Approaches to Making Sunday School Welcoming to All Students, part 1

For the month of January, 2020, posts on the Orthodox Christian Church School Directors Facebook page focused on approaches to making Sunday Church Schools welcoming to all students, based on recommendations from Summer Kinard’s book, "Of Such is the Kingdom: A Practical Theology of Disability". These are practical recommendations that can easily be implemented by church schools of all sizes, and that can make a positive difference right away. E-book or hard copy is available at Ancient Faith Store: https://store.ancientfaith.com/of-such-is-the-kingdom-ebook/

Here is a compilation of the posts for Days 1-7.

(Day 1) Approaches to making Sunday School welcoming for all: 

"We need to find ways to begin in three areas: First, we need to learn how to greet people [children] with disabilities so that we honor the image of God in them and share the love of Christ with them. Second, we need to learn how to offer help when a person [child] comes to us with chronic needs rather than acute illnesses. Third, we need to learn how to ask for help, both from one another and the saints."
(p. 57, Of Such is the Kingdom: A Practical Theology of Disability, Summer Kinard)

(Day 2) Greeting visitors with disabilities
"Look at them with love, the way you would look at a holy icon. You might need to practice, but looking at each person with the intention of loving God will be good for you and for the person who comes to the door.
Don't touch them unless you're asked to do so or unless they reach out to you first. This isn't to be cold. It's because many disabilities make touch confusing or dangerous, for reasons including fragile hands or balance or sensory-processing differences. If people arrive in wheelchairs, they will feel more comfortable if they or their designated caregiver are the only persons moving them. Welcome them with standard greetings. "Good morning," Good evening," and "Welcome" are good beginnings. Add, "I'm so glad you're here." People are at church because God has called them to be there. Don't turn them away."
(p.58, Of Such is the Kingdom: A Practical Theology of Disability, Summer Kinard)

(Day 3) Designate a "Calm Space"         

"If you see a family looking stressed and you know a place they might go in the church [church school] to have a peaceful space to calm down, quietly mention the space to them and silently make sure they can get there. Meltdowns from overwhelmed family members are never helped by touches from strangers or extra noise. Preparing the way for them will help them use their strategies to gather themselves again more easily."

(p.58-59, Of Such is the Kingdom: A Practical Theology of Disability, Summer Kinard)

(Day 4) Asking how to help

"If you want to know how to help a family with disabilities, keep your talk simple and find the parents or adult when it's quiet. Say simply, "I want to help you feel welcome at church because I know God loves you, and I want to love you, too." If there's a symptom that concerns you, ask about it without judgement...Start with, "I noticed" and show that you see that the person with a disability is someone who is really there, participating in God."
(p.60-61, Of Such is the Kingdom: A Practical Theology of Disability, Summer Kinard)

(Day 5) Patron Saints of various disabilities

"For instance, St. Paraskevi helps people with impairments to their eyes, and St. Seraphim of Sarov is a favorite saint among autistic Orthodox Christians. Consider offering icons of patron saints of different disabilities to include in your church learning areas. How do you pray with these patron saints at home?"

(p.64, Of Such is the Kingdom: A Practical Theology of Disability, Summer Kinard)

(Day 6) Remove social and physical barriers

"To remove handicaps, we must remove social and physical barriers to participation in the full life of the Church. "A barrier is any space too narrow, too high, too low, too unstable, or too hard to manipulate or negotiate," as well as social barriers like isolation, exclusion, and failure to communicate. When we work to include others, we will offer not only the ability to move into and through space freely and safely, but also "the gift of genuine friendship," "

(p.84, Of Such is the Kingdom: A Practical Theology of Disability, Summer Kinard)

(Day 7) Ask to understand

“Ask people to tell you about themselves and their needs, use the language about disabilities that they use for themselves, and accept them as fellow members of the Body of Christ. It’s important to look at someone who comes to church as though he or she is sacred and loved and welcomed, as we would welcome holy angels and Christ Himself. A church member or visitor might have a visible birth defect, unusual eye contact or expressions, missing eyes or ears, a cleft palate, a large birthmark, unusual head shape, chronic skin condition, missing or differently shaped limbs, a feeding tube or other visible medical equipment attached to him or her, or a facial structure that indicates a chromosomal difference or unusual bodily development. No matter the difference, remember that the person in front of you is made in the image of God. When God looks at that person, he sees an image of himself.”
(p. 84, Of Such is the Kingdom: A Practical Theology of Disability, Summer Kinard)