On the second Sunday in July, Southern Baptist churches will be celebrating Disability Ministry Sunday.

This new addition to the Convention calendar comes as part of the Southern Baptist Convention’s Disability Ministry Task Force’s report and recommendations, presented to messengers at the 2026 SBC Annual Meeting in Orlando. Although nearly 2 in 7 families in the U.S. have a member with a disability, the study’s findings estimated that only 15-20 percent of evangelical churches in the United States have any form of disability ministry. Clearly, there is a disparity and significant barriers to inclusion still remain in our churches.

Some of the other recommendations from the task force involved increasing and promoting resources and training in state conventions, developing evangelism tools and strategies, and offering seminary classes and degrees in disability ministries.

Disability Ministry Sunday is a way to bring attention to this disparity by advocating for inclusion, seeing this as an opportunity to reach families with the hope of the Gospel. SCBaptist’s Director of Adult Discipleship and Special Needs Ministry Bobby Howard’s conviction is that disability ministry isn’t something a church does but part of who a church is. “If we are serious about Great Commission work,” he said, “we can’t neglect reaching and discipling these individuals and their families.” 

Here are some ways to bring awareness in your church:

• Organize a congregational prayer time focused on disability awareness.
• Show a disability awareness video during the service.
• Deliver a sermon on the theology of disability and inclusion.
• Highlight and celebrate existing disability ministries within your church.

• Host a workshop on making church facilities more accessible.
• Share testimonies from individuals with disabilities in your congregation.
• Organize a community outreach event focused on disability inclusion.
• Provide training for church staff on disability awareness and support.

• Create a bulletin board showcasing disability ministry resources.
• Develop a church accessibility plan with input from members with disabilities.

Hear how two SCBaptists are bringing awareness.