A Letter From Rebecca

“What have you learned today that you do not want to forget?” We posed this question at the end of our Worship As One summit in August. As one of the hosts, I was not planning on grabbing the microphone to share, but if you know me well enough, you know I couldn’t help myself. An event we had spent months planning for pastors and church leaders, and there I was, standing in front of a room full of leaders as a recipient of the gift of learning. I experienced God stirring my heart anew and reminding me why this work deeply matters.

Earlier that day, my keynote was centered around creating inclusive communities for all adults to grow in their love of God while building mutual and meaningful relationships with one another. Community is one of the top dimensions of accessibility identified by people experiencing disability. In our shared humanity, despite our differences, we are unified around our desire to live life alongside friends. Simply put, relationships and community are a universal human need.

However, for many churches engaged in disability ministry, the focus has been on creating siloed groups based on perceived intellectual ability. When churches separate community opportunities for individuals with disabilities, it reinforces a narrative of exclusion: suggesting, though certainly not intended, that people with disabilities are less desired in our typical community groups or Sunday school classes within the body of Christ.

At WITH, we are reminding the church that people with disabilities are more than included; they are integral. Our congregations need the faith and friendships of our brothers and sisters with disabilities, and the disability community is longing to experience the embrace of the church.

So, what did I share when I grabbed the microphone at WITH’s summit? I shared something a mom of an adult with a disability said to me after my keynote.

She grabbed my arm and tearfully said, “Thank you for saying the really hard and tender things out loud to pastors on our behalf. As a mom, I have grown weary of pushing and advocating, and I realize I had kind of given up on the Church wholeheartedly including my son. You spoke of the things buried deep within my soul, the things that keep me up at night, and the things I am afraid to continue to hope for. Thank you so much for saying these things out loud so that I don’t have to!”

Our work not only impacts congregations, classrooms, worship services, and attitudes toward disability. It is impacting the moms who are weary of advocating on Sunday mornings. It is impacting the pastor afraid of change. And our work is impacting the way churches welcome and greet each image bearer on Sunday morning.

We are calling the church to greater faithfulness so entire families experience the embrace of the church. We are doing this together, and I am so very grateful for this community.

Rebecca Wall

Executive Director

How is WITH bridging this gap?

Our annual accessibility summit, Worship As One, continues to welcome hundreds of pastors from across the country to learn together, worship together, ask meaningful questions, and imagine what could be possible in their own congregations.

Most churches didn’t come alone; they came as teams. Because creating a culture of belonging isn’t the responsibility of one person or one ministry. Lasting change happens when people come together around a shared vision and commit to taking meaningful action together.

The gap between willingness and readiness is closing one conversation, one summit, one question, and one perspective shift at a time. Be encouraged by the change happening one church at a time.

WITH’s Redemptive Imagination Summit Pitch

Rebecca completed her year-long fellowship with Praxis which culminated in several pitch opportunities in front of hundreds of community members. Praxis believes the future depends on redemptive culture makers who dare to put faith in action with imaginations for renewal. Praxis spent a year investing in Rebecca, accelerating the work of WITH, and opening doors for some of the incredible opportunities ahead.

In May, Rebecca pitched to hundreds of Praxis community members gathered for the Redemptive Imagination Summit. She was given four minutes on stage to cast WITH’s vision and invite the community to join with her in this work. What did she say in those four minutes?

Rebecca invites the community to partner in three key ways.

How might you continue to be involved and accelerate WITH’s work?