Organizations: Baylor University Center for Developmental Disabilities and Kingdom Workers
Background/Context:
According to the World Health Organization, 1 in 6 people (1.3 billion people) have a significant disability. For persons with disabilities and their family members, spiritual beliefs provide stabilization for their family life, meaning for the experience of disability, and assistance with coping. However, research has shown that people with disabilities are less likely to attend religious services than those without disabilities. Jesus Cares Ministries was established more than 30 years ago by a group of parents with the vision of serving their children with disabilities while making gospel-based resources accessible to other families in similar situations. It is currently coordinated by Kingdom Workers, a global, Christian nonprofit that mobilizes believers to meet the physical and spiritual needs of communities around the world.
Research Questions:
How are Jesus Cares Ministry programs implemented in the United States including core features and complexities?
What is the perceived impact on individuals, families, and other church members and locations where Jesus Cares Ministry has been implemented?
Study Aims:
Inform churches how to effectively implement the Jesus Cares Ministry and understand the positive and negative impacts of the program on congregations.
Impact:
Church leaders will have more detailed background and evidence to make decisions about how their congregation can best support people with disabilities within their community and expand opportunities to share the gospel.
Open Positions:
2 Virtual Research Assistants
- Manage ethics review application process
- Data management/Transcriptions
- Data Collection (interviews/focus groups)
Timeline: January 2025 – December 2025
