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www.insideHALTON.com · OAKVILLE BEAVER Friday, June 8, 2012 · 36 submitted photo Inclusive concert and worship By Dominik Kurek OAKVILLE BEAVER STAFF A team of individuals with varying disabilities will be at Solid Gold Foundations Church to help lead the Sunday service with song and worship. The Oakville Inclusion Concert is this Sunday starting at 7 p.m. "This is about people not being afraid of people with disabilities, really," said Solid Gold Foundations Pastor Michelle Sim, whose Northern Praise Ministries financially supports the Scarborough-based Abilities Ministries. The Abilities Ministries' own Abilities Worship Team will help lead the service in Oakville. "They're bringing their worship team, which is just four people. I've met most of these people. One of the pastors has (cerebral palsy) very badly. He is very brilliant," Sim said. "I just say we need to be patient because it takes him a long time to say anything, but he's brilliant, he just can't get it out." Abilities Ministries was founded by Pastor Jaime Castro to help people with various handicaps participate in church worship. "He has no children with disabilities. He just has a keen interest in it," Sim said of Castro. "He very much wants to encourage people of all varying abilities to be part of normal church services." Sim herself has a grown son with Autism Spectrum Disorder. As a former director on the board of Community Living Oakville, she is familiar with the challenges faced by the team: Pictured are members of Abilities Ministries (l-r): Robert Gagnon, Pastor Jaime Castro (above), Nick Vujicic and Kenny Rojas. people with disabilities. "We've been dealing with this all our lives and we understand how ostracized people with disabilities can be by so-called normal people," she said. As a singer, author and public speaker, Sim has participated in the Abilities Ministries worship previously where she and her son both spoke. Now, members of Abilities Ministries will participate in her church's service and make a presentation about their organization. "I normally have someone else who does our praise and worship, which is what we do first for about 20 minutes. Their team is actually going to come in and do that," she said. However, the majority of the evening will be filled with music. "A few people from our congregation are going to be doing music as well. So, the whole night is primarily music except for this presentation," she said. Solid Gold Foundations Church is accessible and is always welcoming to all people, Sim said. "People should come to be inspired so that people who struggle with their own abilities or lack of confidence can see what people with real visual disabilities can accomplish," she said. "Or, they can bring their own kids or bring their own family members who have disabilities and they can be inspired." The church meets at The Church of The Nazarene, located at 320 Bronte Rd. To learn more, visit www. solidgoldfoundations.com.