Cripping* Youth Ministry

What does it mean for youth ministry to be shaped by the voices it has too often overlooked?

Cripping Youth Ministry: An Intersectional Vision for Working with Disabled Youth brings together scholars, practitioners, and disabled young people to reimagine ministry through the lens of disability justice. Organized around four movements — Lament, Protest, Praise, and Prophecy — this collection offers both theological depth and practical guidance for creating ministries where disabled youth don't just belong, but lead.

From mental health and neurodiversity to the intersections of disability with race, gender, and sexuality, these chapters challenge the assumptions that have kept youth ministry spaces inaccessible. More importantly, they point toward a prophetic vision where the gifts and wisdom of disabled young people transform the entire community.

Co-edited by Justin Forbes and Erin Raffety — with over 20 contributing authors and artists bringing expertise in disability justice, neurodiversity, mental health, intersectionality, and inclusive ministry — Cripping Youth Ministry was developed in partnership with Flagler College's Center for Religion and Culture, funded by the Lilly Endowment Inc.

Whether you are new to disability ministry or have been doing this work for years, this book offers a framework for building faith communities where every young person can flourish.