EP 4: LOVING THE SPECIAL NEEDS COMMUNITY
Christine chats with Amy Sutherland, Director of Embrace—a ministry that serves individuals with special needs and supports families of kids, teens, and adults affected by disability. Respecting human dignity is a core value of The Holy Shift, as we believe that we are all made in the image of God by the hand of God. This episode will help us all better love, serve, and dignify those with disabilities, as well as encourage their friends and family.
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Our Guest
Amy Sutherland
Amy is a native Austinite and a graduate of Baylor University. She is the Director of Embrace, which serves individuals with special needs and families affected by disabilities. Amy is passionate about making the Church accessible and welcoming for all families. She and her husband, Bo are raising three teenage girls; Trinity, Felicity, and Charity. In their free time, they enjoy traveling, hiking, and exploring new restaurants.
To connect with Amy, Embrace Ministry, and Night to Shine, see links under the connections section below.
We’ve highlighted some key points from this episode below. Feel free to share these on your blogs/feeds with proper attribution to the writer/speaker/podcast. Or stay tuned—we will be posting several of these verses and quotes, along with clips from this episode, on our IG page and you can save/share from there.
Scripture
Genesis 1:26-27 MSG: God spoke: “Let us make human beings in our image, make them reflecting our nature So they can be responsible for the fish in the sea, the birds in the air, the cattle, And, yes, Earth itself, and every animal that moves on the face of Earth.” God created human beings; he created them godlike, Reflecting God’s nature. He created them male and female.
Matthew 25:40: “The King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.’” -Jesus
Luke 14:13-14: “Invite people who are poor, who have disabilities, who are limping, and people who are blind; and you will be blessed…” – Jesus
Quotes
“We are made in the image of God, by the hand of God. And because that’s true, we are all sacred and worthy of dignity and love.” Christine Chandler Prater
“See me as a person first.” Mother of a child with special needs.
“We need to make sure that we are treating everyone with kindness, and warmth, and a welcoming spirit.” Amy Sutherland
“For one of us to presuppose that we as individuals have worth, we must recognize that all people have worth. And for it to be true that all people have worth, we must regard every individual as worthy.” Christine Chandler Prater
”Today’s polarized culture is all the proof we need: When it comes to people or people groups that are different from us, we can easily build a hierarchy of humanity. But a quick glimpse into history will tell us why that is cruel and even dangerous” Christine Chandler Prater
Resources
Connections
Questions or comments about this episode? Contact Christine here or leave a comment below.
NOTE: Featuring a guest, resource, or organization on The Holy Shift does not necessarily constitute a blanket endorsement of their entire body of work.
