Collaborative Partners Blog Series: Bethesda Lutheran Communities

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In April and May we are going to introduce several of our very experienced collaborative partners in our community who have come alongside us, our friends, their families and churches to train toward excellent inclusion of our friends and their families. You as Young Life staff and volunteers being aware of these key co-laborers is quite critical for excellence in transition. Historically, as you will read in these blogs, our community "partners” have been the link not just for our Capernaum friends but also for their family members.
We often lead with I Corinthians 12:4-11 as a call toward inclusion of our friends into the body of Christ. What if we read I Corinthians 12:4-11 through the lens of being inclusive of excellent community co-laborers to move us all toward the fullness of the body of Christ? What kind of vision could this give your area? Imagine organizations working together and our friends thriving.

We invite you to introduce yourself to the staff of these ministries if they have a location in your area, and begin to set up potential ways to collaborate as you continue to develop your transition plan with your friends. Have questions? Contact your Capernaum Divisional Coordinator for additional information.

 Bethesda Lutheran Communities
Contributor: Mona Fuerstenau, Director of Ministry Partnerships

Do you remember your own transition after high school graduation?  You may have had a plan or direction, but the specifics of what that next chapter would look like were unknown. It may have been exciting, challenging, anxiety producing. You may have been curious, nervous, or even fearful. You probably did some research or visited your new education or employment location. You may have made choices based on where your friends were going. The challenges of transition for young adults with disabilities are similar but more complex. Moving from school communities into the multi-faceted and often disconnected adult services world is challenging at best and scary for most. Moving students from YL Capernaum to the next step as adults, including in the church, can parallel that transition.  It happens in about the same time frame and carries similar challenges of decision-making, changes in relationships and fear of the unknown. Most school systems help students begin planning for transitions long before they happen and transitioning into the church for YL Capernaum groups can take time too. Bethesda staff can provide consulting services (at no cost) and resources to plan for and ease that transition for staff, volunteers, parents and YL friends.
In order to envision “church” as a place and experience of belonging, explore the concepts of friendship and community with fellow Christians and church members who are living and expressing their faith and becoming more like Jesus.
YL friends who are a part of a church can provide helpful insights to the whole group. Ask them: What works well for you? What doesn’t work well? What would they like to see done differently in their churches? This discovery process helps open doors for discussion and dreaming about the future. Share your own honest experiences, both positive and negative, that ended with a positive solution or outcome.
YL friends who are not part of a church, or have had negative experiences, will have various thoughts or perceptions about what church is and what it isn’t. Some additional Biblical teaching and discussion may be helpful in order to address concerns with good information and encouragement. Ask what they know about church. What are their experiences? Listen well so you can address misconceptions and fill in gaps in information. 
We need to teach our friend about the components of life as a believer: Worship, Fellowship, Discipleship, Service, Lifelong Community, Forgiveness. These may look very different in the context of a local congregation from what YL friends experience in YL. Compare and contrast the church with YL.  Visually list or search for examples together. What do these components look like or include?  
Consider visiting a church together: Identifying a church that will be open to that may be a challenge. Bethesda can assist with this. Our Ministry Consultants across the country equip congregations with resources, training and support to fully include individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities in the life of the church. To locate the staff nearest you, visit our website, click on locations and click on your state. Staff contacts and supports will be listed. 
If you are already working with a congregation, we have resources for you! We typically begin our work with congregations with awareness and are able to provide free downloadable disability awareness activities for all ages. These are found under faith supports and faith resources on our Bethesda website www.BethesdaLutheranCommunities.org. Please help yourself! These materials lay the groundwork for welcoming and inclusive churches. Our Wonderfully Made adapting resources provide some of the next steps in equipping churches.  
Wonderfully Made and other resources for faith formation and discipleship include Time with God devotions and Building on the Rock curriculum. These are available for purchase through Concordia Publishing House at www.cph.org . Scroll down to the bottom left corner and click on Shop Bethesda.
Bethesda provides residential, vocational, employment and faith supports in homes and programs in 13 states and has been supporting people with disabilities for 113 years. Our mission is to enhance the lives of people with intellectual and developmental disabilities through services that share the good news of Jesus Christ.
Find more stories at: www.BethesdaIsLove.org       
Learn more about us at: www.BethesdaLC.org   


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