Our Vision & Mission

Our Vision

Connection Ministries strives for Christian congregations to be authentic faith communities that reach out, share the Good News of Jesus Christ, and embrace people with intellectual disabilities, their families, and support staff, as they grow together in their relationship with Christ.

Our Mission

Our mission at Connection Ministries is to equip Christian congregations to minister with adults with intellectual disabilities.

Areas We Serve

Connection Ministries plants new congregational ministries and provides consultation and training to existing ministries primarily in central Indiana. Congregations outside of central Indiana can still benefit from our telephone consultation and online training resources.

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Authentic Tradition

Vision for the Church

Churches reaching out to people with intellectual disabilities, their families, and support staff, and developing innovative ways to grow together in their relationship with Jesus Christ.

Christian Community

Churches can be a place of hope and Christian community for everyone, including people with intellectual disabilities. Our vision points to the early Christian community found in Acts 2:42-47, where the early Church devoted themselves to God’s Word and to prayer. They helped anyone in need, met daily in the temple courts, broke bread in their homes and ate with glad and sincere hearts. They praised God and enjoyed the favor of all the people.

This Acts 2 passage ends with, “And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved.” We believe God blessed this early Christian community as they lived out these Biblical elements.

Reach Out

Most churches have few members with intellectual disabilities participating in their faith community. This is also true for their families and support staff. Our vision encourages churches to be intentional about reaching out to these individuals in their local community.

Embrace

The definition of “embrace” is to take in or include as an element of a more inclusive whole; to be equal or equivalent to. The Church is not whole unless we embrace everyone, including people with intellectual disabilities, their families, and support staff. The parts of the Body that seem to be weaker are indispensable (1 Cor. 12:22).

Minister With

God placed the parts in the Body, every one of them, just as He wanted them to be (1 Cor. 12:18).

People with disabilities have spiritual gifts needed in our churches. Disability ministry leaders and volunteers are encouraged to be intentional about giving our friends with disabilities opportunities to serve.

Connection Ministries is founded on these Beliefs:

There is only one God who is eternally existent in three persons: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
God created everyone in His image, including people with intellectual disabilities.
The Bible is the inspired, infallible, and transformational Word of God.
We are saved by grace alone through faith in Jesus, and not by good works.
The Holy Spirit empowers believers to live godly lives.

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Connection Ministries Core Values:

God is at the center of all that Connection Ministries does.
The Gospel transforms people’s lives.
All human life is sacred and God-breathed.
People with intellectual disabilities matter to God.
People with disabilities have spiritual gifts and are indispensable in our churches.
We all grow in Christ when we remain in Christian community and are grounded in God’s Word, worship, and prayer.

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