Want to make a difference in disability ministry? Join Pastor Jonathan Trees, in partnership with Key Ministries, for a Zoom information session ashe invites 100 lead pastors to pick up the mantel and join him at the 2026 Disability and the Church Conference.
Pastor Trees attended last year’s conference and noted that the creative contextualization demonstrated in the multiple presentations generated more ministry energy than he has witnessed at any conference, ever! Every pastor in their first 5 years of ministry should consider this Ted Talk and Workshop style event. Trees himself gave a QuickTake talk to discuss how and why his church, Grace Church of the Nazarene in Nashville, TN, began a Special Needs respite ministry.
While only two years into this disability ministry, the state of Tennessee gifted Tree’s church with a 25,000 dollar grant to use toward special needs ministry – A great example of the King and Cupbearer working together for the same purpose.
Trees encourages denominational district leaders to recommend pastors join the information session that includes Reverend Trees, Key Ministry leader Laura Hunter, and Greg Greer, Vice President, U.S Ministries for Joni and Friends International.
Join this important information session on January 6th at 11:00 am to 12:00 noon Eastern Time.
As Nurturing Care churches approach Christmas, the staff received an early Christmas present courtesy Palmer Family Church of the Nazarene. Palmer grant director Monica Gaige sent a video where children lead worship on Sunday morning inviting congregants to “Go Tell it on the Mountain”. Different from your traditional Christmas pageant, these kids began to build trust both among themselves, but also with adult congregants, by serving as worship leaders.
The worship team included two kids playing piano, one on percussion, and teen mentors playing cello and guitar, along with singers. Gaige reported, “it was a very joyful worship service, perfect for the Advent week of joy.”
The heartfelt presentation sets the stage for Nurturing Care’s New Year’s special Day of Learning with Dr. Ross A. Oakes Meuller, professor of psychology at Point Loma Nazarene University. The event occurs Tuesday, January 6th, 12:30-4:30 pm CST (10:30 am-2:30 pm Pacific Time).
Dr. Oakes Meuller will introduce the “heart of compassion” through two video conference sessions. The sessions will introduce the virtue of compassion and recent research in moral psychology addressing this important aspect of care. Dr. Oakes Mueller researches and teaches the role of moral emotions (such as gratitude and trust) in promoting prosocial behaviors. He serves as a consultant to the Nurturing Care initiative.
To help participants gain a better understanding of Point Loma Nazarene University’s Moral Integration project, which resources Nurturing Care through the PLNU Center for Pastoral Leadership, Nurturing Care curated two presentations given to students at Nazarene Theological Seminary concerning the underlying theory that defines a mature love as generative care.
To understand why trust and compassion reflect two of the four major virtues that Nurturing Care emphasizes through congregational worship and prayer practices. Dr. Oakes Meuller also presented a short presentation on the six virtues that empower generative care within and among people as they practice the virtues.
Join Nurturing Care for this special Day of Learning.
Next May we will host our next Maker’s Space/Incubator at Point Loma Nazarene University where churches will design ministry prototypes like Palmer Family Church to explore and express compassion in the lives of children and adults through worship and prayer.
An incredible story involving Kian Answer who is a member of New Community church, a Nurturing Care partner working with minimally-speaking and non-speaking autistic kids. A reminder that the “voice” of neurodivergent children can change the nature of worship… when we listen.
Courtesy Stephanie Answer and original story created by Common Hymnal
Across the West Coast, congregations are reshaping children’s ministry with creativity, empathy, and collaboration. From Chandler, Arizona, to Palmer Alaska, the Nurturing Care initiative continues to grow—fostering inclusive, compassionate spaces for children through worship, art, and play. The October West Coast Meeting, facilitated by national coordinator Dr. Dana Preusch, revealed a movement not just of ministry, but of mutual care and transformation. The gathering prepares the way for PLNUDr. Ross Oakes-MuellerJanuary 6 Day of Learningwith special webinar sessions on the Virtue of Compassion, January 6, from 10:30 to 1:30 Pacific Time.
Building Community, One Prototype at a Time
In Sonoma Valley, California, Pastor Elaine Briefman shared a story that encapsulates the heart of the movement. A woman who had recently joined the church through its recovery programs took a spiritual gifts test and discovered her passion for working with children. When she saw the church’s unused preschool room—filled with forgotten toys and supplies—her eyes lit up. Within days, plans were underway to launch a Friday-night prototype program for the children of parents in recovery. “We want parents to feel secure leaving their kids in a space where gratitude and worship can grow together,” Briefman said .
Down south in Chandler, Arizona, Vanessa Hernandez and her team at SWLA Church of the Nazarene hosted an ice cream social to introduce their children’s band project. Ten children eagerly joined the initiative—one with a grin asked if ice cream would be served at every meeting. “Maybe,” Hernandez replied with a laugh. The moment captured the joyful, relational energy driving these congregations’ work .
Collaboration, Compassion, and Courage
At the October West Coast Nurturing Care Meeting, participants reflected on how their ministries are shifting in both spirit and structure. Others, like Monica Gaige, shared challenges and breakthroughs in balancing grief, volunteer coordination, and program sustainability. Fellow leaders like Christy and Dana encouraged a pastoral response rooted in empathy and patience, reminding everyone that “not everything has to happen immediately.”
LuciaBabb, working on a youth supported outreach project, voiced challenges over waning enthusiasm among participants and inconsistent adult support though youth appreciated the engagement. Dean Blevins advised focusing on meaningful stories rather than attendance expectation: “The prototype phase is about learning, not proving.” The conversation reinforced a shared truth: transformation takes time, but faithfulness multiplies.
Training, Trust, and Trauma-Informed Leadership
Much of the meeting centered on leadership development and trauma-informed ministry. PattiRivas, Marilyn, and Pastor KayGene have been leading training sessions across the Southwest Native District, teaching virtues such as compassion, trust, forgiveness, and gratitude. Their sessions emphasize that leaders must embody these virtues before teaching them to children. Plans are underway to launch the “Crafted for Care” program in three to four churches—blending art and spiritual formation as tools for healing and growth.
Worship, Media, and the Language of Inclusion
Technology and media are playing an expanding role in West Coast congregations’ efforts to reach children. Jason reported progress on a Spanish and bilingual kids’ worship video project, an initiative to reflect the linguistic diversity of their communities. The first audio recordings are complete, and plans to film choreography are in motion once parental consent forms are secured.
Resilient Faith in Motion
While each congregation faces unique challenges—from scheduling conflicts to grief, from volunteer shortages to prototype growing pains—the unifying theme is resilience through compassion. These ministries are not defined by perfection but by presence: being with children, families, and volunteers in ways that honor their stories and neurodiverse experiences.
As the meeting closed, Nurturing Care Director Dean Blevins offered a reflection that summed up the spirit of the network:
“Every act of care, no matter how small, is a rehearsal for the Kingdom. What we are building together is not a program—it’s a culture of belonging.”
With thenew year’s Day of Learning approaching, West Coast leaders are poised to continue transforming worship and children’s ministry—one compassionate experiment at a time.
Across the Midwest, congregations are quietly redefining what it means to worship and pray together. From sensory-friendly sanctuaries to inclusive playbooks for volunteers, the Nurturing Care project is helping faith communities create spaces where every child—neurodivergent or not—feels they belong.
During a recent meeting of the Nurturing Care cohort, facilitated by national coordinator Dr. Dana Preusch, participants shared progress on prototypes funded through a Lily Endowment, Inc. grant, that soon will be replicated through a new Maker’s Space in Nashville Tennessee, March 6-7. In addition both groups will be invited for a “Day of Learning” scheduled for April 13. The event, featuring Dr. Melody Escobar, will be live-streamed to broaden the impact of these groundbreaking initiatives.
Reimagining Worship Through Play and Presence
Rev. Alex Oliver of New Vision Church of the Nazarene reported a powerful “God sighting” during a Trunk or Treat event, where a family with a child on the autism spectrum was moved to tears by the church’s commitment to inclusion. His gradual rollout of a mobile worship kit has already yielded moments of transformation: one student with ADHD joyfully exclaimed, “I can get my sillys out now!” after trying a wiggle seat for the first time.
At Christ Community Church of the Nazarene, Amy Schlepp and Rayanna Perryman shared how even small adjustments, like swapping out a rectangular rug for a circular one, have made profound differences in children’s engagement. Schlepp’s reflections on the story of Zacchaeus—how a tree provided the accommodation that allowed Zacchaeus to meet Jesus—resonated deeply with the experience. “It’s a perfect image,” she said, “of how accessibility can create sacred encounters.”
Meanwhile, Nathan Jenkins of Norman Community Church of the Nazarene shared how his congregation’s experiment with environmental changes led to an unforgettable moment. When a nonverbal teenager was given solo time in a bounce house set up in the sanctuary, his AAC device voiced the words “Nice, nice, people.” Jenkins reflected, “That one phrase told us everything we needed to know about belonging.”
Building Tools, Training Teams, and Sharing Resources
A recurring theme across reports and the oral discussion was collaboration—how churches are sharing tools and learning from one another. JoBeth Crank from The Light KC expressed challenges about creating a training playbook from scratch; group mentor Dean Blevins encouraged using existing resources like the Church of the Nazarene’sWonderful Works Adaptive Library. Others, including Merry Sickel of New Hope Church, shared how those same Wonderful Works icons are helping children navigate worship routines.
Tiffany Solum at Living Hope Church is developing “Sensory Sundays” and tandem teaching models to help volunteers practice introducing sensory tools in real-time. Similarly, Hope Keimig of 8th Street Church described her “Sacred Belonging” prayer tapestry—an interactive spiritual exercise that allows children to weave prayers with colored threads. One child’s prayer for her ailing grandfather, she said, “reminded us that belonging begins in the heart.”
At Hosanna! Lutheran Church, Pastor Michael Kern is expanding the reach of neurodiversity awareness beyond the church walls. His presentation at a Rotary Club struck a chord when he compared sensory overload in autistic children to the challenges faced by those with hearing aids in noisy spaces. Kern’s church is also developing neurodiversity.church, a website dedicated to offering theological insight, educational materials, and practical resources for congregations nationwide.
Creating Inclusive Worship Experiences
Samantha Murphy of Second Presbyterian Church, Kansas City, described how her congregation’s intergenerational services have become a laboratory for inclusion. From inviting children to pass offering plates to using visual bulletins with checkboxes, her team, including Patrick Landau, has seen unexpected joy and engagement. “If the church isn’t crying, it’s dying,” she reminded her congregation during one chaotic but spirit-filled morning.
Similarly, Kerrie Tatman shared how her grant work is birthing a fifth Sunday service designed specifically for families with special needs. Early collaborations with nurse practitioners and families are shaping the service’s design, while a beloved photo booth has already become a favorite spot for one autistic child—proof that small details can create deep comfort.
Nate Owens at Olathe Westside reported: “The leader of our Wednesday night ministry, who also serves on our children’s council and has an autistic daughter, was particularly excited about the grant proposal. Before we had even submitted the final application she began implementing some of our proposed changes to worship. She started using a “roadmap” of icons on Wednesday night, to show kids what is coming up next in worship and prepare them for the transition. She also has experimented with alternative seating in a rudimentary way, using resources we already have in our kids area”
Learning, Adapting, and Growing Together
Across all reports, several patterns emerged:
Small changes create large impact. Whether through rugs, visual icons, or prayer looms, tangible sensory tools foster belonging.
Volunteers are key. Churches are recognizing that inclusion begins with training and empathy.
Theology of belonging matters. From scriptural reinterpretation to new liturgical practices, leaders are reimagining what it means to encounter God together.
As Nurturing Care Director Dean Blevins reminded the group, “Our playbooks will evolve through trial and error. The important thing is that we’re learning together.”
With both a new Maker’s Space occurring in Nashville March 6-7, and the April “Day of Learning” on the horizon, these congregations continue to model a faith that listens, adapts, and embraces difference—not as a challenge to overcome, but as a sacred invitation to community.
NTS Nurturing Care announces the next step in our ministry to autistic children, but also to youth and adults on the spectrum. With the help of the facilities staff at Nazarene Theological Seminary and in partnership with Camp Encourage consultants, future participants now have access to a sensory room for respite, regulation, and reset.
Located on the third floor near the chapel, the seminary repurposed one of the classrooms for strategic use during NTS events or to support other gatherings. Originally open during our Preachers’ Conference for pastors and other attendees, the room will now open during the seminary’s intensive class days, known as Convene, with a similar design for adults who need a break.
The room includes varying resources such as:
light displays that students can try,
comfortable furniture and space to rest,
white noise available for calming,
sensory devices from fidgets to stress balls,
and art resources to stimulate graduate students who need a break from course content, or just activity to turn their mind to a new direction.
While the first two offerings focus primarily on adults, Nurturing Care also arranged for an array of sensory devices specifically with children in mind.
In collaboration with Camp Encourage, who oversees the sensory rooms at Kauffman Stadium, the room will ultimately offer several “floor plans” for children drawing upon a range of resources already purchased by Nurturing Care and stored in a support closet. In the future, the room can serve ministries as a “laboratory,” so different groups might explore varying sensory resources as they explore creating their own spaces. The room can also serve as a resource for church or community gatherings at the seminary. Before children can be admitted, Nurturing Care will finalize a set of videos to orient children’s workers and parents to proper use of the facility.
During Convene, adult students are free to try out the various resources to create the environment that accommodates their needs. The room’s creation serves NTS as part of www.nuturingcare.org focus on autism ministry.
Nurturing Care participated in the 2025 Hugh C. Benner Preachers Conference at Nazarene Theological Seminary hosted by NTS Praxis. The event gathered pastors, educators, and advocates around the theme “All God’s Children”—a focus on engaging and supporting neurodiverse and disabled people through preaching and ministry.
Throughout two days of plenary preaching and workshops, speakers explored how churches can embody inclusion not as an afterthought but as a reflection of the gospel itself. The workshops exemplified the heart of this mission, each offering theological grounding, practical models, and deeply personal witness to how the Church can become a community of true belonging.
1. Stephanie Answer: Can I Still Pray If I Can’t Speak?
Pastor and community developer Stephanie Answer offered one of the conference’s most moving sessions, exploring communication, worship, and prayer through her experience parenting a nonspeaking autistic son. In “Can I Still Pray if I Can’t Speak?” she demonstrated alternative communication methods—partnering with a speller to welcome participants letter by letter .
Answer re-read Luke 5’s story of the paralyzed man, asking, “What if this isn’t a story about healing, but about access to Jesus?” Her church, structured around inclusive micro-communities, practicing “family-style” worship at tables, integrating sensory items, art, and movement. For her, accessibility is not accommodation but theology: the church’s task is to ensure Jesus remains reachable for all.
2. Ryan Nelson: From the Pastor’s Heart—Disability Ministry When You Don’t Have All the Answers
Ryan Nelson, disability ministry coordinator for the Church of the Nazarene, addressed leaders who feel unequipped to start. Using the story of friends lowering a paralyzed man through the roof (Mark 2), he asked, “What are the obstacles today keeping families from reaching Jesus?”
Nelson encouraged pastors to become “cheerleaders” for disability ministry even when they lack expertise. He highlighted practical resources like the Adapted Discipleship Library, a free online collection of training videos, Bible stories, and social narratives created with Wonderful Works Ministry. Sharing testimonies of families who encountered Christ through these tools, Nelson offered a simple message: revival begins when the church removes barriers to belonging.
3. Bill Gaventa: Preaching (on) Disability—Promise, Perils, Paradox, and Parable
Rev. Bill Gaventa, a pioneer in disability theology, led participants through the language and ethics of preaching about disability. Drawing on fifty years of experience, he warned against portraying disabled persons as either victims or heroes and urged preachers to avoid using disability as metaphor for sin or moral failure.
Gaventa proposed that every sermon can speak to people with disabilities—not by singling them out, but by recognizing that “about a quarter of people have some kind of disability.” He emphasized listening: pastors should “ask people with disabilities to tell their stories” and learn from them as teachers of faith. His reading of biblical figures—Moses’ stutter, Jacob’s limp, Paul’s “thorn in the flesh”—revealed that experiences of limitation and vocation often coexist. In Gaventa’s theology, disability is not an obstacle to holiness but a context for grace, one that reframes how we understand embodiment and divine image.
4. Stephen “Doc” Hunsley: Becoming a Biblical Church of Belonging
Dr. Stephen “Doc” Hunsley’s session, “Why Disability Ministry: Becoming a Biblical Church of Belonging,” offered a sweeping vision rooted in Luke 14. A former pediatric ER doctor and father of a child with profound disabilities, Hunsley shared how personal tragedy transformed his calling. After losing his son Mark, he founded SOAR Special Needs Ministry, which now supports hundreds of families .
Hunsley wove data and Scripture into a passionate call for inclusion: only 11% of evangelical churches welcome families with disabilities, even though nearly one in three Americans possess a diagnosis. “The church,” he said, “cannot be complete without them.” He distinguished between inclusion and belonging—the latter meaning people are “present, invited, known, accepted, supported, cared for, befriended, needed, and loved.” His theological argument proved compelling: if 68% of Jesus’ miracles involved healing those with disabilities, then to imitate Christ is to welcome them. Hunsley’s mix of biblical mandate and ministry models reframed disability ministry as essential to the Church’s identity.
5. Kris Mitchell: The Language of Neurodiversity
Therapist and ordained elder Kris Mitchell delivered an energetic and pastoral introduction to neurodiversity, helping preachers understand ADHD, OCD, Tourette’s, and autism as neurological differences, not deficits. Using vivid case studies from his counseling work, he explained how misunderstanding communication styles or literal thinking can alienate neurodivergent individuals in church life.
Mitchell urged pastors to rethink language—avoiding metaphors, idioms, or theological phrasing that confuse or shame. He modeled empathy by showing how language can wound or heal, emphasizing that Jesus’ ministry was characterized by asking questions and meeting people where they were. His appeal was deeply pastoral: “The gospel must be communicated in ways people can actually receive it.”
6. Jesse Briles: Called to Lead, Wired Differently
Rev. Jesse Briles, himself an autistic pastor, spoke with candor and humor about neurodiversity in clergy life. His workshop, “Called to Lead, Wired Differently,” blended testimony with theology. Diagnosed at 33 after years, while in ministry, Briles described the freedom of discovering that he was “not broken, just operating with a different system.”
Briles introduced a practical model of inclusion, accommodation, and integration through the metaphor of eating together. Inclusion defines having a seat at the table, accommodation invites adjusting expectations, and integration requires participating in making the meal. He urged districts to examine credentialing and interview systems that unintentionally exclude neurodivergent leaders. His metaphor of the deer separated from the herd by a small fence captured the invisible barriers that prevent gifted people from crossing into leadership. “Some fences we can go around, some we can help others over, and some we just need to tear down,” he said—providing a vision for both courage and community.
7. Barb Stanley & Leah Wicker (Wonderful Works Ministry): Building Safe and Sustainable Systems
From the practical to the procedural, Barb Stanley and Leah Wicker’s “Wonderful Works”session tackled policies that support inclusion. They argued that accessibility fails when church systems assume all members are neurotypical. Reviewing examples from restroom policies to volunteer training, they urged leaders to test every procedure by three questions: “Is it safe? Is it dignified? Is it sustainable?” .
Their tiered “buddy system”—from universal design for all classrooms to specialized support for a few—showed how inclusion can be scalable without exhausting volunteers. Stanley’s refrain, “This is kingdom work,” reminded attendees that thoughtful policy is pastoral care in practice.
8. Brad Lee: Trauma-Informed Ministry for Special Needs Families
Rev. Brad Lee, a marriage and family therapist and father to a son with Down syndrome and autism, invited participants to consider how a medical diagnosis itself can be experienced as trauma. In his workshop, “A Call and Vision for Special Needs Ministry,” Lee challenged the Church to understand that trauma is not only physical but also emotional and spiritual. When parents receive a life-changing diagnosis, he argued, “the delivery of that diagnosis can be traumatic” because it upends expectations of what life will be.
Lee described how cumulative stress over years—medical appointments, social isolation, and family misunderstanding—can mirror symptoms of post-traumatic stress. Yet his message was not despairing. Instead, he called the Church to respond with empathy and structure: to create ministries that attend to marriages, siblings, and parents, not only the child. His insight that “diagnosis as trauma” bridges psychology and theology offered ministers a new lens for compassionate, sustained care.
Threads of a Unified Vision
Across disciplines and stories, three themes emerged:
Belonging Over Inclusion – From Hunsley’s theology to Answer’s worship tablets, participants agreed that being present is not enough. In the spirit of Briles’ message, people must be needed, loved and included in leadership.
Language and Listening – Mitchell and Gaventa emphasized that how we speak about disability shapes whether people feel valued. Asking questions, using respectful terms, and inviting testimony create a theology of mutual learning.
Structures of Support – Lee, Nelson, and Stanley all underscored that compassion requires systems: trauma-informed care, accessible discipleship resources, and clear policies that protect dignity.
Together, these workshops painted a portrait of the Church as a community where every body and every mind reflects the image of God. As one participant summarized, “To preach to all God’s children, we must first make room for all God’s children.”
Discipleship Commons 