When Ely Sanneman first brought his daughter Jocelyn to Crestwood United Methodist Church, they weren’t looking for a worship service, Sunday school class. or new ministry. They just wanted a place to walk.
Jocelyn, who is autistic, nonverbal, and communicates using an AAC device, had been asking to “go to church and walk around.” Walking in a comfortable space often helped her communicate with her dad. Church had once been one of those places, but after experiences that left the family feeling like they were in the way, they had stopped going.
One Sunday after services had ended, Ely and Jocelyn knocked on the door at Crestwood. The parking lot was nearly empty, but the youth pastor happened to still be inside.
Ely explained what probably sounded like an unusual request: Could his daughter simply walk around the church for a while?
The answer was yes.
“We usually expect a dirty look or a comment when we go somewhere new” Ely said, “but at Crestwood, we never got that. We were always met with sympathy, empathy, and love.” Opening the door to the Sanneman Family quite literally opened the door to Crestwood’s neurodivergent ministry, an effort that now includes sensory-friendly movie nights, open gyms, resources for families, and, most importantly, a congregation learning how to make room for people who experience the world differently.
Start with the person, not the program
Crestwood began by asking questions and listening.
Jessica Bradley, Crestwood’s Children’s Minister and a special education teacher for more than 20 years, started by asking the question, “what would help Jocelyn participate in the life of the church,” and more specifically, “what works best for your child?”
Sometimes that meant letting her sit on the floor during Sunday school. Other times it meant sitting at a separate table, using her communication device or watching a video while other children completed an activity. Church leaders also helped Jocelyn acclimate to a quiet room near the sanctuary where she could bring preferred snacks, play with toys, or step away when worship became overwhelming.
Eventually, the room once known as the church’s “cry room” became a sensory room. The church added sensory toys, spinning chairs, peanut-shaped therapy balls, and other items as needs arose. The cost was surprisingly small. Bradley estimates the church has spent only $300 to $500 on additional sensory equipment. The bigger adjustment wasn’t physical. It was giving people permission to participate differently.
Ask, don’t tell
“Parents don’t expect you to have all the answers and to be ready for a neurodivergent child walking in the classroom,” Bradley said. “They expect you to ask questions.”
Ask what works. Listen to the answer. Then be willing to adapt.
That approach allowed Jocelyn to move from walking through an empty church to becoming part of its life. She began attending Sunday school, children’s activities, Wednesday night meals, and worship. Simply put, Crestwood has now become “home” for Jocelyn and her family.
Create spaces where families can test the welcome
How your church can get started
Start with relationships. Before designing a ministry, talk with neurodivergent people and families in your congregation or community. Ask what would make participation easier.
Audit what you already have. A quiet room, unused classroom or corner of the sanctuary may become a sensory-friendly space with only minor changes.
Allow different participation. Sitting still, remaining silent or completing the same activity as everyone else shouldn’t be the price of belonging.
Offer a low-pressure event. An open gym, movie night or other community activity lets families experience your church before asking them to attend worship.
Partner with trusted organizations. Connect with therapy providers, adaptive recreation programs, schools, libraries and other groups already serving neurodivergent families.
Prepare your people. Give volunteers practical guidance, but don’t wait until everyone feels like an expert. Listening, flexibility and direct communication matter more.
Expect some noise. A church that welcomes neurodivergent people may look and sound different. That’s not a problem to solve. It may be evidence that people who once felt excluded now feel safe enough to participate.
Making a church welcoming is one challenge. Convincing families with painful church experiences to trust that welcome is another.Crestwood found that the best invitation wasn’t necessarily a worship service.
Instead, the church began offering sensory-friendly open gyms and movie nights. The events are intentionally low-pressure. At the open gym, children can shoot basketballs, ride scooters, or use sensory equipment. A separate room with couches provides a quieter space to regroup before returning to play – since gyms by their very nature are often loud and overstimulating.
Movie nights allow participants to move around, make noise and feast on their preferred foods. The goal isn’t to make neurodivergent children conform to a typical movie experience. The experience is adapted so they can participate comfortably.
Go where families already are
Crestwood also learned that simply announcing a neurodivergent ministry inside the church wouldn’t reach many of the people who needed it most. So they went outside.
Flyers went to the library and organizations serving neurodivergent children and families. Ely contacted autism and therapy centers where Jocelyn had received services and connected with the Miracle League, an adaptive baseball program his family already knew and trusted. Events were shared on Facebook and through community networks.
Word of mouth became especially important. The strategy is simple: If families who have stopped attending church aren’t looking at your church bulletin, don’t rely on the bulletin to reach them. Find the organizations, providers, and networks they already trust.
And when families arrive, give them something useful. At Crestwood events, Ely has shared information about adaptive recreation, sensory resources, and practical tools that his own family has discovered, such as a special toothbrush and Jocelyn’s favorite sugar-free drink.
The church isn’t only saying, “You’re welcome here.” It is trying to demonstrate, “We understand some of what you’re navigating, and we want to help.”
Help the congregation learn, too
Crestwood’s work has also included preparing the congregation.
Bradley began by talking with the children’s ministry volunteers working directly with Jocelyn. The church later offered a “Loving Your Neurodivergent Neighbor” session as part of its Wednesday night programming. Ely shared his testimony with the congregation, including his own experience as a neurodivergent adult and the impact of finding a church where his family felt accepted.
Speak directly to the person. Jocelyn may not verbally return a greeting, but that doesn’t mean she doesn’t deserve one. Church members learned to greet her rather than directing conversation only toward her father.
Ely offers another guideline that churches can use far beyond neurodivergent ministry: “Say the thing.”
Don’t expect people to interpret unspoken social cues. Ask the question you’re scared to ask. Explain what you mean. If you don’t understand something, respectfully say so. And create enough trust that neurodivergent people and their families can tell you what they need, “because you don’t know what you don’t know.”
Conclusion
Crestwood’s neurodivergent ministry is still young. It began in August 2024 and currently reaches about 8 families through its various activities, with up to 20 people participating in the open gyms and movie nights. Bradley believes churches of almost any size can begin this work. Crestwood didn’t add a large weekly volunteer team or create an expensive new program. They simply added an additional support person to the regular children’s programming they already had in place.
“Open minds and a willingness to have conversations are the two keys,” Bradley said. “It is not as intimidating as it feels in the beginning, so work your way through the awkwardness, avoid having expectations, and get ready to serve people where they are.”
Published by ResourceUMC August 19, 2026. Ellen Price is a lay leader at Brentwood United Methodist Church in Brentwood, Tennessee. A graduate of Truett Seminary at Baylor University, Ellen has served in churches in Alabama, North Carolina and Tennessee as both a lay leader and minister.