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Due to COVID-19 Friendship Club has been cancelled until further notice.
Our Mission is to provide resources that support faith formation and congregational inclusion with individuals with intellectual disability. Our Vision is people with and without intellectual disability growing deeper in their relationship with God and with each other in community together. First Things Since 2002, Friendship Ministries has been guided by the principles outlined in a document called First Things: Fundamental Themes Guiding Friendship Ministries. First Things grew out of conversation between Jim Heynen, Tom Hoeksema, Nella Uitvlugt, and Ron Vredeveld, and was approved by the Friendship Ministries Board of Directors. It outlines four fundamental themes, their corresponding core truths, and some of the implications of these themes and truths. |
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Theme One: Equality
Core Truth: All humans are created in the image of God. They are created uniquely, equally suited for God’s particular purposes, and enabled by grace to enjoy redemption, worship, and a lifetime of service. Barriers that impede this primary equality are unjust.
Theme Two: Interdependence
Core Truth: All persons have qualities that enable them to serve each other. We do that best in community as partners, imaging God corporately, webbed together with God and each other to renew the world.
Theme Three: Compassion
Core Truth: The church is a worldwide, interdependent community in which we experience mutual compassion in the sharing of joys and
burdens, giving in our receiving, and receiving in our giving.
Theme Four: Hospitality
Core Truth: Instead of trying to make others be like us, assimilating them and eradicating their differences, hospitality welcomes and capitalizes on “different-ness.” It overcomes fear of the stranger and instead celebrates communion in the midst of difference.
Core Truth: All humans are created in the image of God. They are created uniquely, equally suited for God’s particular purposes, and enabled by grace to enjoy redemption, worship, and a lifetime of service. Barriers that impede this primary equality are unjust.
Theme Two: Interdependence
Core Truth: All persons have qualities that enable them to serve each other. We do that best in community as partners, imaging God corporately, webbed together with God and each other to renew the world.
Theme Three: Compassion
Core Truth: The church is a worldwide, interdependent community in which we experience mutual compassion in the sharing of joys and
burdens, giving in our receiving, and receiving in our giving.
Theme Four: Hospitality
Core Truth: Instead of trying to make others be like us, assimilating them and eradicating their differences, hospitality welcomes and capitalizes on “different-ness.” It overcomes fear of the stranger and instead celebrates communion in the midst of difference.