independent Living
Disability Ministry Resources
Parents of Children with Disabilities
Invisible Disabilities
Multiple Sclerosis
Building Accessibility
We are continuing to develop a Churches/Organizations with Disability Ministries list by state, located on our webpage in a U.S. map format. This will be useful to people who are searching for a church/organization that is accessible and/or with a disability ministry in their area, and also for others who would like to learn from a church already involved in disability ministry. The following is a list of some general disability-related organizations that may be of some help to you:
ABLEDATA
Phone: 800-227-0216
Website: www.abledata.com
We Med
ia Inc.
Phone: 646-769-2722
Website: www.wemedia.com
National Council on Disability, NCD
Phone: 202-272-2004
Website: www.ncd.gov
Cornucopia of Disability Information, CODI
Website: http://codi.buffalo.edu
Family Village
E-mail: [email protected]
Website: www.familyvillage.wisc.edu
Disability Resources Inc.
Website: www.disabilityresources.org
Based on the incoming requests, our Resource Center is continually updating current lists and creating new ones. Joni and Friends’ Correspondence and Resource Department is a vital link to a vast network of excellent local and national ministries, organizations, and services that support, encourage, and provide needed resources.
Much has happened since the publication of A Step Further in 1978, and God has used this small but significant book as well as its author to advance His kingdom among the disability community around the world. Thank you for passing on A Step Further to your friends, especially those who are struggling with an acute or chronic health condition. Also, please prayerfully consider how Joni and Friends might be able to help those you know who have special needs. For more information on how you can share the love of Christ with families affected by disability, please write Joni and the JAF team at:
Joni and Friends
P.O. Box 3333
Agoura Hills, CA 91376
818/707-5664
www.joniandfriends.org
Also from Joni Eareckson Tada
A Step Further
Softcover 0-310-23971-0
Heaven
Softcover 0-310-21919-1
Audio Pages 0-310-20003-2
Heaven—Devotional Edition
Hardcover 0-310-24165-0
Pick up a copy today at your favorite bookstore!
When God Weeps
Hardcover 0-310-21186-7
Softcover 0-310-23853-8
Audio Pages 0-310-21193-X
More Precious Than Silver
Hardcover 0-310-21627-3
Diamonds in the Dust
Hardcover 0-310-37950-4
The NIV Encouragement Bible
Burgundy Bonded Leather 0-310-91220-2
Hardcover 0-310-90094-8
Softcover 0-310-91219-9
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