• A baby is born with a weak immune system. He catches every germ from others in the nursery who ``just have a little cold.'' Soon it's easier for his mother to just stay home from church rather than go through another round of antibiotics.
• A kindergarten girl struggles with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Her Sunday school teachers report to her parents that she is ``into everything'' and disrupting the class. Soon the entire family skips Sunday school.
• A teenager in a wheelchair wants to participate in the youth retreat. But there are accessibility problems in the camp setting. It's hard to pick a suitable activity when the choices are hiking, volleyball, and rock climbing.
• A woman who wears leg braces experiences difficulty walking up two flights of stairs to enter the worship area. Even though she loves the worship style of this congregation, she tires of the physical demands and finds another worship setting.

     These examples could be multiplied many times over. They happen not because the mainstream of the church does not care, but because we don't discern the fullness of the body of Christ by considering the needs of those who are weak and different. Eventually, persons slip to the margins while the church community as a whole becomes ingrown and more like a clique.
     Jesus tells a parable in Luke 14 about the expected dinner guests who assume they are part of the ``in''group of the community. Yet, in becoming so engrossed in their selfish, cliquish pursuits, they decline the invitation to attend the master's banquet. ``I cannot come…'' they say. Perhaps today they would say, "Can't we re-schedule at a time that's more convenient?'' But the missional opportunity is now. The way is opened for the marginalized folks, "the poor, the crippled, the blind, and the lame'' who are not only invited but also given the best seats at the table. The question is who of us will be there to welcome them.
     If the church follows the master who invites those who are weakest and have the most obvious disabilities, then it will need some help. Months and years of exile will not disappear simply because someone says the words, "You are invited.'' Those at the margins will need to feel the sincerity of the invitation. They will need to see the places at the table where they fit.
     For most persons in exile to re-enter the heart of the community of faith, it will take some bridges. Persons at the center will need to find, create, and walk across those bridges to meet the marginalized persons and families at their point of need. Then they will need to walk back over those bridges together toward an inclusive, integrated community.
      Here are four bridges that will build up the body and nurture community to include persons with disabilities:

• Awareness. Awareness involves understanding the needs and challenges that a person or a family faces. There are different levels of understanding, some of which can happen through educating the congregation on the psychological, medical, emotional, and spiritual issues related to a particular condition. Yet the greatest awareness happens as we share the burdens. Taking a shift interacting with a hyperactive child not only gives overburdened parents a much needed break, but it allows others in the community to actually experience some of the challenges that family faces. Gaining this kind of awareness gives the community more creative bridges so those in exile can participate in the life of the community.
• Advocacy. Even if they want to be included in community life, persons with developmental disabilities often cannot communicate their own needs effectively. Family members feel embarrassed about constantly asking for special considerations. It is a tremendous relief when someone else comes to a family member and says, "The Sunday school class wants to do this activity. How can we shape this to include John?'' Yet, because of the difficulties and inconveniences often involved, the community will not often do this with commitment and resolve unless there are at least a few persons who keep advocating for consciously including everyone . The key in planning all of our activities is to think about how those on the margins will respond and be able to participate. If we can make those in exile feel welcomed, chances are that everyone else will feel welcomed as well!
• Accountability. Sometimes there is no greater frustration than vague promises. "We'll help you out'' or "We'll find something for him to do'' can reveal good intentions without the follow-up. While some people have a gift for identifying needs and simply being at the right place at the right time, most of us need some organization to be accountable. Some churches are creating a "Barnabas group'' that turns good intentions into action. Accountability can even extend as far as a "Supportive Care Network'' to plan a lifetime of care for the person with special needs, even after parents are gone. However, most often accountability involves clarity in the simple week-to-week tasks such as "Martha Miller is responsible for getting John to church.'' Accountability also may involve identifying and developing gifts. "Jean has a wonderful smile. If Mary works with her and the Ushering Committee, Jean could greet people and hand out bulletins.'' Accountability is a key bridge toward inclusion as specific persons take responsibility for specific tasks.
• Acceptance. Once gifts are identified and used, the bridge of acceptance is the most powerful gift we can give someone coming in from exile. The way that we respond to a smile or a hug, the way that we talk directly to a person, or even how we respond to the noises of sheer excitement, will communicate volumes to a person with disabilities. Additionally, some may even be called to nurture intentional relationships of companionship. This is especially important as that "lovable child'' grows into an awkward teenager and then an adult who still sometimes acts like a child. True companionship communicates acceptance, a key bridge that builds community.

      Building bridges is at the heart of the mission of the church. Awareness, advocacy, accountability, and acceptance set a tone of hospitality that signals inclusion for all. The apostle Paul's words "you are the body of Christ and individually members of it'' is a constant reminder that the church is not a clique but rather a community of God's Spirit meant to include everyone.