{"version":1,"type":"rich","provider_name":"Libsyn","provider_url":"https:\/\/www.libsyn.com","height":90,"width":600,"title":"Faith and Disability: 10 Dimensions of Belonging | Teacher\u2019s Desk with Erik Carter (Ep. 203)","description":"Dr. Erik Carter shares from his research and personal experience about how Christian faith informs perspectives on disability. He unpacks 10 dimensions of belonging in community spaces, including schools and churches, along with actionable next steps. Baylor Center for Disability and Flourishing \u201cDisability is among us, and when we think about our schools and our congregations, we want to make sure that kids with disabilities are also with us as well.\u201d \u201cEvery single person is created in the image of God with dignity and worth and gifts to share.\u201d \u201cDisability doesn\u2019t diminish faith; it can often deepen faith.\u201d \u201cAs a Christian, our faith shapes how we see people with disabilities, not as people who are broken or challenged or who have deficits or deficiencies, or all those things that come to mind when the world thinks about disability, but as people who are gifted and image bearers and wonderfully made and beloved.\u201d \u201cOur faith calls us to respond differently, to be barrier breakers and diminishers of stigma.\u201d \u201cOne in three families has at least one member that identifies as having a disability.\u201d \u201cDisability is a natural part of the human experience, and if we\u2019re not encountering people with disabilities, we might want to think about broadening who we think about as our neighbor and with whom we pursue relationships.\u201d The 10 Dimensions of Belonging: Present, invited, welcomed, known, accepted, supported, heard, befriended, needed, loved Access additional resources for the church about the 10 Dimensions here \u201cWho do I know is in my community but isn\u2019t part of this program or activity or school, and what is it that is standing in the way of that happening?\u201d \u201cThat sense of \u2018I don\u2019t want to do it poorly\u2019 leads us to not do anything at all.\u201d \u201cYou can\u2019t learn to do this well from a distance; you have to step into it and experience this and wrestle through it.\u201d Reflection Questions: What are we doing really well? What could we do better to open up the experience of belonging? What should we prioritize next? \u201cThose who the world so often overlooks are the ones who lead us back to what matters most.\u201d \u201cThis sense of experience of belonging is a mutual benefit; we all flourish when those whom we presume are less capable and less valuable are actually centered in our communities.\u201d What\u2019s changing our lives: Keane: New software for website management Heather: Writing on mirror with chalk markers Erik: Learning to slow his pace Weekly Spotlight: Grace International School We\u2019d love to hear from you! podcast@teachbeyond.org Podcast Website: https:\/\/teachbeyond.org\/podcast Learn about TeachBeyond: https:\/\/teachbeyond.org\/ ","author_name":"Transformed & Transformational","author_url":"http:\/\/transformedandtransformational.libsyn.com\/website","html":"