This content is purposed for INUMC Disability Awareness Sunday on September 10, 2023. However if your church isn’t able to observe it that Sunday, we encourage you to set aside a Disability Awareness Sunday and utilize the following:
At the time of the last United States census, nearly one in five Americans were reported to have a disability.
Disabilities can include trouble hearing, seeing and walking, as well as mental impairment often associated with Alzheimer’s disease or dementia. Aging populations are the most vulnerable; however, people of all ages can have disabilities.
Each year, The United Methodist Church observes Disability Awareness Sunday as a reminder that the church is called to be in ministry with all of God’s children, regardless of abilities and needs. It is a Sunday when we are called to look for the overlooked and to listen for those with no voice. Whether it is the elderly member that now has trouble hearing, the child diagnosed with autism, or the young person in a wheelchair, we are reminded on Disability Awareness Sunday that the doors of our church must swing open wide enough for all of God’s children.
The INUMC will celebrate Disability Awareness Sunday on September 10, 2023. As your church begins to plan for your Fall ministries, we hope that you will use this Sunday as a kickoff to compassion and inclusion. The Disability Ministries of the UMC (UMCDMC or DMC) offers many resources to help your church. Please look through their Disability Awareness Sunday FAQ page, where you will find all sorts of great resources to celebrate the inclusion of ALL of God’s children.
“I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Wonderful are your works; that I know very well.” — Psalm 139:14, NRSV
Click here to view liturgy content for Disability Awareness Sunday.