Joni and Friends Ministry Podcast

Latest Episodes:

The Lionheart Spirit: Redemption and Hope - David Francisco and Kristi Platillero May 02, 2019

Show notes

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 lost everything: mobility, a career in music, even the opportunity to have a relationship. But he chose to trust God and make the most of his new reality. Now, three years following his accident, David has regained strength, found love, and just released a new song called Lionheart. Listen today as David and his wife Kristi share their incredible story of redemption and hope!

Watch a powerful interview between David Francisco and Joni Eareckson Tada at www.joniandfriends.org/lionheart

Joni and Friends was founded in 1979 by Joni Eareckson Tada who in a diving accident was left a quadriplegic at 17 years old. Ministry began as Tada, joined by friends around her kitchen table, responded to letters she received from people with disabilities in search of support. Over the past 40 years, the ministry has grown to serve thousands of people impacted by disability worldwide: Joni and Friends has delivered 150,000 wheelchairs and Bibles through Wheels for the World and provided Christian care to 63,000 special needs family members through Family Retreats. The organization also equips individuals and churches with disability ministry training and provides higher education courses through the Christian Institute on Disability.

www.joniandfriends.org

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Joni and Friends envisions a world where every person with a disability finds hope, dignity, and their place in the body of Christ. Founded by Joni Eareckson Tada, we provide Christ-centered care through Joni's House, Wheels for the World, Retreats and Getaways, and disability ministry training.

Find more encouragement on Joni Eareckson Tada's Sharing Hope podcast and her daily devotional.

Starting a Buddy Ministry - Candy Nixon and Sib Charles Apr 25, 2019

Show notes

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 ministry leaders Candy Nixon and Sib Charles about the impact that a buddy ministry has on special needs families and the entire church body. Together they share practical ways you can build a successful buddy ministry at your church.

For simple steps to help start a buddy ministry at your church, download the free book Call Me Friend at www.joniandfriends.org/podcast

www.joniandfriends.org

You make this podcast possible! Thank you for your support.

Find all podcast resources and message our team.

Follow Joni and Friends on Instagram, Facebook, YouTube, and TikTok.

Find more encouragement on Joni Eareckson Tada's Sharing Hope podcast and her daily devotional.

Engaging Volunteers at Your Church – Bret Welshymer and Lauren Garner Apr 18, 2019

Show notes

“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 disabilities, how do you gather and train volunteers to meet their unique needs? Today on the podcast, Crystal is talking with ministry experts Bret Welshymer and Lauren Garner about what it takes to serve people with disabilities in your church. Listen as they share practical ways to recruit, train, and encourage volunteers to get to know families impacted by disability. Bret and Lauren offer ways to dispel fears and also share structures for helping volunteers find their place. Everybody needs to be loved and unconditionally accepted – serving families impacted by disability gives you that opportunity!

Download 8 Steps to Starting a Disability Ministry a www.joniandfriends.org/podcast

www.joniandfriends.org

You make this podcast possible! Thank you for your support.

Find all podcast resources and message our team.

Follow Joni and Friends on Instagram, Facebook, YouTube, and TikTok.

Find more encouragement on Joni Eareckson Tada's Sharing Hope podcast and her daily devotional.

Invisible Disabilities: Fibromyalgia - Hallie Sheaffer Apr 11, 2019

Show notes

“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 chronic pain or illness, this challenge may leave them feeling misunderstood or unseen.

Today, Crystal talks with her good friend Hallie Sheaffer about invisible disabilities. Hallie has fibromyalgia, a disorder that wracks her body with widespread pain, fatigue, and at times even cognitive challenges. Listen as Hallie shares how this hidden disability can affect her daily activities, people’s perceptions of her, and what she has found helpful in her community of support.

If you have more questions about healing, suffering, pain, and hope, order a copy of Joni Eareckson Tada's book, A Place of Healing, at www.joniandfriends.org/podcast

www.joniandfriends.org

You make this podcast possible! Thank you for your support.

Find all podcast resources and message our team.

Follow Joni and Friends on Instagram, Facebook, YouTube, and TikTok.

Find more encouragement on Joni Eareckson Tada's Sharing Hope podcast and her daily devotional.

Finding Courage When There Are No Answers: A Father’s Perspective - Steve Bundy Apr 04, 2019

Show notes

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 destination. He talks with Crystal about the hardest, most painful, and most joyful years he could have imagined, and the courage and healing he found through his son’s disability. If you’re a parent, especially a father wrestling with fears and doubts about your child, know that you are not alone. Listen to Steve’s encouragement and advice for any father, then download a free chapter of his book, Another Kind of Courage, co-authored by Doug Mazza.

Find Another Kind of Courage at www.joniandfriends.org/podcast

www.joniandfriends.org

You make this podcast possible! Thank you for your support.

Find all podcast resources and message our team.

Follow Joni and Friends on Instagram, Facebook, YouTube, and TikTok.

Find more encouragement on Joni Eareckson Tada's Sharing Hope podcast and her daily devotional.

How to Plan a Respite Event for Families Impacted by Disability - Gina Spivey and Bret Welshymer Mar 28, 2019

Show notes

“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 themselves, for caregivers to have a break, and for the church to serve well. Listen as Crystal Keating talks with ministry leaders Gina Spivey and Bret Welshymer about how they use respite events as an opportunity to minister to families impacted by disability in their church. They share the importance of respite and practical encouragement and advice for how you can put on a respite event. No matter how large or small, your church can provide this time of refreshment as a way to welcome and embrace families impacted by disability.

For more practical advice and tools to execute a successful respite event, download the free eBook, We’ve Got This! at www.joniandfriends.org/podcast

www.joniandfriends.org

You make this podcast possible! Thank you for your support.

Find all podcast resources and message our team.

Follow Joni and Friends on Instagram, Facebook, YouTube, and TikTok.

Find more encouragement on Joni Eareckson Tada's Sharing Hope podcast and her daily devotional.

An Unexpected Diagnosis: Moving from Fear to Hope - World Down Syndrome Day with Shauna Amick Mar 21, 2019

Show notes

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 happening to me. This is not supposed to be happening to my baby.”

Where do we turn when it seems that God has given us more than we can handle? Today on the Joni and Friends Ministry Podcast, Crystal is celebrating World Down Syndrome Day with Shauna Amick, the mother of a now teenage daughter with Down Syndrome. Listen as Shauna shares her heartaches, joys, and why today she can genuinely celebrate World Down Syndrome Day.

Download the free booklet From Fear to Hope at www.joniandfriends.org/podcast

www.joniandfriends.org

You make this podcast possible! Thank you for your support.

Find all podcast resources and message our team.

Follow Joni and Friends on Instagram, Facebook, YouTube, and TikTok.

Find more encouragement on Joni Eareckson Tada's Sharing Hope podcast and her daily devotional.

Steps You Can Take to Include People with Disabilities in Your Church - Liz Babbitt and Lauren Garner Mar 14, 2019

Show notes

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 some of the barriers and challenges you may be facing at your church, and the first steps you can take to bridge the gap and include all people. When it comes to disability ministry, you don’t need to be an expert, you just need a willing heart.

Download the free eBook Start with Hello at www.joniandfriends.org/podcast

www.joniandfriends.org

You make this podcast possible! Thank you for your support.

Find all podcast resources and message our team.

Follow Joni and Friends on Instagram, Facebook, YouTube, and TikTok.

Find more encouragement on Joni Eareckson Tada's Sharing Hope podcast and her daily devotional.

You Can Help Solve the Global Mobility Crisis Right from Your Community - Wheelchair Collection Month with Elizabeth Kelly Mar 07, 2019

Show notes

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. Elizabeth shares how God redeems thousands of broken and discarded wheelchairs every year, turning them into a beautiful gift for people in desperate need around the world. And you can get involved – hear how you can help recycle and redeem wheelchairs right in your community. Whether you help by spreading the word, donating a wheelchair, or collecting used wheelchairs in your community, you can make a global impact!

*Statistic from the World Health Organization
www.who.int/phi/implementation/assistive_technology/wheelchair-publications/en/

www.joniandfriends.org

You make this podcast possible! Thank you for your support.

Find all podcast resources and message our team.

Follow Joni and Friends on Instagram, Facebook, YouTube, and TikTok.

Find more encouragement on Joni Eareckson Tada's Sharing Hope podcast and her daily devotional.

Mutual Friendship When Disability is Involved - How to move from just ministering to someone to doing life together Feb 28, 2019

Show notes

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? How can we build true mutual friendships? Today on the podcast, Crystal Keating is talking about friendship with Tracey Motoda, her good friend who has Spinal Muscular Atrophy (SMA) and is a wheelchair user. We all want to be known and have relationships with other people, so listen as Crystal and Tracey share ways that you can really do life with a friend impacted by disability – what it means to have a deep, mutual friendship.

www.joniandfriends.org

You make this podcast possible! Thank you for your support.

Find all podcast resources and message our team.

Follow Joni and Friends on Instagram, Facebook, YouTube, and TikTok.

Find more encouragement on Joni Eareckson Tada's Sharing Hope podcast and her daily devotional.