We’re excited to introduce a new voice on Key Ministry, the Podcast—Lauren Hickman.

Lauren is a special education teacher and disabilities ministry leader at Tabernacle Baptist Church. Her heart is simple and clear: to help churches become places where individuals and families impacted by disability are not just accommodated, but truly welcomed and discipled.

In this episode, Lauren kicks off a brand-new series focused on something many church leaders are missing—not more ideas, but clear next steps.

This series will guide you through:

• The first steps of starting a disability ministry
• What to expect in the first three months
• And how a ministry grows over the first three years

Because let’s be honest—disability ministry can feel overwhelming.

You know it matters… but where do you start?

What do you actually do first?

What if you don’t have the people, budget, or experience?

This series is designed to meet you right there.

Each episode will help you take one step forward—practically, faithfully, and sustainably—so your church can begin removing barriers and reflecting the welcome of Christ to every family.

Show notes at KeyMinistry.org

In this episode of the Key Ministry Podcast, Larah Roberts sits down with Britni Marinelli to kick off a brand new series: Disability & the Church Stories. Britni shares an incredible testimony of how God transformed a simple act of respite care into something far greater than she ever imagined. What began as caring for three autistic brothers eventually grew into a home, a family, and a monthly dinner gathering where the gospel is shared around a table of spaghetti.

Listeners will hear how God used Britni’s “yes” to serve others to build a ministry that welcomes individuals with disabilities, families, and members of the community who might never step inside a traditional church. From surrendering personal plans, to trusting God for provision, to watching autistic young men preach the gospel to their peers, this story reminds us that the church often grows in the simplest places — like around a dinner table.

For episode show notes go to KeyMinistry.org.

What does it look like to care with intentionality?

Job’s friends are a fascinating contrast. At first, they do almost everything right. They show up. They stay. They sit in the dirt.

And then, later in the book, they say almost everything wrong.

This episode focuses on what they did in those first moments of suffering—and how their actions give us a surprisingly clear framework for how to care well when someone is in pain.

Visit KeyMinistry.org/Podcast for show notes.