Rev. Lisa Heffernan: Disability Ministries update

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Dear friends in Christ,

Greetings! My name is Rev. Lisa Heffernan, and on June 1st I began serving as coordinator for ELCA Disability Ministries. I work remotely out of South Dakota, where I am also serving as a part-time interim pastor with a congregation. I began serving on the ELCA Disability Ministries advisory team about four and a half years ago, and I am thankful for and humbled by the opportunity to serve in this new role. As a person with a disability (spina bifida), this ministry is especially close to my heart and I’m excited for where God is leading us in 2022 and beyond. 

We are excited to renew our commitment to create awareness about the church’s call for inclusion, participation and faith and leadership development of people with disabilities. In my role, I will do this by supporting the volunteer advisory team and the ways our work can engage and connect disability ministries across regions, synods and congregations. As 2021 winds down, we will be reviewing grant proposals that came in during our time of transition and planning to create more grant opportunities in 2022. More information about this will come as soon as it is available. 

ELCA Disability Ministries will also make a more visible commitment to addressing the intersectionality between disability, race, gender, and sexuality. We hope to expand our advisory team and partnerships to ensure that all people may have a place in our ministry and its mission of inclusion. We will also continue our ecumenical partnerships with other church bodies that are committed to this mission and specifically to ministries concerned with mental health. 

It’s a busy and exciting time for ELCA Disability Ministries. Not only is this a time of transition, but this is also a time when we are “under construction” as we do the holy work to which we have been called. In the coming months you will see changes to our website and the resources we share with you, which will better honor our commitment to recognizing and celebrating the diversity that exists among the people of God who have disabilities. One fun possibility on the horizon is a blog where you can catch up with Disability Ministries and hear from disabled leaders across all expressions of the church. 

We thank you for your continued support of ELCA Disability Ministries and ask that you keep us in your prayers, share about our ministry and the seeds it plants across the ELCA, and continue showing your support and generosity. There is much more to come, and I cannot wait to see where the Spirit leads us as a ministry and as the body of Christ. 

Peace,

Rev. Lisa Heffernan