In the last number of years, there has been an increasing focus on Anabaptist spirituality.  However, only rarely has there been attention given to the spiritual life of persons who are often at the margins of church life.

Ministering to families and persons with significant disabilities, including mental illness, must go beyond simply responding to crises.  While crisis care is important to provide encouragement and to be a tangible sign of God's presence, true spiritual ministry goes beyond that to look at the larger picture. 

Often when persons emerge from crises and life appears to be more "normal," there are still many hidden needs and the very real dangers of depression and collapse.  Often, the church community breathes a sigh of relief and leaves a family still asking many questions and experiencing considerable anxiety and stress. 

Often, the spiritual lives of persons with developmental disabilities and some forms of mental illness are often ignored.  The church assumes that such persons are "innocent" and have little understanding of spiritual life.  Often though, by paying particular attention to the inner spirit, we discover a rich spiritual life more in tune with important matters that often get left out of our hectic, achievement-oriented lives.

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This page lists some links to notable groups and resources that are paying attention to the spiritual lives of families and persons who live with physical and developmental disabilities and mental illness.

The Daniel Project
This project is to provide tools for people in congregational leadership ministry in order to address the spiritual needs of persons with special needs and their families. The goal is to integrate such persons into the life of the congregation.

L'Arche
L'Arche is an international movement providing homes for persons to live together in intentional community. L'Arche grows out of a strong Christian movement, Catholic in its origins, but now ecumenical and inter-faith. This page gives the l'Arche philosophy; see the Companion Resources Community Models page for more links to l'Arche homes.

Christian Council on Persons with Disabilities
A consortium of Christian organizations working in disability ministry, this organization focuses on the spiritual well being of people who have physical, mental, or emotional disabilities. Evangelical perspective.

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Find a Mennonite Church USA or Canada congregation, conference, or related organization by using the search above. Other Mennonite congregational and organizational websites can be found at MennoLink Mennonite Information Source.