Disability Comes to Church

Stephen Bedard
  • 5.0 (1)
  • Christianity
  • Updated Biweekly

A podcast that looks at the intersection of faith and disabilities. The church can do better at welcoming and including people with disabilities and I want to help.

Episodes

  1. The Remarkable Story of Didymus the Blind

    Apr 4

    The Remarkable Story of Didymus the Blind

    Have you ever heard of Didymus the Blind? Probably not and yet he was an important Alexandrian theologian in the second half of the fourth century. In this crossover episode from The History of Christianity Podcast, I share his story. Support me through Patreon https://www.patreon.com/hopesreason Visit me at https://www.stephenjbedard.com/disability

    8 min
  2. Autism: Tragedy or Superpower

    07/05/2025

    Autism: Tragedy or Superpower

    Recent statements in the media remind us that not everyone agrees on how to look at autism. Is autism the worst thing ever? Is autism the best thing ever? It depends on who you ask. In this episode, I share my reflections, including the three different perspectives that are most common. Please visit me at Disability Comes to Church. Get my book How to Make Your Church Autism Friendly (Amazon affiliate link). Download my ebook What Churches Need to Know About Disabilities.

    7 min
  3. Praying for People with Disabilities: A Compassionate Approach

    03/06/2025

    Praying for People with Disabilities: A Compassionate Approach

    In this episode of Disability Comes to Church, we explore the sensitive and often misunderstood topic of praying for people with disabilities. While some churches automatically pray for healing, many disabled individuals find such prayers intrusive and even harmful. Drawing from personal experience and research, we discuss how prayer should be guided by the needs and wishes of the individual rather than assumptions. Instead of making healing the default prayer, we should engage in meaningful conversations and respect the person’s spiritual journey. Prayer should be a source of comfort, not discomfort. Visit me at http://www.disabilityandchurch.com Get the Autism T-shirt at https://www.stephenjbedard.com/product/short-sleeve-unisex-t-shirt-autism-is-not-a-tragedy-ignorance-is/ Get My Body is Not a Prayer Request at this Amazon affiliate link: https://amzn.to/3DtHxbO Support me at Patreon: http://www.patreon.com/hopesreason

    6 min

  4. 02/08/2025

    The Sudden Appearance of Disabilities and the Church

    One of the things that churches need to know is that disabilities can appear at anytime... to anyone. In this episode, I share the personal story of how our family has been recently impacted by disabilities. I offer this as a lesson to the church to be ready to support at any time. The ebook,What Churches Need to Know About Disabilities, can be found here:https://www.stephenjbedard.com/what-churches-need-to-know-about-disabilities/ Support me throughhttps://www.patreon.com/hopesreason Visit me athttps://disabilityandchurch.com/

    6 min

  5. 06/19/2024

    The Experience of Autistic Clergy

    This is a new recording of a paper that was presented at the Institute of Theology and Disability (https://faithanddisability.org). It looks at the experience of autistic clergy. Please visit me at my website. Consider supporting me through Patreon.

    13 min

  6. 04/19/2024

    A Conversation on Adult Autism and Christian Faith

    In this episode, I speak with William O'Flaherty and Connor Salter on adult autism, how that intersects with Christian faith, and our mutual love of C.S. Lewis. Links mentioned by William: Essential C.S. Lewis Knowing and Understanding C.S. Lewis Adult Autism in 60 Seconds Links mentioned by Connor: Crosswalk Fellowship & Fairydust G. Connor Salter Visit me at Disability Comes to Church Support me at Patreon

    33 min

  7. 02/15/2024

    Disabilities and the Image of God

    It is common to hear Christians speak of the "image of God" but what do we mean by that? Are we including or excluding disabled people? In this episode, I share from my Doctor of Ministry thesis some reflections on this topic. Support me at Patreon. Visit me at my website.

    10 min

  8. 12/17/2023

    Christmas and a Disabled God

    Christmas is about the birth of Jesus, specifically the incarnation. God took on human flesh. Is there something in incarnational theology that gives us a clue as to how God sees disabilities. Support me through Patreon. Visit my website. Recommend book: The Disabled God (Amazon affiliate link)

    7 min

  9. 10/07/2023

    Disability and the Problem of Evil

    There is a place for theodicies, even within conversations about disabilities, where we can discuss why a good God allows suffering. While not every disabled person considers their experience to be suffering, it is something that some people wrestle with. In this episode, I talk to Dr. Zachary Schmoll, author of Disability and The Problem of Evil about these issues. Make sure to visit Zach's website and my website. You can support this podcast through Patreon.

    41 min

  10. 09/12/2023

    Models of Disability

    What makes a disability a disability? This leads us into conversations about models of disabilities. In this episode, we look at the Moral Model, the Medical Model, and the Social Model. I mention in this episode an article from the APA website. For a transcript of this episode, support me at Patreon. Visit me at Disability Comes to Church.

    9 min

  11. 07/11/2023

    What Language Do We Use About Disabilities?

    If we are going to talk about disabilities, we need to have some idea about the kind of language we use. Do we talk about handicaps? Special needs? Exceptionalities? And if we use 'disabilities', is it person with a disability or a disabled person? This is what we discuss in this episode of Disability Comes to Church. Please support this podcast through Patreon. Visit me at Disability Comes to Church. Discover my other podcasts.

    9 min

  12. 06/07/2023

    Welcome to the Disability Comes to Church Podcast

    My name is Stephen Bedard and I would like to welcome you to the Disability Comes to Church Podcast. This is an attempt to make meaningful connections between the disability community and churches. In this episode, I explain a bit of my background and why I want to create this podcast. I hope you will join me on this journey. Please visit me at the Disability Comes to Church website.

    8 min
  • 12 Episodes

About

A podcast that looks at the intersection of faith and disabilities. The church can do better at welcoming and including people with disabilities and I want to help.

Information

  • Creator
    Stephen Bedard
  • Years Active
    2023 - 2026
  • Episodes
    12
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © Stephen Bedard
  • Show Website
    Disability Comes to Church