Cripping*
Youth
Ministry
An Intersectional Vision for Working with Disabled Youth
A groundbreaking resource that centers the voices, wisdom, and leadership of disabled young people to transform how we practice youth ministry.
What is "Cripping"?
Crip (verb): To center the lived experiences of people with disabilities in order to challenge ableist norms and exclusions.
"Cripping" is rooted in disability justice movements and the fields of disability studies. It begins with the truth that disabled young people already carry wisdom, creativity, leadership, and theological insight.
Rather than adjusting the margins of ministry so that disabled youth can be included, cripping invites ministry to be reshaped by their perspectives from the start. It is a practice of collective transformation—where everyone's flourishing becomes possible because access and belonging are not afterthoughts, but the very heart of faithful youth ministry.
Structured for Change
Guided by four liturgical movements, this book walks readers through a complete journey of transformation.
Lament
Acknowledging the pain, exclusion, and grief that disabled young people have experienced in faith communities. These chapters create space to name what has been lost.
Protest
Challenging the systems, assumptions, and practices that have kept youth ministry inaccessible. Examining how disability intersects with race, gender, and sexuality.
Praise
Celebrating disability as gift and reclaiming joy in the midst of struggle. Lifting up the creativity, wisdom, and spiritual insight of disabled young people.
Prophecy
Envisioning transformed communities where disabled young people don't just belong, but lead. Offering concrete pathways toward a more just and accessible future.
What Leaders Are Saying
"This book is a prophetic word. It centers the voices we've long overlooked and calls us to ministry transformation."
"A critically needed, powerful collection that will reshape how we think about disability and youth ministry."
"Finally, a resource that doesn't just include disabled youth, but is shaped by their wisdom and leadership."
Meet the Editors
Justin Forbes
Director, Center for Religion and Culture | Assistant Professor of Religion, Flagler College
Justin Forbes is Director of the Center for Religion and Culture and Assistant Professor of Religion at Flagler College. His work focuses on youth ministry, practical theology, and the experiences of young people who have been marginalized by society and the church.
Erin Raffety
Practical Theologian, Princeton University
Erin Raffety is a practical theologian and anthropologist who teaches at Princeton University. She is a Presbyterian pastor, disability advocate, and author of Families We Need and From Inclusion to Justice.
Practical Tools for Ministry
Cripping Youth Ministry is more than a book—it's a companion for transformation. Each chapter includes practical tools, discussion questions, and resources you can use immediately in your ministry context.
Discussion Guides
Guiding questions for personal reflection or group study
Journaling Prompts
Reflective exercises to deepen your engagement
Worship Resources
Prayers written by disabled contributors
Application
Practical tools for immediate ministry use