Project Description:
The goal of the TxFND is to provides several means for encouraging regional networks in Texas, sharing information and events, a home/resource for interested people and organizations who are not in a region that has a network, etc. The network supports collaboration by maintaining a Google docs directory of people, congregations, and organizations who become members.
TxFDN is committed to:
- Finding people, congregations, and organizations interested in active faith supports for people with disabilities and their families.
- Finding and assisting people with disabilities and their families who have experienced challenges of attitude, architecture, and actions that have separated them from participating in faith communities of their own preference, choice, and/or tradition.
- Finding and sharing successful strategies and resources for building full fellowship and contribution in the faith community and fellowship.
- Finding ways to learn from one another in Texas and others around the country through shared information, resources, and, potentially, collaborative training events.
Being guided by the expressed dreams and needs of people with disabilities and their families or friends.
Our Background and Mission
The concept development of Texas Faith and Disability Network started in 2015 by dedicated volunteers with expertise or experience in the faith networks and disability arenas in Texas. The focus served as a way to connect statewide initiatives in promoting faith support from four grant-based projects funded by the Texas Council for Developmental Disabilities. The guiding mission is to link congregations, organizations, individuals who wish to start and/or strengthen the contributions of people with disabilities and/or their families in the faith communities of their choice.
At its beginning, the work started as an email listserv, the development of a Facebook page, and web page. However, administrative support and continuity was impacted by changes in personnel and funding. Discussion circled back around about starting up again in February 2020 at a conference in Dallas. Momentum grew after a virtual national conference in February, 2021 entitled Community4All that had several hosted sites in Texas. The future organizational structure will be determined by statewide interest, participation, and shared vision.
TxFDN Vision
We seek the opportunity for people with disabilities and their families to attend and participate in congregations and faith communities of their choice for the same reasons anyone else does: worship, education, fellowship, and service with opportunities to both give and receive in their faith community.
- We seek to encourage faith supports that involve people with disabilities and their families in the full life of a congregation or faith community while recognizing and affirming that faith supports can take many forms as they develop and grow.
- We believe that faith supports provide transformative opportunities in both spirit and growth for people with disabilities, their families and friends as well as for the congregations in which they participate.
- We believe that faith communities can play a leading role in enabling people with disabilities and their families to participate as active citizens and members of the communities in which they are located.
- We believe that people can learn from one another across faith and human service traditions. In fact, because of the size of Texas, we want to encourage regional networking initiatives and collaboration between faith communities, disability organizations, programs, services and related networks in Texas. Thereby, TxFDN can support statewide collaboration between those networks and other organizations, as well as serve as a resource for areas in Texas without local initiatives.
