Greetings, everyone! It is a privilege to introduce Pastors Mack Patrick and Mary Ann Harrison to the ELCA Disability Ministries advisory team. They join me, Chris, Pastor Brian, Anita, and Pastor Peter as we prepare for a great new period in the life of Disability Ministries in the ELCA. Read below for greetings and some background from these wonderful servants of Christ!

Peace,

Rev. Lisa Heffernan

ELCA Disability Ministries, coordinator

Pastor Mack Patrick (he/they) is currently serving as Assistant to the Bishop in the Northern Illinois synod, where he oversees communications, stewardship, and youth ministry. With a deep passion for social justice, particularly in advocating for transgender rights and the rights of individuals with disabilities, they strive to bring positive change to their community.

 Known for his love of technology and his curiosity for tinkering with new ideas, Mack combines their technical skills with their pastoral calling, always seeking innovative ways to serve and lead. A natural problem-solver, they are highly motivated and detail-oriented, consistently thinking ahead about the next steps about how we might proclaim the Gospel in new ways. 

Though they may be quiet in nature, Mack’s thoughtful and reflective approach drives their actions and leadership. Their quiet presence is matched by a strong vision for the future, committed to creating a more inclusive and compassionate world. 

Mack currently serves on the board of ReconcilingWorks and Lutheran Outdoor Ministries Center in Oregon, IL. They are part of the Welcome Team for Proclaim, a ministry of Extraordinary Lutheran Ministries. Mack has served on two cycles for The tAble pre-gathering to the ELCA Youth Gathering.

Pr. Mary Ann Harrison 

Christ the Shepherd Lutheran Church, Altadena CA

I am a Pastor currently serving in the ELCA with over 35 years of ministry experience. As a person with disabilities, I have first-hand experience of the discrepancies, discrimination, and lack of resources when it comes to including persons like myself.

A wife, mother and grandmother of persons with exceptional needs, I have become a fierce advocate for creating spaces and situations where those with difficulties can be self-sufficient, feel useful, and be seen in places where we are often overlooked or excluded.

An advocate for justice & inclusion, I do what I can to fight for those who have been marginalized. Whether through discrimination of race, religion, ethnicity, culture, or abilities.

I hope to bring my passion for justice, talent, and connections to the advisory team to assist in its work to support those who have been harmed by a world not created with people who have exceptional abilities in mind.

Greetings from ELCA Disability Ministries!

Today would like to announce that the applications for our next cycle of grants will open on Thursday, May 15th, and close on July 31st. Projects receiving grants will be announced by the end of October 2025.

For more information on the details regarding registration and eligibility/expectations for grant proposals, please go to:  https://www.elca.org/our-work/grants/impact-church-ministry and scroll down to “Disability Ministries” . If questions arise, please contact our coordinator, Rev. Lisa Heffernan at disability.ministry@elca.org.

We are excited to learn what your communities are dreaming up for 2025! God’s peace and blessings to you in this spring season.

Hello, friends of ELCA Disability Ministries!

As we prepare to send out our next newsletter, I wanted to offer a short update on a couple of our bigger projects, which may impact many of you.

We had an awesome showing of applicants for our new and open positions on our advisory team. We have some amazing leaders to connect with on our team and beyond. At the moment, we are still in discernment and will be having further conversations with some of our applicants. We will be in contact as soon as possible with all applicants, as we invite them to partner with us in other vital ways.

Unfortunately, this has pushed us back a bit in preparing for our next round of grant applications. We still plan for spring but need more time to prepare and help this round to go smoothly and well. We are grateful for everyone’s patience in the meantime. You may contact me at disability.ministry@elca.org if you have any questions for now.

Please keep tabs on this space and our other communications in the coming weeks as we move forward with new team members and the grant cycle for 2025. Thank you!

In Christ,

Rev. Lisa Heffernan

ELCA Disability Ministries coordinator

Hi friends!

Every day I get the honor of serving as the coordinator for ELCA Disability Ministries. I love so much of what I am called to do, but I know I’m not able to get it done alone. The advisory team that volunteers with Disability Ministries does amazing work in this ministry. They craft and lead workshops, review grant proposals, develop new resources, speak at events across the church, and a lot, lot more. Every day I give thanks to God for them and all they bring to this ministry.

We have reached a point in our time together where we feeling a want and need for some new friends to be on this advisory team along with them and myself. So, if you sense God may be calling you to come alongside us, here is what that search process is going to look like and the qualities we are looking for in 1-2 new team members.

Volunteer Job Description: The purpose of the ELCA Disability Ministries Advisory Team is to advise and support the work of the ELCA Disability Ministries Coordinator.

Duties:

• Bring your ideas, experience, and insights to the work of the team
• Attend web-based team meetings as scheduled by the coordinator (at least once a quarter and typically on Microsoft Teams)
• Contribute ideas and material for the blog and the quarterly newsletter
• Review grant proposals and collaborate with the team on final selections
• Attend in-person planning meetings (Usually one a year)
• Prepare workshop proposals and presentations in consultation with the team
• Conduct workshops and presentations on behalf of the team as approved by the coordinator

Qualifications:

• Strong team player who will fit in well with the current team
• Knowledge of and/or experience with a disability
• Must be able to keep confidentiality
• Support the ministry of the ELCA and ELCA Disability Ministries

Next steps: 

• Write up a bio and a short document (300 words max) sharing why you feel this ministry is important to you and the life of the church, and why you feel called to serve in this capacity.
• Applications can also be received in a video or audio format. Do not exceed two minutes, please.
• Dates: Please send your materials to https://bit.ly/DMTeamApplication by no later than January 31st,2025. 

New members will be announced by March 31st. Thanks and God bless your discernment.

Peace,

Rev. Lisa Heffernan, ELCA Disability Ministries Coordinator

If you attended the Extravaganza last January, this resource may be familiar to you! It was revised and put together by Rev. Peter Heide in consultation with the rest of the Disability Ministries advisory team. We offer it here to share with our friends and colleagues who may wish to explore the Thanksgiving for Baptism from a lens of disability. It had quite an impact when Rev. Peter Heide and fellow team member Anita Smallin shared it with the assembly at the Extravaganza, and pray that it can be shared well in your communities, too.

Thanksgiving for Baptism

The assembly stands. The presiding minister invites all to make the sign
of the cross +, the sign marked at baptism.

Blessed be the holy Trinity, one God,
the fountain of living water,
the rock who gave us birth,
our darkness and our light, our life and our salvation.
Amen.

The presiding minister addresses the assembly.

Joined to Christ through the waters of baptism,
we are clothed in God’s mercy and forgiveness.
Therefore, let us give thanks for the gift of baptism.

Water may be poured into the font as the presiding minister gives
thanks.

We give you thanks, O God,
for in the beginning your Spirit moved over the waters
and by your Word
you spoke the amazing diversity of the world into being,
from darkness you brought forth light in rainbow colors,
from darkness you brought forth varieties of seeds and trees,
from darkness you brought forth animals of every size and kind,
birds of the air and fish of the sea.
And lastly, from darkness,
you brought forth humanity in your own image,
of all colors and in many sexual identities,
people able-bodied and disabled;
and, having called forth creation
and recognizing your image reflected in myriad ways,
you took delight and called it good.

Through the waters of the flood, you delivered Noah and his family.
By the Jabbok river, you wrestled with Jacob,
named him Israel and gave him a holy limp.
At the Red Sea, through Moses, your stuttering servant,
you led your people Israel from slavery into freedom on dry land.
At the River Jordan, your Son was baptized by John
and anointed with the Holy Spirit.
By water and your Word, you claim us as your children,
heirs of your promise and hope for the world, servants of all.

We praise you for the gift of this water that sustains life,
and above all we thank you for the gift of new life
received in the many-gifted, resurrected body of Jesus Christ.
By your grace, shower us with your Spirit,
renew us in your forgiveness,
embrace us in your love.
We give you honor and praise
through Jesus Christ our Lord
in the unity of the Holy Spirit, now and forever.
Amen.

The service continues with gathering song. As a reminder of the gift of
baptism, the assembly may be sprinkled with water during the singing.

revised by Rev. Peter Heide in consultation with ELCA Disability Ministries
Advisory Team for ELCA Youth Extravaganza 2024, New Orleans, LA

ELCA Disability Ministries Workshops @ Extravaganza!

Have you registered for Extravaganza yet? Better get to it, because we would love to have you join us for our TWO workshops this year! Here’s a glimpse of what each workshop will be about. You can go to https://www.elcaymnet.org/workshops to find more information about all of the workshops happening at the E! this year.

D.A.R.E. to Play (Disability Access Resource Experience): All are welcome at church? Some of our youth group games don’t include all of God’s children. During this workshop, participants will learn how to make icebreakers, team building activities, and games more inclusive for those with disabilities and/or those who are neurodivergent. We will discuss the “why” of inclusion, along with navigating conversations surrounding youth with disabilities. Participants will also receive a list of supplies to have on hand at their congregation to make games and activities more accessible for those with disabilities. Come prepared to play some games and have some fun.

Catechism D.A.R.E. (Disability Access Resource Experience or Exploration): What does dying and rising mean from a disability perspective? Join the ELCA Disability Ministries Team as we explore the baptism texts of the New Testament, Luther’s explanation, and our contemporary Lutheran baptismal worship services. Mark Allen Powell, New Testament scholar and music critic, and others have demonstrated that we are influenced by our context. Indeed, it is Scripture’s content in conversation with our changing context that engages and reveals the Living Word of God. The Church often wrestles wondering how to make accommodation for the disabled student, but in this workshop come consider what might happen if people living with various disabilities are allowed to speak and interpret Scripture.

The Extravaganza is January 23-26, 2025 this year at The Galt House in Louisville, Kentucky. Hope to see you there, friends!