May 16, 2025 • 16 mins
Disability ministry requires careful balance between specialized support and full church integration. Examining the medical, social, and spiritual models of disability helps churches develop more effective, compassionate approaches to inclusion.
• Cognitive and invisible disabilities present unique challenges for recognition and inclusion
• Some incorrectly view disability as solely spiritual issues requiring deliverance or healing
• Balance is needed between seeing disability as both a challenge and part of human diversity
• Separate disability ministries provide targeted support but shouldn't exist in isolation
• Biblical perspectives range from Leviticus (seeming exclusion) to Jesus's radical inclusion
• 1 Corinthians 12 reminds us that those who "seem weakest" are indispensable to the body
For deeper dives into these topics, check out indispensable-people.com and visit Amazon to purchase "The Indispensable Kid," "Gospel Accessibility," and "The Indispensable People."
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:03):
Hi, my name is Tracy Correll and welcome to
Indispensable People.
I'm a wife, mom, teacher,pastor and missionary, and I
believe that every person shouldhave the opportunity to know
Christ, grow in Him and serveHim with the gifts that he has
given, no matter their ability.
Over 65 million Americans havea disability.
That's 25% of the population.
(00:26):
However, over 80% of them arenot inside the walls of our
church.
Let's dive into those hardtopics biblical foundations,
perceptions and world-changingideas.
Hey, hey, and welcome to thisepisode of Indispensable People.
(00:57):
Today, we're going to explore anintersection of faith and
community.
We're diving into some of themost debated topics in
disability ministry.
We'll be tackling somequestions about the definition
of disability, the role of thechurch and leadership, and how
we can integrate people withdisabilities into the broader
church community.
So let's get into it.
Let's start with the definitionand understanding of disability
(01:18):
.
There are two primary modelsthat people often reference the
medical model and the socialmodel.
And the medical model viewsdisability as an individual
problem that's caused byphysical or mental impairments.
In contrast, the social modelemphasizes that societal
(01:39):
barriers actually createdisability.
This is an importantdistinction because it really
shapes how communities approachinclusion.
So, for instance, cognitivedisabilities which are often
invisible, which means we can'tsee them.
It's not like a use of awheelchair or a limp, or
(02:11):
wheelchair or a limp ordeformity of some sort that you
can see.
It's invisible.
It's on the inside.
So it's typically neurological,mental, something like that,
and it can be really challengingto recognize an address within
the church because it'sinvisible.
So you have some schools ofthought of you know where the
(02:32):
problem is coming from, or ifthere's a problem or if it's a
created issue.
There's all kinds of things.
And I can tell you that, as aparent of a child with a
disability whose mom my momquestioned me and my child
because his diagnosis was notvisible, and so then she
(02:57):
questioned whether or not it waseven real, no-transcript and
(03:26):
careful, as the church, howwe're handling that.
Then we have to consider theperspective of disability as a
spiritual issue.
Some view it as a trial or evena curse, while others see it as
a natural part of humandiversity and a chance for
spiritual growth.
This can significantly impacthow individuals with
(03:47):
disabilities are perceived andtreated within religious
communities, and I'll give you afew examples of that One being.
I am friends with a missionarywho is specifically working in
Argentina, who is specificallyworking in Argentina.
She is known for just signs andwonders and miracles, and she
(04:16):
was on itineration home in theStates and a pastor connected
with her and said listen, wehave a child, we believe they
are demon possessed and we wouldlike for you to come pray.
She walked in the room andimmediately discernment came
over her and she said you knowthis, this is not that.
And the child was diagnosedwith autism and the way the
(04:41):
church had viewed that personwas only, through a spiritual
lens, that fixing needed tohappen and they're going to pray
it out of him.
Another example a conversationwith a family member who
basically was talking abouthealing, and healing is a huge
(05:02):
topic within the disabilitycommunity and there are people
who believe they've beenpartially healed.
They believe that there'sfullness of healing.
Some people believe that theirdisability is not something to
be healed from.
They believe that it's aneurotypical difference and so
that is a part of them.
It is not something to bechanged or fixed.
(05:24):
And I would say I always goback to the balance right, and
the balance is if there arechallenges in your life that God
can remove from you, and webelieve that he is the provider
and he is the healer, is theprovider and he is the healer.
(05:46):
We truly believe that he can dothat.
I do believe that he alsoallows things because he has
purpose in them.
So there's a balance betweenthat.
So there's the perspective ofdisability as the spiritual
issue, that some can view it asa trial again, or a curse, and
(06:07):
others see it as the naturalpart of human diversity, and I
would say it's a bit of both.
So we can find that balance.
That yes, it can be a trial,yes it can be a spiritual issue,
does not mean that it always isand it can be a part of your
disability.
The things you experience inlife shape who you are.
(06:29):
You can't deny that, and soit's a balance of both.
So we have the medical, we havethe social and then we have the
spiritual aspects of looking atthings.
But now we're going to move onto looking at the role of church
leadership, because there's adebate over kind of separate
(06:53):
ministries.
There's an ongoing discussionwhether disability ministries
should be separate from the mainchurch program.
So this is our next topic we'regoing to be talking about, and
so I guess my word for thisepisode is really going to be
balance, balance, balance,balance, balance.
Because this ongoing discussionis whether disability ministry
(07:19):
should be separate from the mainchurch programs or if full
integration is a better approach.
Here's the balance.
You can look at it as anintegration, segregation type of
thing.
There's your hot topic and theworld is screaming inclusion,
(07:41):
inclusion, inclusion, inclusion,inclusion and segregation is
kind of like a dirty word, right.
So how do we look at that andhow do we fit?
I say inclusion is absolutelyimportant.
(08:01):
It's integral.
The church should beintentional.
There needs to be, I guess, likewhen we always kind of refer
back to what we know and whatwe've experienced in life and I
would say in my life, peoplewith disabilities were hidden.
(08:21):
They were put in differentclassrooms.
They were not a part of thenormal things that we did.
However, in many instances andmost cases, as long as it was
comfortable for them, fittingfor their needs, they could have
fit in spaces right whereeverybody else was and should
(08:44):
have, but we went into, we livedin land of fear.
I mean, we have stuff that isrooted even in scripture In the
book of Leviticus we've talkedabout before.
You know, it's unclean, theycan't enter into the thing, so
they have to be separated.
Lots of ways to think of it.
(09:26):
But separation shouldn't be donefor the purposes of keep them
away.
We don't want them to be a partof their burden.
Separation should happenbecause that's how you have in
churches kids ministry and youthministry, and women's ministry
and men's ministry and recoveryministry and marriage ministry
and all of those differentthings.
The reason that thoseministries are created in
separation is so that they canminister specifically to the
(09:48):
needs of that person in theirlife at that time, that they can
minister specifically to theneeds of that person in their
life at that time.
And so disability ministrygives a community.
It provides even more specificways to minister.
It opens the opportunity forunderstanding and relationship
(10:12):
building on a deeper level.
However, disability ministryshould not be separated.
It should not be its own silo.
It is incredibly important foran individual with disabilities
to be a part of the church.
(10:32):
It is an ongoing conversationabout children and youth and the
amount of separation thatexists in their ministries
throughout the church and thedifficult transition into
adulthood because of thatseparation.
And I would say in every aspectyou're coming to that same
(10:54):
experience for people withdisabilities.
Right, the more you separate,the more difficult it is to join
is to join, and also thebarriers that get built and can
exist over time and add to thestereotypes and beliefs that the
(11:14):
world has created about peoplewith disabilities.
Then there becomes this vastexpanse between the both, and
God has called us to be thechurch.
And the church is a body andthe body is connected.
So I do believe 100% that thereshould be ministry that is
(11:35):
specific to people withdisabilities.
And there are individuals thatthrive better in separated
instances, which could besomeone with intense sensory
sensitivities, more intensemedical needs, those kinds of
(11:57):
things.
They may benefit in thosespaces because that is where
they feel most comfortable, andwhere we feel most comfortable
is where we engage most andlearn most and all of those
kinds of things.
However, the church is a bodyand the body is connected and we
should always be connected asthe full body of Christ.
(12:22):
So let's move on to anothertopic, and it's going into some
theological and biblicalconsiderations.
So many believe that the Biblecalls for inclusion and care for
those with disabilities.
Others will challenge itbecause of certain things, and
(12:47):
here's going back to what I justmentioned just a moment ago.
We have passages like Leviticus, and then we have passages like
Luke, where you have Leviticuswho's saying separate, and then
you have Luke saying everyone'sinvited to the table.
So Jesus's example isparticularly powerful and his
(13:10):
interactions with individualswith disabilities, such as those
who are blind, lame,demonstrate his inclusive
attitude and emphasis on dignity.
So we've taken a deep dive intothe scriptures from Leviticus
and understand that there was alot of foreshadowing there and
(13:34):
there was a lot of setup forunderstanding that the priests,
who were the only ones who couldenter and engage with God and
engage with God here's the thingthey had to do so many things
to get to the level ofconsidering a perfection, but
(13:54):
then, because they reallycouldn't ever be perfect, jesus
came and he was the bridge andhe was the better offer because
he was the ultimate perfection.
So what Leviticus was pointingout was more about the
priesthood and the perfection,imperfection and how Jesus
(14:16):
needed to come to make up forthat, as opposed to specifically
speaking to people withdisabilities.
And Luke says listen, you wantat first, you want all these
fancy, spancy people, come intoyour house and none of them show
up.
And here are the people youwanna invite to your table.
(14:36):
So go out and get them andbring them on in.
And add to that 1 Corinthians,12, 22 and 25.
That reminds us of the mostimportant members of the body,
which is what this podcast isnamed after, what my books are
named after the indispensablepeople.
Because God says that those whoseem the weakest seem the
(15:02):
weakest are indispensable.
Why weakest seem the weakestare indispensable.
Why?
Because the body of Christ isdiverse and it's interdependent
and it has levels of strengthand weaknesses all throughout it
, and that's why we cometogether as the body of Christ.
It's clear that a lot of theseconversations are complex and
(15:23):
they require a lot of carefulconsideration and compassion.
By engaging in them, we canlook towards a more intentional
church, a more purposeful churchthat provides welcoming value,
inclusivity and specificministry when it's necessary,
(15:47):
because each of us needssomething that is specific to
our lives and specific to ourneeds.
So let's reach out, let's getpast those hard conversations
and look at people for what Godsays that they are, and that is
indispensable.
Do I know everything aboutdisability ministry?
(16:09):
Do I have all the answers?
Have I done everythingperfectly?
I've absolutely not, but we aregoing to continue this
conversation so that people ofall abilities can have the
opportunity to know Christ, growin Him and serve Him with the
gifts that he has given them.
For deeper dives into thesetopics and more, check out
(16:31):
indispensablepeoplecom and visitAmazon to purchase the books
the Indispensable Kid and GospelAccessibility and the
Indispensable People and theindispensable people.
Hi, my name is Tracy Correll and welcome to
Indispensable People.
I'm a wife, mom, teacher,pastor and missionary, and I
believe that every person shouldhave the opportunity to know
Christ, grow in Him and serveHim with the gifts that he has
given, no matter their ability.
Over 65 million Americans havea disability.
That's 25% of the population.
(00:26):
However, over 80% of them arenot inside the walls of our
church.
Let's dive into those hardtopics biblical foundations,
perceptions and world-changingideas.
Hey, hey, and welcome to thisepisode of Indispensable People.
(00:57):
Today, we're going to explore anintersection of faith and
community.
We're diving into some of themost debated topics in
disability ministry.
We'll be tackling somequestions about the definition
of disability, the role of thechurch and leadership, and how
we can integrate people withdisabilities into the broader
church community.
So let's get into it.
Let's start with the definitionand understanding of disability
(01:18):
.
There are two primary modelsthat people often reference the
medical model and the socialmodel.
And the medical model viewsdisability as an individual
problem that's caused byphysical or mental impairments.
In contrast, the social modelemphasizes that societal
(01:39):
barriers actually createdisability.
This is an importantdistinction because it really
shapes how communities approachinclusion.
So, for instance, cognitivedisabilities which are often
invisible, which means we can'tsee them.
It's not like a use of awheelchair or a limp, or
(02:11):
wheelchair or a limp ordeformity of some sort that you
can see.
It's invisible.
It's on the inside.
So it's typically neurological,mental, something like that,
and it can be really challengingto recognize an address within
the church because it'sinvisible.
So you have some schools ofthought of you know where the
(02:32):
problem is coming from, or ifthere's a problem or if it's a
created issue.
There's all kinds of things.
And I can tell you that, as aparent of a child with a
disability whose mom my momquestioned me and my child
because his diagnosis was notvisible, and so then she
(02:57):
questioned whether or not it waseven real, no-transcript and
(03:26):
careful, as the church, howwe're handling that.
Then we have to consider theperspective of disability as a
spiritual issue.
Some view it as a trial or evena curse, while others see it as
a natural part of humandiversity and a chance for
spiritual growth.
This can significantly impacthow individuals with
(03:47):
disabilities are perceived andtreated within religious
communities, and I'll give you afew examples of that One being.
I am friends with a missionarywho is specifically working in
Argentina, who is specificallyworking in Argentina.
She is known for just signs andwonders and miracles, and she
(04:16):
was on itineration home in theStates and a pastor connected
with her and said listen, wehave a child, we believe they
are demon possessed and we wouldlike for you to come pray.
She walked in the room andimmediately discernment came
over her and she said you knowthis, this is not that.
And the child was diagnosedwith autism and the way the
(04:41):
church had viewed that personwas only, through a spiritual
lens, that fixing needed tohappen and they're going to pray
it out of him.
Another example a conversationwith a family member who
basically was talking abouthealing, and healing is a huge
(05:02):
topic within the disabilitycommunity and there are people
who believe they've beenpartially healed.
They believe that there'sfullness of healing.
Some people believe that theirdisability is not something to
be healed from.
They believe that it's aneurotypical difference and so
that is a part of them.
It is not something to bechanged or fixed.
(05:24):
And I would say I always goback to the balance right, and
the balance is if there arechallenges in your life that God
can remove from you, and webelieve that he is the provider
and he is the healer, is theprovider and he is the healer.
(05:46):
We truly believe that he can dothat.
I do believe that he alsoallows things because he has
purpose in them.
So there's a balance betweenthat.
So there's the perspective ofdisability as the spiritual
issue, that some can view it asa trial again, or a curse, and
(06:07):
others see it as the naturalpart of human diversity, and I
would say it's a bit of both.
So we can find that balance.
That yes, it can be a trial,yes it can be a spiritual issue,
does not mean that it always isand it can be a part of your
disability.
The things you experience inlife shape who you are.
(06:29):
You can't deny that, and soit's a balance of both.
So we have the medical, we havethe social and then we have the
spiritual aspects of looking atthings.
But now we're going to move onto looking at the role of church
leadership, because there's adebate over kind of separate
(06:53):
ministries.
There's an ongoing discussionwhether disability ministries
should be separate from the mainchurch program.
So this is our next topic we'regoing to be talking about, and
so I guess my word for thisepisode is really going to be
balance, balance, balance,balance, balance.
Because this ongoing discussionis whether disability ministry
(07:19):
should be separate from the mainchurch programs or if full
integration is a better approach.
Here's the balance.
You can look at it as anintegration, segregation type of
thing.
There's your hot topic and theworld is screaming inclusion,
(07:41):
inclusion, inclusion, inclusion,inclusion and segregation is
kind of like a dirty word, right.
So how do we look at that andhow do we fit?
I say inclusion is absolutelyimportant.
(08:01):
It's integral.
The church should beintentional.
There needs to be, I guess, likewhen we always kind of refer
back to what we know and whatwe've experienced in life and I
would say in my life, peoplewith disabilities were hidden.
(08:21):
They were put in differentclassrooms.
They were not a part of thenormal things that we did.
However, in many instances andmost cases, as long as it was
comfortable for them, fittingfor their needs, they could have
fit in spaces right whereeverybody else was and should
(08:44):
have, but we went into, we livedin land of fear.
I mean, we have stuff that isrooted even in scripture In the
book of Leviticus we've talkedabout before.
You know, it's unclean, theycan't enter into the thing, so
they have to be separated.
Lots of ways to think of it.
(09:26):
But separation shouldn't be donefor the purposes of keep them
away.
We don't want them to be a partof their burden.
Separation should happenbecause that's how you have in
churches kids ministry and youthministry, and women's ministry
and men's ministry and recoveryministry and marriage ministry
and all of those differentthings.
The reason that thoseministries are created in
separation is so that they canminister specifically to the
(09:48):
needs of that person in theirlife at that time, that they can
minister specifically to theneeds of that person in their
life at that time.
And so disability ministrygives a community.
It provides even more specificways to minister.
It opens the opportunity forunderstanding and relationship
(10:12):
building on a deeper level.
However, disability ministryshould not be separated.
It should not be its own silo.
It is incredibly important foran individual with disabilities
to be a part of the church.
(10:32):
It is an ongoing conversationabout children and youth and the
amount of separation thatexists in their ministries
throughout the church and thedifficult transition into
adulthood because of thatseparation.
And I would say in every aspectyou're coming to that same
(10:54):
experience for people withdisabilities.
Right, the more you separate,the more difficult it is to join
is to join, and also thebarriers that get built and can
exist over time and add to thestereotypes and beliefs that the
(11:14):
world has created about peoplewith disabilities.
Then there becomes this vastexpanse between the both, and
God has called us to be thechurch.
And the church is a body andthe body is connected.
So I do believe 100% that thereshould be ministry that is
(11:35):
specific to people withdisabilities.
And there are individuals thatthrive better in separated
instances, which could besomeone with intense sensory
sensitivities, more intensemedical needs, those kinds of
(11:57):
things.
They may benefit in thosespaces because that is where
they feel most comfortable, andwhere we feel most comfortable
is where we engage most andlearn most and all of those
kinds of things.
However, the church is a bodyand the body is connected and we
should always be connected asthe full body of Christ.
(12:22):
So let's move on to anothertopic, and it's going into some
theological and biblicalconsiderations.
So many believe that the Biblecalls for inclusion and care for
those with disabilities.
Others will challenge itbecause of certain things, and
(12:47):
here's going back to what I justmentioned just a moment ago.
We have passages like Leviticus, and then we have passages like
Luke, where you have Leviticuswho's saying separate, and then
you have Luke saying everyone'sinvited to the table.
So Jesus's example isparticularly powerful and his
(13:10):
interactions with individualswith disabilities, such as those
who are blind, lame,demonstrate his inclusive
attitude and emphasis on dignity.
So we've taken a deep dive intothe scriptures from Leviticus
and understand that there was alot of foreshadowing there and
(13:34):
there was a lot of setup forunderstanding that the priests,
who were the only ones who couldenter and engage with God and
engage with God here's the thingthey had to do so many things
to get to the level ofconsidering a perfection, but
(13:54):
then, because they reallycouldn't ever be perfect, jesus
came and he was the bridge andhe was the better offer because
he was the ultimate perfection.
So what Leviticus was pointingout was more about the
priesthood and the perfection,imperfection and how Jesus
(14:16):
needed to come to make up forthat, as opposed to specifically
speaking to people withdisabilities.
And Luke says listen, you wantat first, you want all these
fancy, spancy people, come intoyour house and none of them show
up.
And here are the people youwanna invite to your table.
(14:36):
So go out and get them andbring them on in.
And add to that 1 Corinthians,12, 22 and 25.
That reminds us of the mostimportant members of the body,
which is what this podcast isnamed after, what my books are
named after the indispensablepeople.
Because God says that those whoseem the weakest seem the
(15:02):
weakest are indispensable.
Why weakest seem the weakestare indispensable.
Why?
Because the body of Christ isdiverse and it's interdependent
and it has levels of strengthand weaknesses all throughout it
, and that's why we cometogether as the body of Christ.
It's clear that a lot of theseconversations are complex and
(15:23):
they require a lot of carefulconsideration and compassion.
By engaging in them, we canlook towards a more intentional
church, a more purposeful churchthat provides welcoming value,
inclusivity and specificministry when it's necessary,
(15:47):
because each of us needssomething that is specific to
our lives and specific to ourneeds.
So let's reach out, let's getpast those hard conversations
and look at people for what Godsays that they are, and that is
indispensable.
Do I know everything aboutdisability ministry?
(16:09):
Do I have all the answers?
Have I done everythingperfectly?
I've absolutely not, but we aregoing to continue this
conversation so that people ofall abilities can have the
opportunity to know Christ, growin Him and serve Him with the
gifts that he has given them.
For deeper dives into thesetopics and more, check out
(16:31):
indispensablepeoplecom and visitAmazon to purchase the books
the Indispensable Kid and GospelAccessibility and the
Indispensable People and theindispensable people.
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