Learn how we help churches add disability ministries and valuable service projects within their congregations.
We are proud to offer Bible Studies uniquely created for those with cognitive and learning disabilities.
Learn how we strive to help enable everyone to reach out to those in or near the special needs community.
Looking for Christ-centered book recommendations for you or your family members? Mephibosheth Ministry has cultivated our recommended book list with you and your family in mind.
We will continually add to our book list for the best reads out therefrom honest authors authentic people who will encourage and inspire you in your walk (or roll) with Christ Jesus.
This is Raluca Ioana Popescu’s debut inspirational devotional book for women with disabilities. Now available on Amazon Kindle! Help us encourage Raluca by taking a look at this new book. We are sure there will be more to come from Raluca.
His Majesty in Brokenness by Judy Squier
Born without complete legs, Judy watched others have all the fun. As she wore her orthopedic shoes, she had no idea what God could do with her brokenness.
How do you go on after losing the love of your life?
Shepherd, I need you now has been Judy’s distress call throughout her life. Psalm 23’s Shepherd was her companion as a disabled child. As a wife. As a mother and grandmother. But what about this crisis? How would a woman born without legs—who relied on her husband’s legs for nearly 50 years—manage life without him?
New Every Day, by Dave Meurer
Alzheimer’s. It barges into your life, breaks your heart, bewilders your mind, disrupts your plans, impacts your finances, and consumes enormous amounts of time and energy. When someone you love has Alzheimer’s, you need more than just information on the disease–you need a break. You need a laugh. You need a friend by your side who knows exactly what you’re going through.
Mephibosheth Ministry offers seminars and conferences to help local churches develop ministries to find and reach out to families in their community. We also offer events to connect families with others in their area facing similar challenges. Upcoming events will be listed below. Check back often for new events or sign up for our newsletter for all the latest updates!
We are proud to offer Bible Studies uniquely created for those with cognitive and learning disabilities.
These books represent years of experience in reaching those effected by disabilities with the simply beautiful message of the Gospel.
Check back soon for more Bible studies, as we are continuously working to build our resources!
Then Jesus said to his host, “When you give a luncheon or dinner, do not invite your friends, your brothers or sisters, your relatives, or your rich neighbors; if you do, they may invite you back and so you will be repaid. But when you give a banquet, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, the blind, and you will be blessed. Although they cannot repay you, you will be repaid at the resurrection of the righteous.”
In 1992 Mary Jane Ponten, a retired widow with cerebral palsy, and John Nix, a father of twin daughters with cerebral palsy, founded Mephibosheth Ministry to communicate to the churches, community groups, and others the importance of reaching out to families affected by disabilities to build a community of love, care, and compassion.
Mary Jane became ill while traveling to Ghana in 2020 to celebrate the 16 year anniversary of the school for disabled children Mephibosheth started. Greg and Carol Brown were her choice to take over the ministry.
Having worked along side of Mary Jane for over 15 years, Greg and Carol hope to honor what Mary Jane and John Nix began.
Meet David Brown, one of the toughest men I ever knew. My little brother, born 11 1/2 years after me being the spoiled baby of the family. Our parents, Ralph and Helen Brown, knew from the start that David was special. Not because he had severe special needs, but of all the parents in the world, God trusted them with David. He was a gift from God and so they would honor God and give David back to glorify God as best as they could. In 1970, the resources and opportunities available were very limited, yet their local church embraced David and my parents with love and understanding. To say they were the exception and not the rule was a major understatement.
David was born with microcephaly which limited most of his physical functions, yet he was fully aware of all that went on around him. Needing complete care, my parents were his caregivers. Being part of a family of 6, David went everywhere we did, enjoying a full life. As a testament to our parents, David never spent a day in institutionalized care. He lived at home. My 2 older sisters took part in David’s care, I did not. As a teenager, who believed life revolved around him, David was a burden I chose to avoid.
I missed out on seeing the joy David would experience. His laughter was contagious and when you tried to sneak his least favorite food in during meals, he would let you know as only David could. Nearly every morning of his life, 50 and 1/2 years, David would wake up happy and laughing. Although he had the capacity to be negative, unless he was sick or you fed him Jell-O, laughter and joy was what David shared.
Ralph and Helen, along with Deborah and Suzanne, loved and cared for David. Me, I was indifferent at best. The dynamics of a family affected by disability can be harsh. Yet, the miraculous life changing power of the Holy Spirit is just that, miraculous and powerful. When David was about 25 years old, God asked me a simple question, “Greg, who communicates with David?” Shocked and surprised, I ignored the question. In His persistence, God asked again. By then my father had passed and Mother still cared for David. My answer was “Mother, she knows everything David needs.”
God’s response to me changed my life. “No Greg, I’m the only one who communicates with David and that’s the way I like it.”
At that moment I realized 3 things. First, my brother had a soul that was every bit as important to God as mine was. Next, although he had a paralyzed, atrophied body, it was bought and paid for with the same blood as mine. But it was that He communicated with my brother and liked it was what knocked me over. My little brother David, who never walked, talked or couldn’t even pick up a glass of water, just may have a more meaningful and deeper relationship with God than I did. I fell on my face in repentance for all of the animosity I had harbored towards this true gift from God.
So when I say my little brother was one of the toughest men I ever knew, I believe David knew who and what he was. In spite of his limitations, he enjoyed the gift of life God gave him. Yes, he needed the help of others, especially the family. Yet, every day was filled with laughter and joy.
God gave mankind 2 institutions, the church and the family. The family came first! It is the bedrock upon which all of life depends. His desire is to see both vibrant and healthy, regardless of the challenges they face.
That is why we at Mephibosheth Ministry are committed to see the local church embrace families affected by disabilities welcomed in to become a necessary part of the church family community.
One day I will be standing next to David enjoying that laughter of his for eternity!
Since founded, Mephibosheth Ministry has been active in over 28 countries, bringing the good news of hope and support available to parents, siblings, and families through their local church communities.
