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Same Lake, Different Boat: Coming Alongside People Touched by Disability
When the church attempts to function without all of its parts, the body of Christ becomes disabled. Same Lake, Different Boat is a transformational work--designed to renew our minds to think biblically about disability in order that our lives, our relationships, and our congregations might wholly reflect Christ.
234 pages, Paperback
First published August 15, 2006
19 people are currently reading
206 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 26 of 26 reviews
February 6, 2021
This book was incredible & for anyone wanting to grow at walking alongside families affected by disability. My favorite part was the outline of the historical, post modern and biblical worldviews on disability. Disability is a normal part of life in an abnormal world. I am continuing to learn and see that physically, intellectually, emotionally, psychologically, socially, etc we all live out our human experience affected by a varying degree of brokenness. Through this reality there can be empathy, true identification with each other’s human condition, a gratefulness and eye for all gifts and inclusion, among many other applications. I also have read the chapter on grappling with the great opportunity of discipleship with Christ as a special needs parent multiple time. Lastly, she finishes with a humble and practical call to the church on how to serve people with disabilities but also how to not overlook the gifts that God has given to ALL people and make space for everyone to serve.
September 11, 2020
This book is outstanding. Hubach helps us process what disability is. Is it an abnormal part of life in a normal world (historical approach)? Or is it a normal part of life in a normal world (postmodern approach)? Spoiler: it's neither. Disability is a normal part of life in an abnormal world. Disability is part of the brokenness that happened when sin entered the human experience.
The name of the book is found here. "There is a common expression 'We're all in the same boat.' One doesn't have to experience much of life to recognize that this is an oversimplification of reality. A more accurate statement would be same lake, different boat. It reflects the truth that, as human beings, we share a common story, but the details of our experiences and our life circumstances may vary significantly. We are essentially the same, but experientially different."
She goes on to unpack in deeply personal and meaningful ways how we can think about disability, how to personally interact and engage those with a disability, and how to systemically support them, particularly in church settings.
It's both deeply theological and deeply practical and as the parent of a child touched by disability, I found it deeply moving, thought-provoking, and encouraging.
This was my second read-through.
The name of the book is found here. "There is a common expression 'We're all in the same boat.' One doesn't have to experience much of life to recognize that this is an oversimplification of reality. A more accurate statement would be same lake, different boat. It reflects the truth that, as human beings, we share a common story, but the details of our experiences and our life circumstances may vary significantly. We are essentially the same, but experientially different."
She goes on to unpack in deeply personal and meaningful ways how we can think about disability, how to personally interact and engage those with a disability, and how to systemically support them, particularly in church settings.
It's both deeply theological and deeply practical and as the parent of a child touched by disability, I found it deeply moving, thought-provoking, and encouraging.
This was my second read-through.
January 28, 2020
Book #1 of 2020 // #goodreads2020
(Technically, I finished the book of Ezra first as part of the M'Cheyne One Year Bible reading plan 😏)
A very important book to read when thinking about inclusivity & community.
What is true community?
.
When you encounter someone with a disability on the street or at a social event or at church, how so you feel?
Even for me, when I tend to encounter more than the usual person due to my line of work, I admit that I can still feel uncomfortable.
The author, mother of two boys, the younger with Down's Syndrome, writes sympathetically to you, and shares the bittersweet journey of being told very coldly after Timmy's birth about his diagnosis to the many laugh-and-cry 😂 stories & lessons he has taught her about respect, family, and how to lovingly correct misconceptions about those with disabilities, including this:
Disability, as with many forms of brokenness in people, is a NORMAL event in an ABNORMAL world affected by sin
.
Rather than living as though we're in different lakes, she urges us to consider our common humanity,
that we are in the same lake,
though travelling in different boats.
In other words, we are part of one body,
with different parts.
There is unity in diversity.
.
📖: 10/10 highly recommended, especially to the local church
(Technically, I finished the book of Ezra first as part of the M'Cheyne One Year Bible reading plan 😏)
A very important book to read when thinking about inclusivity & community.
What is true community?
.
When you encounter someone with a disability on the street or at a social event or at church, how so you feel?
Even for me, when I tend to encounter more than the usual person due to my line of work, I admit that I can still feel uncomfortable.
The author, mother of two boys, the younger with Down's Syndrome, writes sympathetically to you, and shares the bittersweet journey of being told very coldly after Timmy's birth about his diagnosis to the many laugh-and-cry 😂 stories & lessons he has taught her about respect, family, and how to lovingly correct misconceptions about those with disabilities, including this:
Disability, as with many forms of brokenness in people, is a NORMAL event in an ABNORMAL world affected by sin
.
Rather than living as though we're in different lakes, she urges us to consider our common humanity,
that we are in the same lake,
though travelling in different boats.
In other words, we are part of one body,
with different parts.
There is unity in diversity.
.
📖: 10/10 highly recommended, especially to the local church
July 7, 2018
We're not very good in the ways we interact and relate with people who have different types of disabilities. I have seen people leave a church because they found out the newly called and installed minister had a child who had neurological and visual malformities and was completely wheelchair bound. In all my years I have only met one minister in one small church who had a clear disability (he had contracted polio as an infant and was unable to use his legs, requiring two forearm crutches). At times I myself have pulled away from people with handicaps, or treated them in a patronizing way. But if these people are men, women, girls or boys made in God's image, and if loving others is evidence that God abides in us (1 John 4.7-12), then having a better concept of disability is essential. That's where Stephanie O. Hubach, mother of a son with Down Syndrome, who served as founding director of Mission to North America’s Special Needs Ministries, is presently a research fellow in disability ministries and visiting instructor for educational ministries at Covenant Theological Seminary, can give us a hand-up. In 2006 Hubach wrote a 240 page paperback, "Same Lake, Different Boat: Coming Alongside People Touched by Disability," on this very subject. She drew richly from Scripture, Theology and her own and others experience to give readers a healthier perception and a better theology of disability. I was very touched by the book, and was brought to rethink what I do as a pastor and what we do as a church.
After a Forward by Joni Eareckson Tada the author takes the reader through thirteen well thought-out chapters that are geared toward classes and individual study. Each chapter ends with "Personal Application" questions. Hubach moves from foundational questions (chapters 1-5), to families (chapters 6-9) and ends with the church (chapters 10-13). Throughout the volume she shows how disability "is essentially a more noticeable form of brokenness that is common to the human experience - a normal part of life in an abnormal world" (29). That's the key to unlock the hard places in our hearts: disability is a normal part of life in an abnormal world! In fact, that is the subtle point behind the book's title. We're all on the same lake (life, made in the image of God, and so forth), just in different boats (personal limitations, brokenness and experiences of the fall). Once we get captured by this analogy, it helps keep us from falling into the pit of patronizing others: "Keeping the manifestations of mercy personal helps prevent us from operating from a position of power" (161). It's a potent and persuasive book.
Beyond the subject of disability, I found Hubach helpfully addressing other areas that fit into, but reach beyond, the book's purpose. Perceptive readers will easily pick up how what she wrote in 2006 is germane to the ways we engage our society, racial tensions, and worldviews today. For example, the author observes that in the work "of access and advocacy for people with disabilities this means we will always seek grace-based justice for the glory of God and for the good of our neighbor, not demand-based justice that seeks power and control for a select few" (143). Take a moment to allow this remark to sink in. How often in our conflicts, church tensions, pro-life work, racial strife, campaigns, etc. do we charge forward with demand-based justice? Hubach develops this juxtaposition further when she unpacks the deep difference between revolution and reformation (chapter 13). It's a little book with a big wallop!
"Same Lake, Different Boat" is a must read for ministers, Christians of all stripes, and those families who have someone in their home who has disability - whether from birth, illness, or aging. The stories, which are often humorous but not glamorous, will make you laugh and cringe. And the theological and biblical nature of the book will hearten you. I happily and highly recommend the book.
My thanks to Ashley Belknap, Director of Engaging Disability with the Gospel (http://engagingdisability.org/), and Cheryl Erb, ministry assitant, who freely gave me a copy of this book used for this review when we were at our denomination's General Assembly in June 2018. The comments and reflections are my own, and are freely given.
After a Forward by Joni Eareckson Tada the author takes the reader through thirteen well thought-out chapters that are geared toward classes and individual study. Each chapter ends with "Personal Application" questions. Hubach moves from foundational questions (chapters 1-5), to families (chapters 6-9) and ends with the church (chapters 10-13). Throughout the volume she shows how disability "is essentially a more noticeable form of brokenness that is common to the human experience - a normal part of life in an abnormal world" (29). That's the key to unlock the hard places in our hearts: disability is a normal part of life in an abnormal world! In fact, that is the subtle point behind the book's title. We're all on the same lake (life, made in the image of God, and so forth), just in different boats (personal limitations, brokenness and experiences of the fall). Once we get captured by this analogy, it helps keep us from falling into the pit of patronizing others: "Keeping the manifestations of mercy personal helps prevent us from operating from a position of power" (161). It's a potent and persuasive book.
Beyond the subject of disability, I found Hubach helpfully addressing other areas that fit into, but reach beyond, the book's purpose. Perceptive readers will easily pick up how what she wrote in 2006 is germane to the ways we engage our society, racial tensions, and worldviews today. For example, the author observes that in the work "of access and advocacy for people with disabilities this means we will always seek grace-based justice for the glory of God and for the good of our neighbor, not demand-based justice that seeks power and control for a select few" (143). Take a moment to allow this remark to sink in. How often in our conflicts, church tensions, pro-life work, racial strife, campaigns, etc. do we charge forward with demand-based justice? Hubach develops this juxtaposition further when she unpacks the deep difference between revolution and reformation (chapter 13). It's a little book with a big wallop!
"Same Lake, Different Boat" is a must read for ministers, Christians of all stripes, and those families who have someone in their home who has disability - whether from birth, illness, or aging. The stories, which are often humorous but not glamorous, will make you laugh and cringe. And the theological and biblical nature of the book will hearten you. I happily and highly recommend the book.
My thanks to Ashley Belknap, Director of Engaging Disability with the Gospel (http://engagingdisability.org/), and Cheryl Erb, ministry assitant, who freely gave me a copy of this book used for this review when we were at our denomination's General Assembly in June 2018. The comments and reflections are my own, and are freely given.
December 31, 2012
Great book. I need this outline for class, so pardon this non-review:
Same Lake, Different Boat
Foreword
Joni Eareckson Tada
Acknowledgements
Reformed Presbyterian Church of Ephrata
Introduction
Existing books: Experiential, Motivational (Why), Programatic (How)
Instead, what is TRUE - a better way
Part I: About the Foundations
On Truth: The Four Missing Words
Wedding Vows
Surprised by Disability
*Down Syndrome
“‘It’s OK to hold them’”
“It seemed as if everyone was talking at me, but no one was actually communicating with me.”
“How could this be?”
The Historical View: Disability is an Abnormal Part of Life in a Normal World
The Postmodern View: Disability is a Normal Part of Life in a Normal World
*Postmodernism
“In response to an inappropriate desire to celebrate the individual, the postmodern view instead ends up celebrating the diagnosis.”
The Biblical View: Disability Is a Normal Part of Life in an Abnormal World
“On every level of every dimension of the human experience there is a mixture of both the blessedness of creation and the brokenness of the fall.”
“‘Health is just the slowest form of dying’”
“Disability is essentially a more noticeable form of the brokenness that is common to the human experience”
*Spina bifida
*Physical disability
*Intellectual disability
Truth Sets the Stage for Success
Personal Application Questions
On Identification: Same Lake, Different Boat
*Cognitive disability
*Mental illness
Comfort and Identification
“Typically, these groups communicate at each other, not with each other.”
Biblical Identification
John 9
Biblical Application
Romans 12
Proper perspective on ourselves
Realize we rely on each other
Celebrate the giftedness
Grace is the basis for identification
Summary
Personal Application Questions
On Respect: Common Grace, Special Needs
Punching little girls
*Respect
The First Pillar: The Image of God
Jerram Barrs quote
*Cerebral palsy
The Second Pillar: Grace
Luke 4 - poor, prisoner, blind, oppressed
Benefits of Respect-Based Relationships
Powerful message
Perspective
Proper Motivation
Protection
Summary
Personal Application Questions
On Relentlessness: Dante’s Circles of Disability
Differences with difficulty
Dante’s “visits”
Responses to relentlessness:
victim mentality
“I will beat this”
Honest, God-reliant
A Biblical Example
Joseph found himself thrust into a difficulty not of his own choosing
Joseph took a stand for righeousness and, as a result, found himself trapped in difficult circumstances
Joseph was forgotten by those whom knew of both his innocence and integrity
Joseph was not restored to the land of Canaan until after his death
Three Possible Responses to Relentlessness
Option 1: The Victim Mentality
Option 2: The “I Will Beat This Attitude”
“The difficulty defines all of life.”
Option 3: Engage Reality with a God-Reliant Perspective
It provided a perspective on personal power
in his penchant for positive
a progressive sense of purpose
the topic of pain
proper perspective on the role of people in his life
Summary
Personal Application Questions
On Restoration: Thy Kingdom Come
Magical Kingdom trip
Restoration or Compensation
A Different Kind of Kingdom
My Kingdom Come vs. Thy Kingdom Come
Identified, Instrumental
Restoration Through Healing
Prayer
Practice
*MS
Justice
Restoration through Help
Healing by reversal
Help by assistance
Restoration through Hope
Hope by reminding
Summary
Personal Application Question
Part 2: About the Families
On Coming to Terms with a New Reality
What a difference a day makes. 9/11
Understanding What a Family is Experiencing
Grief
Loss of capacity
Loss of expectations
Loss of the “person” whom they once knew
Family Adjustments
Medical Issues
Financial Issues
Concerns for the Future
Legal Issues
Social Issues
Testing of Their Faith
Identifying and Responding to What a Family Needs
Privacy to Process
Presence
Normalcy
Summary
Personal Application Questions
On Negotiating a Path to Acceptance
A Definition of Acceptance
Acceptance is developing peace about the presence of disability in the life of a family.
Embracing Reality through Conflict
Releasing
Redirecting
Responsibility
The Power of the Powerless
Relinquishing
Realizing
The Role of the Church
Patience and Permission for the Process
Modeling the Life of Jesus: Full of Grace and Truth
Summary
Personal Application Questions
On Living a New Normal Life
The Realities of the Differences of Degree
Personal Care
*Spinal Cord Injury
Education
Behavior
Time Management
Social Isolation
Access and Advocacy
Family Relationships
The Results of the Realities
Stress
Exhaustion
The Remedies for the Realities and the Results
Engagement
Boundaries
Assistance
Encouragement
Perspective
Summary
Personal Application Questions
On Grappling with the Great Opportunity
Embracing the Pathway of Discipleship
dying unto self in order to be confirmed in the character of Christ
Identifying with the Man of Sorrows
Calling Others to the Journey
Summary
Personal Application Questions
Part 3: About Facilitation in the Church
On Hospitality: No Room at the Inn
*Autism
The Strand of Justice
The Strand of Mercy
Voluntary, Engaged, and Personal
The Strand of Faithfulness
Summary
Personal Application Questions
On Belonging: Same Body, Different Parts
The Biblical Concept of Belonging: Unity in Diversity
Practical Manifestations of Belonging
Christian Education
*Learning Disability
*Asperger
Community Life
Corporate Worship
Caring
Contribution
Summary
Personal Application Questions
On Wisdom: Questions Every Church Needs to Answer
Whom Do We Help?
Sensory disability
Neurological disabilities
Facilitate the inclusion of people with disabilities into the body life of the church
Educate the congregation on issues of disabilities in the context of ministry
Guide small groups on how to provide appropriate support for adults with a disability or for families with a disabled family member
Initiate Covenant Care Groups for families in extreme disability related circumstances
Promote outreach to people with disabilities
How Much do We Help?
When Do We Help?
How Do We Help?
Whence Do We Help?
With What Attitude Do We Help?
Summary
Personal Application Questions
On Change: Revolution or Reformation?
Do You Want to Change Your Church
Revolution or Reformation?
The Biblical Model for Reformation
Be Energized by God’s Mercy
Follow God’s Pattern for Renewal
Keep Your Perspective and Remember Your Part
Love Other’s As God Loves You
Sincere love
Blessing love
Overcoming love
A Personal Challenge from the Author
Personal Application Questions
Notes
Glossary
Same Lake, Different Boat
Foreword
Joni Eareckson Tada
Acknowledgements
Reformed Presbyterian Church of Ephrata
Introduction
Existing books: Experiential, Motivational (Why), Programatic (How)
Instead, what is TRUE - a better way
Part I: About the Foundations
On Truth: The Four Missing Words
Wedding Vows
Surprised by Disability
*Down Syndrome
“‘It’s OK to hold them’”
“It seemed as if everyone was talking at me, but no one was actually communicating with me.”
“How could this be?”
The Historical View: Disability is an Abnormal Part of Life in a Normal World
The Postmodern View: Disability is a Normal Part of Life in a Normal World
*Postmodernism
“In response to an inappropriate desire to celebrate the individual, the postmodern view instead ends up celebrating the diagnosis.”
The Biblical View: Disability Is a Normal Part of Life in an Abnormal World
“On every level of every dimension of the human experience there is a mixture of both the blessedness of creation and the brokenness of the fall.”
“‘Health is just the slowest form of dying’”
“Disability is essentially a more noticeable form of the brokenness that is common to the human experience”
*Spina bifida
*Physical disability
*Intellectual disability
Truth Sets the Stage for Success
Personal Application Questions
On Identification: Same Lake, Different Boat
*Cognitive disability
*Mental illness
Comfort and Identification
“Typically, these groups communicate at each other, not with each other.”
Biblical Identification
John 9
Biblical Application
Romans 12
Proper perspective on ourselves
Realize we rely on each other
Celebrate the giftedness
Grace is the basis for identification
Summary
Personal Application Questions
On Respect: Common Grace, Special Needs
Punching little girls
*Respect
The First Pillar: The Image of God
Jerram Barrs quote
*Cerebral palsy
The Second Pillar: Grace
Luke 4 - poor, prisoner, blind, oppressed
Benefits of Respect-Based Relationships
Powerful message
Perspective
Proper Motivation
Protection
Summary
Personal Application Questions
On Relentlessness: Dante’s Circles of Disability
Differences with difficulty
Dante’s “visits”
Responses to relentlessness:
victim mentality
“I will beat this”
Honest, God-reliant
A Biblical Example
Joseph found himself thrust into a difficulty not of his own choosing
Joseph took a stand for righeousness and, as a result, found himself trapped in difficult circumstances
Joseph was forgotten by those whom knew of both his innocence and integrity
Joseph was not restored to the land of Canaan until after his death
Three Possible Responses to Relentlessness
Option 1: The Victim Mentality
Option 2: The “I Will Beat This Attitude”
“The difficulty defines all of life.”
Option 3: Engage Reality with a God-Reliant Perspective
It provided a perspective on personal power
in his penchant for positive
a progressive sense of purpose
the topic of pain
proper perspective on the role of people in his life
Summary
Personal Application Questions
On Restoration: Thy Kingdom Come
Magical Kingdom trip
Restoration or Compensation
A Different Kind of Kingdom
My Kingdom Come vs. Thy Kingdom Come
Identified, Instrumental
Restoration Through Healing
Prayer
Practice
*MS
Justice
Restoration through Help
Healing by reversal
Help by assistance
Restoration through Hope
Hope by reminding
Summary
Personal Application Question
Part 2: About the Families
On Coming to Terms with a New Reality
What a difference a day makes. 9/11
Understanding What a Family is Experiencing
Grief
Loss of capacity
Loss of expectations
Loss of the “person” whom they once knew
Family Adjustments
Medical Issues
Financial Issues
Concerns for the Future
Legal Issues
Social Issues
Testing of Their Faith
Identifying and Responding to What a Family Needs
Privacy to Process
Presence
Normalcy
Summary
Personal Application Questions
On Negotiating a Path to Acceptance
A Definition of Acceptance
Acceptance is developing peace about the presence of disability in the life of a family.
Embracing Reality through Conflict
Releasing
Redirecting
Responsibility
The Power of the Powerless
Relinquishing
Realizing
The Role of the Church
Patience and Permission for the Process
Modeling the Life of Jesus: Full of Grace and Truth
Summary
Personal Application Questions
On Living a New Normal Life
The Realities of the Differences of Degree
Personal Care
*Spinal Cord Injury
Education
Behavior
Time Management
Social Isolation
Access and Advocacy
Family Relationships
The Results of the Realities
Stress
Exhaustion
The Remedies for the Realities and the Results
Engagement
Boundaries
Assistance
Encouragement
Perspective
Summary
Personal Application Questions
On Grappling with the Great Opportunity
Embracing the Pathway of Discipleship
dying unto self in order to be confirmed in the character of Christ
Identifying with the Man of Sorrows
Calling Others to the Journey
Summary
Personal Application Questions
Part 3: About Facilitation in the Church
On Hospitality: No Room at the Inn
*Autism
The Strand of Justice
The Strand of Mercy
Voluntary, Engaged, and Personal
The Strand of Faithfulness
Summary
Personal Application Questions
On Belonging: Same Body, Different Parts
The Biblical Concept of Belonging: Unity in Diversity
Practical Manifestations of Belonging
Christian Education
*Learning Disability
*Asperger
Community Life
Corporate Worship
Caring
Contribution
Summary
Personal Application Questions
On Wisdom: Questions Every Church Needs to Answer
Whom Do We Help?
Sensory disability
Neurological disabilities
Facilitate the inclusion of people with disabilities into the body life of the church
Educate the congregation on issues of disabilities in the context of ministry
Guide small groups on how to provide appropriate support for adults with a disability or for families with a disabled family member
Initiate Covenant Care Groups for families in extreme disability related circumstances
Promote outreach to people with disabilities
How Much do We Help?
When Do We Help?
How Do We Help?
Whence Do We Help?
With What Attitude Do We Help?
Summary
Personal Application Questions
On Change: Revolution or Reformation?
Do You Want to Change Your Church
Revolution or Reformation?
The Biblical Model for Reformation
Be Energized by God’s Mercy
Follow God’s Pattern for Renewal
Keep Your Perspective and Remember Your Part
Love Other’s As God Loves You
Sincere love
Blessing love
Overcoming love
A Personal Challenge from the Author
Personal Application Questions
Notes
Glossary
January 8, 2023
We all have gifts, callings, and love to share. This was a great read that reminds us that there is always room at the table and no space should have barriers due to intellectual, mental, or physical abilities. Great read for learning how to support and include those with disabilities and their families… especially within the church.
“Often we mistakenly see people with disabilities as consumers of our care but do not see ourselves as beneficiaries of their care. There is mutuality in the body of Christ in the giving and receiving of care, as each part of the body fulfills it’s unique function.”
“The trouble with the word Justice is, it sounds like— and it is— changing social systems… You can’t only do mercy. You’re going to have to do Justice… you’re going to find over and over again that individuals are imbedded in systems and unless you do something about them they’re not going to get better”
“Often we mistakenly see people with disabilities as consumers of our care but do not see ourselves as beneficiaries of their care. There is mutuality in the body of Christ in the giving and receiving of care, as each part of the body fulfills it’s unique function.”
“The trouble with the word Justice is, it sounds like— and it is— changing social systems… You can’t only do mercy. You’re going to have to do Justice… you’re going to find over and over again that individuals are imbedded in systems and unless you do something about them they’re not going to get better”
May 31, 2020
This is a helpful book for those who have limited knowledge of disability, albeit quite lengthy. It has some very helpful insights both from a personal perspective and biblical standpoint. It seeks to do a lot within one book and at times I felt it a little repetitive and muddled in its direction, but it provides good thoughts for church inclusion of disability, particularly from an American context.
September 10, 2017
Great book for people in he church wondering how to think about special needs ministry, a mixture of memoir, practical how tos and a philosophy of of ministry. I enjoyed it and found it helpful- I think the biggest help was realizing that special needs are not abnormal but normal in an abnormal world except the difficulties are simply more extreme.
June 6, 2021
Very helpful book on ministering to others with special needs in a loving, Biblical manner. It helped me as a mom and as a pastor's wife know how to approach issues in our daughter's circles without bitterness and frustration but with love and action. Helped with ministry issues as well as parenting.
September 30, 2024
Really good book. I am a social worker in the IDD field in PA and so it was interesting to read about their experience with the system I work while also including the gospel and the local church.
It did get a little repetitive toward the end but was oval very well written.
It did get a little repetitive toward the end but was oval very well written.
July 10, 2019
Excellent. Recommend.
Read
December 11, 2021Read for a CCEF class.
January 17, 2022
This was really helpful. A good balance of head and heart, philosophy and practicality, written by someone with lived experience and wisdom to share.
May 23, 2020
Some helpful principles, but not many I hadn't heard already. The main benefit of the book for me was getting a window into the emotional struggle of raising a child with a disability, and how demanding it is. Important for pastors and churchgoers to read, to see how they can stand in the gap for parents raising children with disabilities. Of course it's not all struggle—it comes with its joys and challenges, as in with raising any child.
January 26, 2013
An outstanding book. A must read for any person who works with people or families who face disability, for people who know anyone touched by disability, or anyone who is part of a church. In Same Lake Different Boat, Stephanie Hubach approaches the topic with a sound and insightful Biblical theology. She shows how the church is a restorational instrument of God in the world. And yet, this book is not in anyway abstract. Her practical experience in disability ministry and with her son who has Downs Syndrome shines forth on every page. Those who have been affected by disability will appreciate her realistic outlook and sensitive heart. Those for whom disability is not part of everyday life will appreciate her clear examples and lucid explanations. In the first third of the book, she outlines a theology of disability. The middle third addresses the families who experience disability. She gives hope to those who are primary care takers of people with disabilities, and clear insight for how others should and could help. The final third is specifically addressed to how a church family can minister to this under served segment of God's people. In every way an outstanding book.
July 24, 2010
Great book for anyone with a special needs child, anyone who wishes to minister to a special needs family, or any church that is considering a ministry for the disabled. Hubach, who has a son with Downs Syndrome, puts forth a "theology of disability," and talks about what she calls The Great Opportunity of living with a special needs child--how it can help you see God's values in a broken world. Hubach, who is a former economist, writes wisely and articulately about her own struggle with raising a special needs child and learning to work for acceptance for the disabled in her church and community. Her last few chapters are a wonderful, biblical explanation of how to work for loving, lasting change in your community.
September 2, 2011
A great read - very good Biblical support, and very good family stories as well, pointing to wys to help meet the needs of families with disabled and special family members. Also does a good job of improving the perspective of how to understand the contributions of special needs people, besides how to better help cope with their challenges. A very loving, hopeful book, with practical helps, as well as a worldview and faithview that can help us to see more clearly the opportunities to create a better world for us all. Also specifies ways for churches/faith communities to be helpful, as well as individuals. Charming stories of her own children.
June 25, 2014
The best part of this excellent book was the frame the author provides for the meaning of disability - not an unexpected aberration, not a social construct that only causes difficulty that we can change by thinking differently, but an expected aspect of brokenness in a broken world. This view acknowledges the difficulty that comes with disability, while affirming the equality and value of every life. We are all broken, just in different ways. We are all called to bring goodness into the world. That's how the book begins...and then moves on to discuss family and church-centred topics that support people with disabilities and the unfolding of potential for people and communities.
March 8, 2016
This book is an excellent resource for individuals and churches who wish come alongside those who are affected by disabilities. Same Lake, Different Boat has three main sections. In the first section, Hubach helps the reader understand disability from a biblical perspective. In the second section she shares some of the challenges faced by families who are affected by disability. In the third section she explains how those who are disabled can, and should, be an integral part of the local church body. This book will be helpful for anyone who wants to befriend and serve those affected by disability.
July 6, 2009
written by a friend of a woman at our church - the story of a mother of a highly abled and a disabled son, and the lessons she learned about what "new normal" looks like...
This is a great read for anything who has a disability in the family, or cares for others with disabilities. very practical and thoughtful
This is a great read for anything who has a disability in the family, or cares for others with disabilities. very practical and thoughtful
July 14, 2011
I enjoyed this book a great deal, as a parent of a disabled child and as an educator. It has some excellent stories, articulate theology, and very practical applications. It is a little dry in some parts, mostly late in the book, but overall, it's one of the best books on disabilities I have ever read. The author is very intelligent, wise, and speaks from experience. Highly recommended.
August 28, 2014
Disability doesn't announce its presence before it strikes, yet individuals and families must accept and adapt to it when it occurs. This book offers practical and biblical advice about handling disability. For families, churches and anyone who's been touched by a disability, read this insightful and comprehensive guide.
September 14, 2016
I read this for work. A great resource for understanding how to support families and individuals with disabilities. While it's billed as a church resource, there's less practical application and more theological grounding for coming alongside those with disabilities.
June 17, 2008
I enjoyed the stories, but skimmed through most of the ministry stuff.
February 24, 2018
A good primer to help be more aware of disability, how to respond to it, and how to include them in the life of the church. I'm sure I'll be coming back to this one. there were a few chapters that dragged but overall helpful.
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March 4, 2019Started out well, but got bogged down in deeper stuff, didn’t finish it, maybe another time?
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