Welcome to your May Livability Community Engagement E-Newsletter. This month:
Communicating in new ways at Pentecost
Stories and inspiration
Your Wellbeing Journal
Events
Pray together and share the Prayer Diary
Please note the frequency of this newsletter has changed to every six weeks.
Reflection
Communicating in new ways at Pentecost
We reflect on how the work of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost inspires our person-centred communication today.
I wonder how many new words you’ve learnt recently? 'Social distancing', 'Zoom fatigue' and 'R-number' are just part of the new lexicon that eighteen months ago would have been meaningless to us. But the pandemic has changed the way we communicate far more broadly, with the non-verbal signals we used to use to show our care for others – a smile, touch or handshake – giving way to the awkward wave, sidestep to allow pavement room, or elbow bump! In this
new non-verbal language, we communicate the same message, “I’m happy to see you, I care about you, our connection is important.”
At Pentecost we celebrate the same gift of communication. The Holy Spirit inspires the apostles, who then speak to everyone in their own language and local dialect. The eternal story is communicated to each person, each context, in ways that all can understand. In our chaplaincy meetings we try to continue in this way, so that everyone’s preferred communication methods are used, so worship comes from the heart and is expressed in ways that are most instinctive and
natural.
We can all continue this work of the Spirit at Pentecost, learning to communicate well with people who use different language or communication method to us. You might use learn to use Makaton, write using symbol-supported text, or simply send discussion points ahead of time so that those who take longer to process their answers can be ready to join in. In our group, one member has been learning British Sign Language online, signing to songs and prayers. As we learn
to think in a new language system, concepts and ideas expressed differently can give us new revelation, and a perspective from cultures we don’t yet inhabit.
Stories and inspiration
Running to the Horizon
We speak to Livability Horizons support worker and long distance runner, Edgar, who is inspired by the young people with disabilities he works with. Edgar, says “I’m not the hero” as he chats to us about his training and wellbeing for his extraordinary challenge on 25 May, running 100km in 24-hours.
A free, downloadable resource, giving you the opportunity to take a little time each day to reflect on your wellbeing. It’s packed with practical, research-backed information and tips.
Please continue to pray with us for Livability’s work. This season’s prayer diary is on the theme of hope, and contains prayers written by people with disabilities and Livability staff. By downloading the May-August digital version, you can watch video prayers recorded by the people we support and staff (and you're helping Livability by using less paper and reducing our environmental footprint).
You can be part of this special event, following in the footsteps of elite athletes and fun-runners alike, run 26.2-miles past iconic landmarks and whether 2021 will see the usual bands and hundreds of thousands of spectators cheering you onto to the finish line on The Mall, it will be a hugely special day.
If you cannot make the trip to London, then there is also a Virtual London Marathon taking place that weekend too.
Join our virtual Prayer Circle, held online every Wednesday at 12.30pm for 30 minutes of reflection and prayer. This is a small group, created with you in mind, which can help us navigate through this challenging and unprecedented time. We’d love our supporters to be part of our Virtual Prayer Circle.
To join – please email [email protected] and you will be sent a link to join.
Livability is the charity that supports people with disabilities to live a life that adds up for them. Through community engagement news, we bring you resources, stories and inspiration for how to connect with your community.
For information about the broader services of our charity - visit our website. You can also read more about our approach to privacy here.
