Nurturing Care will at the Northwest Nazarene University Pastors and Leaders Conference (PALCON) July 29-31. As a conference sponsor, we hope you will drop by our booth. In addition, our Nurturing Care Director, Dr. Dean G. Blevins, will be offering two workshops below. The NNU PALCON gathers church leadership across the Pacific Northwest for three days of engagement and leaerning.

Ministry on the Spectrum

Weds, July 30, 3:30-4:45 pm in Helstrom 122 room (the Helstrom Business Center)

This workshop provides an overview on the complex world of autism and other neurological conditions often overlooked, particularly in the lives of children with implications for their parents. The workshop will include practical explorations in providing a caring environment that opens the door to gospel centered practices with people on the spectrum.

To prepare for this workshop you might want to watch the video “What is Autism” part of the Nurturing Care video series hosted at NTS Praxis

https://cpl.vhx.tv/nurturing-care-1/videos/what-is-autism

For All the Saints: A Theological Reflection on Neurodivergence 

Thursday, July 31 2-3:15 pm in Helstrom 122 room (the Helstrom Business Center)

Worship rests at the center of the life of the church. Unfortunately, the gathering of the people of God can also include “normal” practices that exclude people on the spectrum. While congregations often wrestle knowing how to respond to neurodiverse people, perhaps the answer rests with learning how to recognize the saints in our midst including neurodivergent people. When neurodiverse people are allowed to “unmask” their differences, congregations can graciously respond.

To provide an orientation, you might want to watch this brief video “The Place of Autistic People in the Church” part of the Nurturing Care video series hosted by NTS Praxis

https://cpl.vhx.tv/nurturing-care-1/videos/the-place-of-autistic-people-in-the-church