EPISODE 36
Longing to Belong in Faith Communities: A Conversation with Shelly Christensen
Longing to Belong in Faith Communities: A Conversation with Shelly Christensen
Play the Episode…
…and Continue the Discussion
Do you have a book or podcast club? If so, you may use this discussion guide to facilitate a conversation about this episode.
1) Shelly discusses her personal experiences that have shaped her career and her mission in helping faith communities be more inclusive. What is most striking to you about her motivations to do this work? How do your personal experiences resonate with those of Shelley?
2) What factors enabled her son to be embraced by her family’s faith community? Are the same factors present in your faith community, and if not, how can changes be encouraged?
3) If you are involved in a faith community, what have been the barriers and/or successes you have encountered/achieved and how does that make you feel as a member of your community?
Featuring
SHELLY CHRISTENSEN
Shelly Christensen, MA FAAIDD, believes that people with neurodiversity, and those who love them, want what anyone else wants—to belong, to contribute, and to be a valued member of their chosen faith community. Her passion for and calling to this work stem from her personal struggles and joys as a person living with a disability, and as the parent of an autistic child. She is a pioneer and innovator in the Jewish and interfaith disability inclusion movement as a popular keynote speaker, consultant, author, and trainer. As founder and CEO of Inclusion Innovations, she works with Jewish and interfaith organizations and communities to develop strategies and practices to foster diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging. Shelly holds a Bachelor of Arts from the University of Minnesota in Journalism and a Master of Arts degree from St. Mary’s University of Minnesota in Developmental Disabilities, is a Fellow of the American Association Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities (FAAIDD), and is the 2021 recipient of the prestigious AAIDD Religion and Spirituality Leadership Award, which recognizes her innovative and exemplary contributions to the field of faith community inclusion. Shelly has contributed to numerous national Jewish and interfaith organizations diversity and inclusion initiatives, co-founded Jewish Disability Awareness, Acceptance, and Inclusion Month (JDAIM), and is on the board of Faith Inclusion Network and the Core Council of the Institute on Theology and Disability.
Show Notes
Shelly Christensen brings a vast amount of experience in helping various faith communities be more welcoming and inclusive. As a professional with deep experience and expertise in faith communities and disabilities, and as a parent of a young man on the autism spectrum, and as a person with a disability herself, she discusses her experiences as a parent-professional and the need to work with the leadership of faith communities to create opportunities to families and individuals that allow them to feel comfortable, respected and included. In our “Enthusiasm of the Week” segment, 8 year old Ryan and his mother discuss his enthusiasm for number blocks and how it has been of benefit in many different ways.
For More of Shelly’s work:
From Longing to Belonging—A Practical Guide to Including People with Disabilities and Mental Health Conditions in Your Faith Community.
Everyone’s Welcome—A Fresh Conversation About Disability with Shelly Christensen and Gabrielle Kaplan-Mayer
Jewish Disability Awareness, Acceptance and Inclusion Month
Follow Shelly on Social:
Twitter @inclusioninnova