In the year 2000, Joni and Friends expanded its involvement in international ministry by affiliating like-minded, Christ-centered ministries abroad who are committed to heighten disabitiliy awareness within the church and community and to equip and train leaders in carrying out disability ministry.
Since the end of the Cold War and the unification of Europe, the political and ethnic unrest in Eastern Europe has brought the needs of Europe's disability population into sharp focus. In war-torn regions of Africa and Asia, South and Central America, the number of disabled people climbs steadily due to injury and war, while little political or governmental attention is devoted to those whose lives and bodies have been torn apart as a consequence.
| THE INTERNATIONAL INITIATIVES OF JONI AND FRIENDS |
| WHAT ARE THE CHALLENGES we face in evangelizing our global friends who are disabled?
Simply put, these challenges are the distinct barriers which may personally face a disabled person:
|
| ADAPTIVE EQUIPMENT NEEDS |
ADVOCACY |
DESPAIR |
| |
| ILLITERACY |
DOMESTIC/PERSONAL
PROBLEMS |
JOBLESSNESS |
| |
| MEDICAL/DENTAL NEEDS |
POVERTY |
LACK OF ACCESS |
WHAT IS THE RESPONSE we offer? A variety of services made available to our international Charters, Affiliates, and Associates -- our partners who serve people with disabilities.
Presently (January 2008), we have 35 international ministry partners:
7 Charters
26 Affiliates
6 Associates in 6 continents | 25 countries.*
- Total Access Outreach - Empowering the national church to be a change agent in society through training members to make schools, home hospitals, etc. accessible
- Wheels for the World Outreach - Equipping the national church to reach people for Christ, through provision of wheelchairs
- 2by2 Medical/Dental/Rehabilitation Outreach - Serving those medical personnel in the field who minister to disabled people, by assisting and teaching new medical techniques
- Through the Roof Training - Educating biblical encouragement, social support and creative leisure time for families affected by disabilities
- Family Retreats - Extending
- International Internship - Providing valuable field experience in disability ministry for students, as they serve our international partners
- Christian Literacy - Training the trainers in local churches to teach the illiterate to read, using Bible-content reading materials on the field
- International Steward Training - Enabling churches and ministries to become self-sustaining and economically independent
Complementing our global services are the
Joni and Friends Radio Program and the Joni and Friends Television Program -- Spreading the Good News "to the ends of the Earth" through the air waves. |
AND WHO WILL RESPOND?
If you would like to accept the particular call God has made in your life, or on your church, in partnership with Joni and Friends International Disability Center, e-mail us at:
IFS@joniandfriends.org
[Please include the Initiative that you would like to receive more information on in the subject line. Thank you!]
| * 6 Continents | Population [2007 est.] |
|
| ASIA |
4,001,633,990 |
| AFRICA |
934,499,752 |
| N. AMERICA |
334,659,631 |
| S. AMERICA |
568,110,471 |
| EUROPE |
729,861,490 |
| AUSTRALIA/OCEANIA |
33,560,095 |
| WORLDWIDE |
6,602,224,175 |
|
