St. George’s Episcopal Church in La Cañada Flintridge is creating a weekly worship service tailored to the neurodiverse community. The service, which will be held on Sundays at 11 a.m. starting Feb. 18, will be short and simplified, with low lighting and gentle music.
“It will offer multiple accommodations for a variety of needs and, best of all, it will be a safe, nonjudgmental and ‘Shush’-free gathering,” according to St. George’s.
“Neurodiverse” is the umbrella term for a variety of people — those with autism/ASD, ADHD, dyslexia and other learning challenges, sensory processing issues, Down Syndrome — any neural wiring which might normally make attending church a challenge.
At the new worship service, making noise and “stimming” (moving around) will be accepted and expected behaviors, since everyone there will be neurodiverse, or will be a family member of someone who’s neurodiverse. Seating will allow for a variety of social tolerances, and color-coded name tags will provide a way to signal personal space preferences. Like St. George’s other ministries, the neurodiverse service will be LGBTQ+ friendly, and will welcome families of all configurations.
“Please just come,” said the Rev. Amy Pringle, the church’s rector. “We hope not just to create a worship service, but gradually to build a community of friends who can celebrate victories and share frustrations together. We want this to be an experience that will make your life a little lighter by knowing you’re not alone.”
More information about the service, including photos of the inside of the church and directions around campus, can be found at ndworship.org.
First published in the February 15 print issue of the Outlook Valley Sun.
