Training

Making your church a disability inclusive community

Developed in partnership with people living with disability,  Our Place runs training in churches aimed at helping them become places of belonging for people living with disability. Our aim is to help churches to support people with disability to become active and participating members of their church communities.

Each workshop is comprised of teaching content, small group discussions, and practical tips to help your church ensure that people with disability can be:

  • Safe and known
  • Connected and growing
  • Celebrated and loved
  • Blessing and being blessed

Our workshops are run by specialists in disability theology and ministry and people with a lived experience of disability.

Belonging Workshop: Making your Church a Disability Inclusive Community

Our Belonging workshop aims at giving churches a biblical foundation for creating disability inclusive churches. The workshop will help your church better understand what disability is, the barriers that exist that prevent people with disability being able to participate, and what you can do to remove those barriers and become a disability inclusive community.

Ministry & Discipleship with Children and Youth with Autism and/or Intellectual Disability

How can we help support children and youth with autism or intellectual disability to grow in their faith and become active members of our church communities? This workshop will guide you through some of the barriers that exist for children and youth with autism or intellectual disability to belonging in a church community and ways we can help remove those barriers. 

Disability & Housing: A Model of Christian Discipleship and Community

As pastors, family, and friends of people with disability, we seek a home for each where they belong – a place they are safe and known, connected and growing, celebrated and loved. Be part of developing a housing model of Christian discipleship for people with disability. This workshop is designed for churches looking to partner with Hope Christian Homes and Our Place Christian Communities in creating Christian housing options for adults with disability.

Presentations and preaching: church services with a disability focus

Our Place offers disability focused preaching, presentations, and Q&A panels designed for church services. Engage one of our disability theologians with lived experience of disability to speak at your church – raise awareness of disability issues and how your church can engage and include people with disability.

Disability Training: For your church leadership and ministry teams

Our Place offers hands-on, practical training for church leadership and ministry teams (in-person or online). Our program will give you the opportunity to dig deeper into a theology of disability, as well as to focus on strategic steps you can take towards a more disability inclusive church community.

For more information and to book a workshop

For more information about Our Place’s workshops or to book a workshop for your church or Christian organisation, contact admin@ourplacecc.org.au or use our booking form.

Speakers

Kirk and Lisa Patston

Co-Founders

Kirk’s research degrees include the interaction of disability studies with the theme of otherness in Job. He has lived experience of disability as a father. Lisa is passionate about discipleship for all and person-centred approaches to disability. She has qualifications in education and ministry and lived experience as a parent.

Jerrah Patston

Ambassador

Jerrah is a musician and songwriter, and the life of the party at every workshop. With his supportive community, he loves contributing to music, welcoming and hospitality at church. He lives with intellectual impairment and autism—and all the unique challenges, abilities and opportunities that has given him.