On Sunday, April 6, Spirit of Grace held a special forum between worship services focused on autism and neurodiversity. Co-led by Kate Bernklau Halvor and Sarah Hallberg, the session invited our community into a thoughtful and grace-filled conversation about what it means to truly welcome, include, and celebrate autistic individuals in our church community.
The forum offered a foundational understanding of autism, covering key areas such as:
Social Communication Differences – exploring how many autistic people communicate in direct and authentic ways, which may differ from neurotypical norms
Sensory Processing – recognizing how sensory input (light, sound, texture, etc.) can be experienced more or less intensely by autistic individuals
Stimming and Repetitive Behaviors – reframing these as meaningful, joyful, and self-regulating actions rather than something to be “corrected”
Masking and Overload – naming the emotional and physical toll many autistic people experience when trying to hide their differences to fit in
Kate and Sarah shared that this is a topic they are deeply passionate about and well researched in, expanding with personal examples. They brought a broad and thoughtful lens to understanding neurodiversity as a rich and valuable part of the human experience. Together, Kate and Sarah encouraged us to move beyond awareness toward active acceptance, affirmation, and inclusion.
This forum was a beautiful embodiment of Spirit of Grace’s core values: Authenticity, Inclusivity, and Social Justice. It reminded us that living these values requires ongoing learning and transformation—and that the work of welcome is never finished. Instead, it expands as we listen, grow, and act together in love.
To continue this work, we had a lay-led worship service on Sunday, April 27, titled Beyond Inclusion: The Gift of Neurodiversity in Worship. This special service introduced several new practices intended to support a more inclusive and sensory-friendly worship environment, including a sensory tools basket, an art table near the sanctuary doors, and color-coded name tags to indicate individual touch preferences. These tools will be offered on a trial basis through the end of the summer as we listen, learn, and discern together what best supports our community.
Let’s keep walking this path—toward a community where every body, every brain, and every soul belongs. We strive to be a church that not only welcomes difference, but is transformed by it.