Each year we invite congregations in the communities where COC serves to celebrate our brothers and sisters in Christ who live with disabilities by observing the second Sunday in October as Disability Awareness Sunday.
Disability Awareness Sunday encourages congregations to be places of belonging where everyone is given opportunity to discover their gifts and to engage in ministry, with a particular focus on people with disabilities.
Since many of the people COC supports are not currently attending church to protect their health, we’d like to approach Disability Awareness Sunday a bit differently this year. Instead of creating space in worship services for disability recognition, we are presenting the invitation for building a relationship through a pen pal system.
How It Works
Each church member who expresses interest will get paired with a person COC supports to exchange letters. Every 4 to 6 weeks is a good routine to follow for sending a letter. In the meantime, the church member can expect to receive a letter from a person supported by COC. Content of the letters can include discussions about hobbies, favorite Bible verses, food, places you’ve visited, movies you like to watch, games you like to play, or books you like to read. Cards are also a great way to keep in touch.
Who to Contact
Please reach out to me in Spiritual Services at COC. You may send me an e-mail message at: mdebruin@christianopportunity.org, or give me a call at 641-628-8087 x. 1101. After I’ve heard from you, I will pair you up with a person COC supports so that you may begin a friendship through letters.
All correspondence will go through the Spiritual Services office at COC in order to avoid sharing potentially confidential information. This means that the only mailing address you will need to use is the one for COC’s main offices in Pella. I will supply that information when you contact me.
Please consider accepting this invitation to reach out to a person in your community with disabilities. It is a wonderful way to bless someone and to receive a blessing in return.
Grace and peace,
Michelle De Bruin
Spiritual Services for Christian Opportunity Center
In healthy churches, everyone belongs, everyone serves.