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On the campus of Calvin University and Calvin Theological Seminary
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‘Universal design’ is now standard for architecture: we don’t want to retrofit buildings to make them accessible, we want to build them that way from the start. What would it look like for this vision to be extended to the worship services we plan and lead?
Many people with autism spectrum disorder find joy, security, and comfort in familiar patterns. We can also take great delight in the perfect match that exists within many of our corporate worship patterns. Take an individual who delights in patterns, structure, and “sameness,” and you have a recipe for a joyful worshiper.
Barbara Newman shares how the entire worshiping community benefits from worship services that are designed and led with the goal of including everyone.
Universal design and Vertical Habits help create church worship that touches all our senses and is accessible to all worshipers.
Many people have a vision for pastoral care that takes place in homes, hospitals, and institutions, often in times of crisis. But the prime place for pastoral care is in the community gathered for worship, when all who are able gather under the care of the Good Shepherd, and those who cannot attend are still remembered and named.
The session presented several practical tools for building a church community that welcomes and embraces diversity in membership. Highlighting examples from churches including members with disabilities, this session offered ideas that allow people to see one another through God's eyes.
If your church is larger than 150 people, statistics say that you have members who fall on the Autism Spectrum, including Asperger Syndrome.
A workshop presented by Barbara Newman and Erik Carter at the 2009 Symposium.
This workshop provided practical ideas for including persons with disabilities in Sunday School classes, youth groups, and adult small groups, based on the speaker's book of the same title.
