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April 30, 2026
“We don’t know if he will ever walk, talk, or see.”
Those were the words of the hospital staff as we prepared to take our newly-adopted son home. He was born at 24 weeks, weighing just one pound and two ounces. After his 100 days in the neonatal ICU, we were about to step into the unknown, becoming the parents of a child with significant disabilities. We were not experts.
What we were to learn along the way is that God does not demand experts when he sets us into difficult situations. He asks only that we lean on him.
Caroline Winograd’s family faces unique challenges. Her oldest son, David, has a rare genetic condition and is non-speaking. But like every other family at First Presbyterian Church in Augusta, Georgia, the Winograds are all warmly welcomed into the life of the church.
“David is always cared for,” said Winograd. “A place is always made for him, and he’s always integrated as much as he wants to be.”
Shortly after David, now 11, was born, the Winograds connected with Hand in Hand, First Pres’ disability ministry. Hand in Hand volunteers, called “buddies,” accompany him to Sunday School. Buddies also sit with people with disabilities during the service or in the church’s sensory room specifically designed for people who struggle to stay in the worship service. The buddies don’t just know how to communicate with David — they also are trained in how to share the gospel with him.
Engaging Disability With The Gospel has received a $1.25 million grant from Lilly Endowment Inc. to establish Room on Our Pew: Making Space for All Children in Worship. This new program will equip churches to implement enduring, inclusive prayer and worship practices for children of all abilities.
The program is funded through Lilly Endowment’s Nurturing Children Through Worship and Prayer Initiative, a national initiative designed to help Christian congregations more fully and intentionally engage children in intergenerational corporate worship and prayer practices. Engaging Disability With The Gospel is one of 91 organizations from a broad spectrum of Christian traditions funded through the latest round of the initiative.
“With this generous grant, the entire mission and ministry of Engaging Disability With The Gospel will be strengthened and expanded,” says Executive Director Ashley Belknap. “We have an exciting opportunity ahead to empower churches to help all children build the skills needed to more fully participate in worship, and we are deeply grateful for Lilly Endowment’s support.”
Room on Our Pew encourages churches to ask the question, “Is there room on our pew for all children, especially those with disabilities?” Building on Engaging Disability’s 17 years of church coaching experience, Room on Our Pew will enroll 100 churches over five years in an 18-month cohort training program. Participating churches will gain the knowledge and skills to better include children with disabilities in Reformed corporate prayer and worship practices.
The initiative will also equip churches, families, and children with engaging, developmentally appropriate, and distinctly Reformed resources, including five accessibility toolkits. These toolkits will reflect the essential elements of a Reformed worship service, including the preaching of the word, the singing of the word, the praying of the word, and the sacraments of baptism and communion.
“Congregational worship and prayer play a critical role in the spiritual growth of children and offer settings for children to acquire the language of faith, learn their faith traditions and experience the love of God as part of a supportive community,” said Christopher L. Coble, Lilly Endowment’s vice president for religion. “These programs will help congregations give greater attention to children and how they can more intentionally nurture the faith of children, as well as adults, through worship and prayer.”
Lilly Endowment Inc. is a private philanthropic foundation created in 1937 by J.K. Lilly Sr. and his sons Eli and J.K. Jr. through gifts of stock in their pharmaceutical business, Eli Lilly and Company. While those gifts remain the financial bedrock of the Endowment, it is a separate entity from the company, with a distinct governing board, staff and location. In keeping with the founders’ wishes, the Endowment supports the causes of community development, education and religion and maintains a special commitment to its hometown, Indianapolis, and home state, Indiana. The principal aim of the Endowment’s religion grantmaking is to deepen and enrich the lives of Christians in the United States, primarily by seeking out and supporting efforts that enhance the vitality of congregations and strengthen the pastoral and lay leadership of Christian communities. The Endowment also seeks to improve public understanding of diverse religious traditions by supporting fair and accurate portrayals of the role religion plays in the United States and across the globe.
Frequently Asked Questions
IS ROOM ON OUR PEW A NEW OR EXISTING INITIATIVE?
Room on Our Pew is a new initiative that will become part of our overarching church coaching program. Through Room on Our Pew we will equip churches to welcome and enfold children with disabilities into corporate worship. We will teach churches how to help children and their families build the skills need to more fully engage in worship.
DOES THIS INITIATIVE IMPACT ENGAGING DISABILITY’S MISSION?
Our mission remains focused on coaching churches to disciple and enfold kids, teens, and adults with disabilities. Through Room on Our Pew, we will launch new programming to address the unique needs of children with disabilities, while continuing our current programs that support people and families impacted by disability across the lifespan.
WILL ENGAGING DISABILITY CONTINUE TO RAISE FINANCIAL SUPPORT?
Yes! While the grant award will fund two program-specific staff salaries and will fully fund the new program initiative, the remainder of the ministry operating budget, along with all other staff salaries will still rely on financial contributions. We are so thankful for the generous donors who partner with us to make our ministry possible!
I HAVE OTHER QUESTIONS OR WOULD LIKE TO LEARN MORE ABOUT ROOM ON OUR PEW.
Please email roomonourpew@engagingdisability.org with any questions or to learn more about this exciting new program. We also plan to hold a virtual information session in the coming months to share updates and opportunities for churches to connect with ministry opportunities related to Room on Our Pew.
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