Key Ministry the Podcast

Vacation Bible School season is here, and churches everywhere are preparing decorations, snacks, crafts, lessons, games, registrations, and all the beautiful chaos that comes with welcoming children for a week of gospel-centered ministry. But before VBS begins, there is one important question every church should ask: Is our VBS accessible for every family God has already placed in our care? Show n...

In this episode of Key Ministry: The Podcast, Dr. Steve Grcevich talks with Dr. Karl Benzio, Chief Psychiatric Officer at Honey Lake Clinic and Medical Director for the American Association of Christian Counselors.  Together, they discuss the intersection of mental health care, Christian community, and the local church. Dr. Benzio shares why he believes the church has a vital role to play in carin...

What if the church has been asking the wrong question about disability? Too often, disability is presented as a picture of spiritual weakness, brokenness, or a barrier to faith. But when Jesus encounters people impacted by disability, He often does something very different. He highlights their faith, elevates their testimony, and uses their lives to strengthen the faith of others. In this episode,...

Starting a disability ministry can feel overwhelming, but it does not have to begin with a full program, a big budget, or a perfectly trained team. Sometimes, it begins with three simple conversations. In this episode of the Key Ministry Podcast, Lauren Hickman continues the Start Here series, also called the Rule of Three series, by walking through the first three conversations that can help a ch...

This episode features a main stage message from the Disability & the Church Conference 2025, where Stephanie Hubach walks through the difference between human hope and Christian hope. Human hope is real and often motivating, but it’s uncertain and tied to circumstances that may or may not change. In disability ministry and everyday life, that kind of hope can quickly hit limits—systems fail, e...

On this episode of Key Ministry the Podcast, Dr. Chris Hulshof explores a vital question for disability ministry: how do we move from curiosity to compassion? Looking at John 9 and Acts 3, Chris shows how the way we respond to disability reveals what is shaping our hearts. This conversation offers a theological and practical framework for church leaders who want to move beyond questions and toward...

In this episode of Key Ministry, the Podcast, Dr. Steve Grcevich is joined by Kimberly Britt, Executive Director of Anchor International, to talk about one of the most pressing needs in today’s church—mental health support that is both Christ-centered and practical. Kimberly shares how churches can move from uncertainty and stigma to becoming safe, supportive communities where people can talk abou...

We’re excited to introduce a new voice on Key Ministry, the Podcast—Lauren Hickman. Lauren is a special education teacher and disabilities ministry leader at Tabernacle Baptist Church. Her heart is simple and clear: to help churches become places where individuals and families impacted by disability are not just accommodated, but truly welcomed and discipled. In this episode, Lauren kicks off a br...

In this episode of the Key Ministry Podcast, Larah Roberts sits down with Britni Marinelli to kick off a brand new series: Disability & the Church Stories. Britni shares an incredible testimony of how God transformed a simple act of respite care into something far greater than she ever imagined. What began as caring for three autistic brothers eventually grew into a home, a family, and a month...

What does it look like to care with intentionality? Job’s friends are a fascinating contrast. At first, they do almost everything right. They show up. They stay. They sit in the dirt. And then, later in the book, they say almost everything wrong. This episode focuses on what they did in those first moments of suffering—and how their actions give us a surprisingly clear framework for how to care we...

What does faithful discipleship look like when a teen struggles with ADHD, dyslexia, autism, anxiety, or other hidden disabilities? In this episode of the Key Ministry Podcast, Dr. Steve Grcevich is joined by Dr. Brian Barrineau, Pastor of Family Ministries at Fruit Cove Baptist Church, for a practical and deeply encouraging conversation about discipling teens with learning differences. Hidden dis...

In many churches, grandparents are the ones bringing their grandkids to church—often stepping in as caregivers, spiritual anchors, and advocates, especially when disability is part of the story. In this episode, Sandra Peoples is joined by David Armijo, Special Needs Ministry Director at Champion Forest Baptist Church, to talk honestly about what churches need to understand when grandparents are t...

A single letter forced one pastor to confront what his church wasn’t ready for—and what God was calling him to lead. Pastor Jonathan shares his journey from awareness to conviction to action, offering an honest look at leadership, humility, and the slow work of cultural change in the local church. Visit https://disabilityandthechurch.com/ to register.

You don’t need the situational awareness of Jason Bourne to be effective in disability ministry. Jesus shows us that true disability awareness is much simpler and far more meaningful. It means going to where the need is, starting genuine conversations, and leading individuals with a disability into a personal and growing relationship with Him. This is the heart of faithful, gospel-centered disabil...

Pastors are often expected to be resilient, spiritually strong, and emotionally steady—especially in the face of crisis. But what happens when church leaders themselves are carrying unresolved trauma from their own past? In this episode of Key Ministry: The Podcast, Dr. Steve Grcevich sits down with counselor and researcher Jeremy Smith to explore the often-unspoken reality of trauma in pastors’ l...

As we end one year and look forward to the next, we can praise God for all He’s done in 2025. In this episode, Sandra Peoples shares ten wins from the disability ministry movement. She also covers five things she’s looking forward to in 2026.  Visit KeyMinistry.org/Podcas t for show notes. Links:  Joni & Friends released an updated version of Beyond Suffering Awe & Wonder released a salvat...

In this episode of the Key Ministry podcast, join Dr. Chris Hulshof as he reflects on one of the lesser-known yet deeply meaningful names of Jesus found in Luke 2: The Consolation of Israel.” Drawing from Simeon’s encounter with the infant Christ, this conversation explores how Jesus is not a consolation prize for a broken world, but God’s personal comfort given to His people. For families and ind...

What helps vulnerable kids truly heal and thrive—especially children navigating disability, trauma, foster care, or adoption? In this conversation, Dr. Steve Grcevich sits down with Rachel Medefind, Director of the Institute for Family Centered Healing and Health at the Christian Alliance for Orphans (CAFO), to explore how God uses loving families, local churches, and simple daily practices to fos...

Sandra talks with Tammy Dunkum about how her church shares the gospel with individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities (I/DD) and disciples both participants and families over time. Tammy shares practical classroom strategies, sensory-aware gospel conversations, and stories of God’s work—from a first grader learning who Jesus is to a sensory-friendly VBS that reached unchurched fa...

In this episode of Key Ministry: The Podcast, Dr. Chris Hulshof invites us into Mark 3 and the healing of the man with the withered hand. As Jesus confronts religious leaders with “calloused hearts,” we’re challenged to consider where our own hearts may have grown hard—especially in how we see, serve, and welcome people with disabilities in the life of the church. This is a gospel-centered call to...

In this episode of Key Ministry: The Podcast, host Dr. Steve Grcevich welcomes Dr. Mark Mayfield—pastor, counselor, professor, and author of The Mental Health Handbook for Ministry. Together they explore how churches of every size can care well for individuals and families facing mental health challenges, develop a biblical theology of suffering, and build trusted pathways to professional support—...

What does it look like to support neurodiverse teens so they can truly belong, grow, and thrive in your youth ministry? In this episode of Key Ministry the Podcast, Sandra Peoples shares practical guidance shaped by both ministry experience and life as a mom to two neurodiverse teenagers. She explains common challenges neurodiverse students may face at church, outlines inclusion models that help t...

Larah Roberts guides this special “Tour Stop” episode featuring her message recorded in September 2025 near Cleveland, Ohio. Larah lays out a gospel-centered orientation for disability ministry: start by envisioning the finish line—the throne room of Jesus in Revelation 21—and work backward. From there she shows how Acts 2 gives a practical blueprint for building ministries that move people toward...

What can the Apostle Paul’s words in Philippians 3:1 teach us about parenting, repetition, and joy? In this episode of the Key Ministry Podcast, Dr. Chris Hulshof shares a powerful reflection on how repetition—so often seen as tedious or tiresome—can actually be a gift from God. Drawing from Scripture, personal experience, and wisdom from G.K. Chesterton, Dr. Hulshof helps us see how repetition in...

Dr. Steve Grcevich interviews Dr. Jim Sells about his new book When Hurting People Come to Church, coauthored with Shaunti Feldhahn. Together, they explore a practical model for how churches can support people with mental health struggles—not just through professional referrals, but by equipping every believer to offer presence, compassion, and hope. The conversation highlights how mental health m...