Happy Sunday people?
How was church today? Are you back from church already? I didn't see you, which service did you attend? Which priest presided over mass today? Was there a guest pastor at the church?
All the above are questions that have probably come up in our conversations today. Which is great, there is nothing that we can do without God's intervention and presence in our lives.
Let us think about accessibility. How many of our churches and places of worship are easy for a person with a special need to get in and out of?
Is there a ramp( that sloping bit at the door) at the main entrance for those on wheel chair and with mobility problems?
Are the walk ways wide enough to allow a person on a wheelchair, with muscular dystrophy or with crutches to follow the service from any part of the church?
Is there a sign language interpreter to enable our brothers and sisters with hearing impairment to fellowship with us?
Do we preach in the national languages( English, Kiswahili and Kenyan Sign Language[KSL]) so that our service can be interpreted to our hearing impaired friends?
Are the hymn books transcribed into braille to give our visually impaired brethren an equal chance to learn the new song?
Are the pews high enough with support to allow our brothers and sisters with muscular dystrophy to stand up and praise together with us?
If the answer in regard to your place of worship is NO to any of the above questions, don't then be too quick to wonder why your friend or that neighbour with a special need does not come to church as often or goes to a church in the next town.
This however does not mean that people with special needs should not go to church, absolutely not, they should go to church and give out suggestions on how the building and service can be made more accessible to them. If you give the suggestion today, you enable someone else to fellowship at that church the next year.
Have a blessed Sunday evening and week ahead.
How was church today? Are you back from church already? I didn't see you, which service did you attend? Which priest presided over mass today? Was there a guest pastor at the church?
All the above are questions that have probably come up in our conversations today. Which is great, there is nothing that we can do without God's intervention and presence in our lives.
Let us think about accessibility. How many of our churches and places of worship are easy for a person with a special need to get in and out of?
Is there a ramp( that sloping bit at the door) at the main entrance for those on wheel chair and with mobility problems?
Are the walk ways wide enough to allow a person on a wheelchair, with muscular dystrophy or with crutches to follow the service from any part of the church?
Is there a sign language interpreter to enable our brothers and sisters with hearing impairment to fellowship with us?
Do we preach in the national languages( English, Kiswahili and Kenyan Sign Language[KSL]) so that our service can be interpreted to our hearing impaired friends?
Are the hymn books transcribed into braille to give our visually impaired brethren an equal chance to learn the new song?
Are the pews high enough with support to allow our brothers and sisters with muscular dystrophy to stand up and praise together with us?
If the answer in regard to your place of worship is NO to any of the above questions, don't then be too quick to wonder why your friend or that neighbour with a special need does not come to church as often or goes to a church in the next town.
This however does not mean that people with special needs should not go to church, absolutely not, they should go to church and give out suggestions on how the building and service can be made more accessible to them. If you give the suggestion today, you enable someone else to fellowship at that church the next year.
Have a blessed Sunday evening and week ahead.
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