Spark Inclusion: Growing Accessible Churches

Hi All,
As I’ve listened around our synod these past few years, it's become clear that we want to support all of our neighbors – and with better advocacy and information available, each day we are learning more about disability and neurodiversity, and wondering how we can love our neighbors better. We want worship to be accessible, so everyone can attend our events and fully participate in the life of our churches. For many of us, we face real challenges in making this a reality: older buildings, tightening budgets, and not knowing where to start.  

For 2026, we have a new opportunity to move forward towards creating a more inclusive church. I am excited to announce that three congregations will be invited to participate in Spark Inclusion Ministry’s Growing Accessible Churches, One Congregation at a Time program. Each congregation will receive 20 hours of consultation, training, and goal-setting, as well as $500 in seed money for a disability inclusion ministry project that fits your congregation (e.g., accessible worship materials, physical adaptations, sensory tools). This opportunity is made possible through a generous grant from ELCA Disability Ministries.

Applications can be found here, and are due January 27th.  I cannot wait to see how God works through all of you as we continue our call to love our neighbors.  If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to reach out to me at akelly001@luthersem.edu.

Blessing,
Deacon Amy Kelly