19th June, 2022

In New Zealand, Disability Awareness Sunday (DAS) is observed on the third Sunday in June.

It is an opportunity to be intentional about disability awareness but it's not just about raising awareness. It's also about celebrating and encouraging people with disabilities in their gifts and ministries. To recognise how we contribute and are valuable members of the body of Christ.

Our focus this year is the body of Christ talked about in 1 Corinthians 12. We all have gifts that come from one spirit. We all serve the same Lord in different ways. Each person has an important part in the body of Christ. Let us encourage and support each other to grow in using the gifts God has given us.

We are excited to be releasing a series of articles leading up to Disability Awareness Sunday that explore some of the topics this passage highlights. It is a privilege to have a variety of authors contribute to this series. They have expertly begun a conversation around unity, honour, contribution, and love, and the interaction with disability. We invite you to read their articles here and continue these conversations in your communities.

Often people haven't had the opportunity to get to know a person living with a disability so it can be difficult to understand or be aware of what life with a disability can be like. We find that the best way to gain a better understanding is to hear from people with disabilities themselves! Is there someone in your church who has a disability that would be willing to speak in church? If not there are some amazing speakers we could recommend. Sometimes it's not always practical to have a visiting speaker or you might live in an area where someone isn't available. That's why we are creating a collection of stories on film, so you can download and play these in your church, small group, youth group, kids programme, or wherever!

Below are some resources we are pleased to have freely available for you.

Christian Leaders Articles

In this series around 1 Corinthians 12 we will explore the topics of unity, honour, contribution, and love. These articles will be released in the week leading up to Disability Awareness Sunday.

Click here to view the articles

Our Stories

We have a collection of professionally filmed videos of people's lives and lived experiences of disability. Many of these stories highlight the importance of hope. These are available for you to show and share.

Click here to view them