Joni and Friends Ministry Podcast

Typical Siblings: Joys and Challenges We know that disability impacts the entire family, but sometimes we can miss the impact that it has on the typical siblings of a brother or sister with special needs. Today Crystal talks with Dennis Spivey and Jessica Johnson about the joys and challenges that have shaped them as siblings and what they think you should know about siblings. If you are a typical...

No father is ever prepared to hear that his child will be born with a disability. This unexpected reality can lead to confusion or even anger, but it can also change the direction of a father’s life and his family. This week on a special Father’s Day episode of the podcast, Crystal is sitting down with Doug Mazza who served as President and COO of Joni and Friends for 20 years. Doug had been a dri...

Whether it’s the result of an unexpected diagnosis, a life-changing disability, the end of a marriage, or the loss of a loved one, grief can arrive suddenly… and it can take up residence without an invitation. Although we will all encounter loss and grief at some point, we aren’t meant to walk through it alone. God is near in the midst of pain and sadness, and as a friend to someone who is grievin...

Did you know that Tourette Syndrome Awareness Month is May 15 - June 15? Tourette syndrome is a neurological disorder characterized by involuntary tics and vocalizations… and it’s a disability that’s not always discussed. This week, Crystal has invited Chris Pearson back to the podcast to talk about the daily impact of Tourette syndrome on his life. Chris shares about the challenges he faced as a...

In Luke 14, we are called to go out quickly into the streets and alleys to bring in the poor, the crippled, the blind, and the lame. Sometimes that can mean stepping far outside of your comfort zone to reach people with disabilities living in extreme isolation. This year, our Wheels for the World team traveled to Haiti where on a shortened outreach due to civil unrest, we were able to provide a re...

Many weeks of the year, families impacted by disability can struggle with isolation and acceptance, they can feel worn down by routine appointments and the daily needs of life with a disability. But each summer, there is a place for families with special needs to be rejuvenated and refreshed in God’s Word… in an accessible space that fits the needs of the entire family. Joni and Friends Family Ret...

No one is an island. We all need community. And for a family impacted by disability, having a community of support to share encouragement and help meet real needs can change everything. On today’s Mother’s Day episode of the Joni and Friends Ministry Podcast, Crystal talks with Cynthia Berry, a woman who has faced a series of challenges: she’s a single mom, an African American woman, and mother to...

When disability strikes unexpectedly and the plans you’ve made for your life are suddenly interrupted, how do you hold on to hope? Where do you find courage to face your new reality? Three years ago, while musician David Francisco was riding his bike, he was hit by a distracted driver and suffered a spinal cord injury. When it seemed he might be facing permanent paralysis, David thought he had los...

If you are looking for how to welcome families impacted by disability in your church, creating a buddy ministry is one of the best ways to begin! A buddy ministry is more than a program, it’s about building relationships. And serving as a buddy to an individual with disability provides friendship, discipleship, and Kingdom-belonging for the whole family. Listen as Crystal chats with disability min...

“People are people and everybody has a place in the church family. When you get to know somebody, you can help them to be a part of the family. If you never take the time to get to know them, that’s not going to happen.” -Bret Welshymer Everyone who comes through the church doors should feel welcomed and be included. But when a new family at your church includes children or adults with disabilitie...

“For a lot of people who deal with chronic pain it’s like constantly walking in a state of storm… and for someone who only sees sunshine and clear skies, they can’t even comprehend that it’s storming.” Not all disabilities are visible. While on the outside someone may look as if everything is fine, a disability can sometimes be hiding. And for someone living with an invisible disability such as ch...

Like most parents, Steve Bundy was not expecting his child to be born with a disability. Following Caleb’s diagnosis of partial chromosome deletion, Steve felt so alone – he didn’t know where to turn or who would understand. On this week’s episode, he shares a father’s perspective on a road that few parents would choose to travel. But, as Steve eventually discovered, it's a road that has a destina...

“Respite is for the parents and for the kids. It’s for the whole family to really have an opportunity to just come to a church and know that the church genuinely wants them to be there.” -Gina Spivey, Disability Ministry Leader Families or caregivers who have children with disabilities are often isolated, exhausted, and grieving. It's so invaluable when there is a place for kids to just be themsel...

When Shauna arrived at the doctor’s office for her four-month ultrasound, the question on her mind was what color to paint the nursery. But after an unexpected diagnosis of Down syndrome, she and her husband left with more questions than answers. “I pinched myself. I literally pinched myself. The one and only time I’ve done that in my life. Because it was so surreal. This is not supposed to be hap...

One of the places where families impacted by disability should feel most welcomed is at church. But when it comes to building an inclusive environment, people and churches often struggle with where to begin. Today on the podcast, Crystal talks with two ministry experts, Liz Babbitt and Lauren Garner, who discuss what it means to really welcome someone with a disability. Listen as they talk through...

More than 70 million people around the world are in need of a wheelchair, but only 10% have access to one.* During March, Joni and Friends is celebrating Wheelchair Collection Month to bring awareness to this need and help solve the global mobility crisis. Today, Crystal Keating talks with Elizabeth Kelly who oversees wheelchair collection for the Joni and Friends Wheels for the World program. Eli...

There’s a difference between ministering to someone who has a disability and really doing life with them. While barriers like staircases and narrow doorways may keep someone with a physical disability from entering a space, there are other barriers that keep them from genuine, deep friendship. How can we take steps to tear down walls that isolate someone from community when they have a disability?...

You don’t really know a person until you’ve heard their story. For so many families impacted by disability, that story includes unique challenges and demands that can be exhausting and relentless. Responsibilities are often 24/7 in order to meet the needs of a child, spouse, or grandparent with a disability. Today on the podcast, Crystal talks with Sib Charles and Candy Nixon, two people who under...

In the middle of his successful career in the biotech industry, Kevin Stark unexpectedly became a quadriplegic. A few years later, he met his lovely wife, Jamie, and they fell in love. On this special Valentine’s Day episode of the Joni and Friends Ministry Podcast, Kevin and Jamie Stark give honest insight about marriage and the role that disability plays in their relationship. They share what it...

Walking a mile in someone’s shoes is a great way to understand their personal struggles and perspectives. While Tracey Motoda and Scott Bankhead don’t put that much wear on their actual shoes (they are both wheelchair users), we can certainly gain a lot of perspective from their own personal experiences of living and working in a wheelchair. In part 2 of their conversation with Crystal, Tracey and...

Do you have questions about disability etiquette? You may have heard the “do’s and don’ts” of communication and interaction, but what is someone with a disability really looking for? In part 1 of our Crystal’s conversation about disability etiquette, she talks with her friends Tracey Motoda and Scott Bankhead, both wheelchair users with physical disabilities. They share personal experiences – what...

How do you respond to those who believe some lives are just not worth living? In this bonus episode, Joni Eareckson Tada, Founder of Joni and Friends and a 51-year veteran of life in a wheelchair joins Nick Vujicic, Founder of Life Without Limbs, and Katherine Wolf, former model, young mother, and stroke survivor, to talk about the intrinsic value of every life. As sanctity of life is questioned f...

For our first episode, host Crystal Keating sits down with Joni Eareckson Tada, Founder and CEO of Joni and Friends, to talk about insights Joni's gained from 51 years as a quadriplegic in a wheelchair and 40 years of leading a growing ministry for people with disabilities. Joni also shares how she’s holding on to hope following a second cancer diagnosis and practical ways that encourage her – tan...

On the new Joni and Friends Ministry Podcast, we’re answering real questions about disability. Each week, host Crystal Keating is sitting down with a special guest or ministry expert to explore creative and practical ways to embrace and include people with disabilities in our churches and communities. Find resources mentioned on the podcast: www.joniandfriends.org/podcast Crystal Keating has been...