Starting a disability ministry can feel overwhelming, but it does not have to begin with a full program, a big budget, or a perfectly trained team. Sometimes, it begins with three simple conversations.

In this episode of the Key Ministry Podcast, Lauren Hickman continues the Start Here series, also called the Rule of Three series, by walking through the first three conversations that can help a church begin removing barriers for families impacted by disability.

Show notes at KeyMinistry.org/Podcast

This episode features a main stage message from the Disability & the Church Conference 2025, where Stephanie Hubach walks through the difference between human hope and Christian hope. Human hope is real and often motivating, but it’s uncertain and tied to circumstances that may or may not change. In disability ministry and everyday life, that kind of hope can quickly hit limits—systems fail, expectations fall short, and desired outcomes don’t always come. But Christian hope is different. It’s not wishful thinking; it’s a confident, future-oriented expectation grounded in God’s promises. At the center of that hope is the truth from Colossians: “Christ in you, the hope of glory.”

She explains that our hope isn’t rooted in a plan or outcome, but in a person—Jesus Christ. Through union with Him, believers receive His benefits, are connected to His body (the Church), and experience His constant presence. This means we don’t have to strive to prove ourselves, we already belong, and we are never alone in our suffering. Because Christ is our hope, the future is secure—sin and its effects will one day be gone, and we will be fully renewed. Until then, we live with a sure and steady hope, knowing that what we’ve begun to experience now will one day be fully realized in glory.

Go to Disabilityandthechurch.com to register today!

On this episode of Key Ministry the Podcast, Dr. Chris Hulshof explores a vital question for disability ministry: how do we move from curiosity to compassion? Looking at John 9 and Acts 3, Chris shows how the way we respond to disability reveals what is shaping our hearts. This conversation offers a theological and practical framework for church leaders who want to move beyond questions and toward welcome, empathy, and action.



If disability ministry is going to reflect the heart of Christ, it cannot stop at curiosity. It must grow into compassion. In this episode, Chris helps us see how the disciples’ response to a man born blind in John 9 stands in contrast to Peter and John’s response to a man lame from birth in Acts 3. The difference is not just maturity. It is what happens when people spend time with Jesus and begin to see others the way He does.

Show notes at KeyMinistry.org.