The Banquet Network hosted Baltimore QCommons Event 2019 where Christians are educated on how they can bring hope and leadership to their communities in a critical moment in their culture for their city.

Our co-founder, Amberle Brown, shared a message on how the gospel meets people in their loneliness.

Whether you are aware of it or not, there are people in your church with invisible disabilities. We explore with Josh on how you can proactively extend care as church leaders and members.

Bio:

Josh is a full-time student at University of Maryland: Baltimore County studying psychology. He serves as a part-time minister of youth at Bethany Church Columbia, in Columbia, MD.

Contact:

[email protected] | bethanycolumbia.org

As someone with low vision, Amberle speaks from her personal experience on ten easy ways to make your church more accessible to someone with a vision impairment and the importance of this type of inclusivity.

Bio:

Amberle developed her passion for disability and the church after her own experience of vision loss at the age of 21. She knows life in the church both with and without disability and seeks to use her own experiences to inspire, equip, and resource the whole body of Christ. Amberle longs to see people with disabilities invited into the mission of God's people.

Contact:

[email protected] | thebanquetnetwork.com

Hear from a family’s perspective on what it’s like to serve and lead at a church plant that whose special needs population is integral to who they are and their mission.

Bio:

Tommy Rowe is a Church Planter of The Gathering Place Church in Bowie, MD. He has been a pastor for 35 years, serving mainly in local church ministry in pastoral staff positions. He lives with his wife, Cheryl, in Laurel MD.

Bio: Brian Rowe is the son of church planter Tommy Rowe. Brian is part of the church planting start team of The Gathering Place Church in Bowie MD. Brian is a daycare teacher and a certified drum circle facilitator. He lives in Columbia, MD.

Contact:

[email protected] | thegatheringplacemd.org

Bio: Jimmy Painter has a passion for carefully unpacking the truths of Scripture. He has served at Cresthill Church, Bowie, Maryland for over 24 years, and in pastoral ministries going on 35 years. He and his wonderful wife Margot have 2 fantastic daughters and a spoiled rotten dog named Clancy.

Contact:

[email protected] | cresthill.org

Tom Stolle, from the BCMD, reflects on this question from the experience of his son.

Churches start churches. Cresthill and The Gathering Place place an emphasis on their relationship with God and one another as the thing that fuels reaching a highly unreached population.

Bio:

Tommy Rowe is a Church Planter of The Gathering Place Church in Bowie, MD. He has been a pastor for 35 years, serving mainly in local church ministry in pastoral staff positions. He lives with his wife, Cheryl, in Laurel MD.

Contact:

[email protected] | thegatheringplacemd.org

Bio: Jimmy Painter has a passion for carefully unpacking the truths of Scripture. He has served at Cresthill Church, Bowie, Maryland for over 24 years, and in pastoral ministries going on 35 years. He and his wonderful wife Margot have 2 fantastic daughters and a spoiled rotten dog named Clancy.

Contact:

[email protected] | cresthill.org

The Gathering Place may be the only church of its kind. Hear the story of pastors working together to plant a church that intentionally welcomes families affected by special needs and disabilities.

Bio:

Tommy Rowe is a Church Planter of The Gathering Place Church in Bowie, MD. He has been a pastor for 35 years, serving mainly in local church ministry in pastoral staff positions. He lives with his wife, Cheryl, in Laurel MD.

Contact:

[email protected] | thegatheringplacemd.org

Bio:

Jimmy Painter has a passion for carefully unpacking the truths of Scripture. He has served at Cresthill Church, Bowie, Maryland for over 24 years, and in pastoral ministries going on 35 years. He and his wonderful wife Margot have 2 fantastic daughters and a spoiled rotten dog named Clancy.

Contact:

[email protected] | cresthill.org

As more people begin to think through disability inclusion and incorporating it into their church DNA and their personal lives, people who are willing to cultivate leadership skills and self-awareness are needed.

Bio:

Having pastored for 10 years in California, Michael wrestled with the call of God on his life to plant a new church in a major U.S. city with a significantly African American population. In 2008, God made it clear his calling was in Baltimore. He is a co-founder of The Banquet Network and chief mobilizer for the church to reach the disability population.

Contact:

[email protected] | freedomchurchbaltimore.org

You might feel intimidated speaking with your pastor about starting a disability ministry but your ideas are worth celebrating! Pastor Mike Crawford gives encouragement to those eager to move the needle forward.

Bio:

Having pastored for 10 years in California, Michael wrestled with the call of God on his life to plant a new church in a major U.S. city with a significantly African American population. In 2008, God made it clear his calling was in Baltimore. He is a co-founder of The Banquet Network and chief mobilizer for the church to reach the disability population.

Contact:

[email protected] | freedomchurchbaltimore.org

Children at the margins often face multiple layers of marginalization along with disability. Together, the Church has the resources and privileges to step into these areas and respond in love.

Bio:

CJ Matthews is the lead pastor of Bethany Church in Columbia, MD. The church is located in the business district of Columbia and has become a beacon of light in a place that doesn’t know it needs one. He loves watching the Dallas Cowboys, playing basketball, fishing, hunting, but most of all his amazing wife of six years, Katie. They adopted their one son, Thomas, from Baltimore City two years ago and this has taught them more about what it means to be adopted by God, to be loved unconditionally, and to trust God when life doesn’t make sense.

Contact: [email protected]