Koos Tamminga, Receiving the Gifts of Every Member, A Practical Ecclesiological Case Study on Inclusion and the Church

Receiving the Gifts of Every Member is an ethnographic case study research, which combines practical theological ecclesiology and disability theology.He was in a unique position to follow the developments in the Ontmoetingskerk (Encounter church) in Vathorst.Vathorst is a newly build suburb of Amersfoort, a town in the middle of the Netherlands.The Ontmoetingskerk belongs to the denomination of the Gereformeerde Kerken Vrijgemaakt (Reformed Churches Liberated), one of the smaller, more orthodox reformed denominations in the Netherlands.It is not an ordinary congregation, because it participates in Hart van Vathorst (Heart of Vathorst), a cooperative project of the Ontmoetingskerk, an 'inclusive day care centre' for children, and two disability centra.hvv is a residence for people with Down syndrome, a traumatic brain injury, and dementia.It also houses the large church hall, a restaurant, and several other facilities, like a hairdresser and a dentist.In this way the place embodies a shift 'from segregated care for people with disabilities in institutions outside of society to more inclusive approaches' (111).hvv is experienced as a place where acceptance of otherness is present.Tamminga places his fieldwork against the background of a secularising society, where the position of the church as a social partner is no longer self-evident.Although in a time where the welfare state gives way to a participation society, and people are supposed to care for themselves and others, the demand on churches is growing to provide social support.This means that theological reflection is needed to gain insight in how a congregation understands itself to be a church rather than just another welfare society.Another highly relevant development in the broader society is the turn towards inclusion.The widely shared ideal is that not only people with disabilities, but also people from minorities are able to participate in society fully and equally.The researcher shows that this is easier said than done and raises questions about

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