Disability and the Small Church - Pastor Ryan Nelson & Rev. Shannon Blosser

"Do you believe that disability ministry is one size fits all? If not, how can churches find their own fit?"

Today, we are going to talk to the Disability Ministry Coordinator for the Church of the Nazarene, Pastor Ryan Nelson, and small church pastor, Reverend Shannon Blosser from the United Methodist Church, all about disability inclusion in the small church. So join us and learn what the perceived roadblocks are that keep disability ministry out of many small churches, why it's important to embrace dumb questions, how to plant the seeds of culture change in ANY size church, and so much more.

Reverend Ryan Nelzon bio

Rev. Ryan Nelson was hired as the Disability Ministry Coordinator for the Church of the Nazarene, October of 2023. Ryan has been married to his wife, Rev. Serina Nelson, since 2011. Together they Co-Pastored Church Street Church of the Nazarene in Carlsbad, NM.  Ryan & Serina love to play and travel with their daughter Marley.

The Church of the Nazarene and Pastor Nelson are partners in the Adapted Discipleship Library, along with Wonderful Works Ministry. To learn more about disability inclusion and the Church of the Nazarene (and to get some really cool FREE tools) please visit the Adapted Discipleship Library.

Reverend Shannon Blosser bio

Shannon Blosser is the pastor of Mount Olivet and Benwood-McMechen UMC in the Wheeling, W.Va. area. He is an ordained elder in the West Virginia Annual Conference of the United Methodist Church. He is particularly focused on how the witness of faith creates inclusion and acceptance of those with disabilities within the church. He lives in McMechen, W.Va., with his wife, Abbi, sons, Noah and Tad, and their cat, George.

He is an alum of West Virginia University and Asbury Theological Seminary. In his spare time, you can find him watching WVU athletics, studying presidential history, cheering on the St. Louis Cardinals baseball, or attempting to play golf. To hear more from Shannon please visit shannonblosser.com or follow Autism Inclusion Mission on Facebook.

A quick note on disability terms:

Before you listen, I wanted to talk to you about something important about our podcast, and that is how we will be referring to disability during our discussions. We want you to know that at Wonderful Works Ministry, we know that words matter. We will strive to use preferred language regarding disability. But we also understand that preferred terms change over time and also can be subjective and vary from person to person, even among those with a shared diagnosis. With this in mind, we ask that you understand that we, here at Wonderful Works, and our guests may use a variety of terms on this show and in our resources. Please know that we will always approach language with inclusion, dignity and respect, and we hope you will too. Thank for listening!

 

One more quick note:

The views and opinions expressed in our show are those of our guests and do not necessarily reflect those of Wonderful Works Ministry. Wonderful Works Ministry does not provide medical, legal, or therapeutic advice or services. Rather, we provide general information regarding disability ministry. The information provided in our content does not replace the advice of medical, legal, or educational professionals. Wonderful Works Ministry is not responsible for any information or services provided by third parties. It is recommended that you use independent judgement when considering any resource associated