Huge thanks to all who attended this truly special event! 15-20% of the global population is neurodivergent, making learning about and understanding neurodivergence critically important in our ability to truly see one another. If you missed Wonderfully Wired and would like a copy of the information covered, please contact Rev. Jen.

*See below for original article

Wonderfully Wired: A Neurodiversity Forum

When we look around our world - and even within our own congregation - we see a beautiful reflection of God’s creativity. We see different personalities, talents, cultures, backgrounds, and stories. But His creativity goes even deeper than our external and experiential differences — it reaches into the very wiring of our minds.

Neurodiversity is the concept that neurological differences — such as Autism, ADHD, Dyslexia, Dyspraxia, and sensory processing differences — are natural variations in how human brains function, rather than flaws or systematic defects.

In a world that often demands conformity, Scripture points us toward a far richer truth: "I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well." (Psalm 139:14)

It is easy for society to view neurodivergent traits through a lens of deficit — focusing strictly on what someone struggles to do in a world built for the majority. In fact, it happens often. But God does not make mistakes, and He does not produce standardized human beings.

When King David wrote that we are "fearfully and wonderfully made," he was acknowledging that every detail of our design—including the way our minds process light, sound, emotion, and language—is woven together with divine intention.

In 1 Corinthians 12, the Apostle Paul reminds us that the Church is one body made up of many distinct parts. He writes, "If the whole body were an eye, where would the sense of hearing be? If the whole body were an ear, where would the sense of smell be? But in fact God has placed the parts in the body, every one of them, just as he wanted them."

A church - and a world - that only accommodates one type of mind is like a body that tries to function as only eyes or only ears. When we build a culture where neurodivergent individuals are welcomed, understood, and empowered, it becomes deeper and richer through its diversity.

Following the 10am service on Sunday, September 27th, Rev. Jen offered a forum on Neurodiversity utilizing the Neurodiversity-Affirming Handbook by Megan Mott and Dani Rodwell. This wonderful resource provided explanations, terms, definitions, and suggestions to aid neurotypical individuals in a better understanding of neurodiversity.

Rev. Jen comes to this program through her own lived experience with her eight-year-old daughter, Katie. Katie is profoundly autistic, with medical diagnoses of ASD, ADHD, and Sensory Processing Disorder. Although Katie is minimally verbal, she certainly communicates, and understanding and interpreting Katie’s communication, and determining/engaging in resources Katie needs to thrive as her full self, are full time jobs for Rev. Jen and her husband, Dave. While they certainly do not consider themselves experts on neurodiversity, they do consider it their responsibility to educate and advocate as best they can on behalf of people like Katie, who cannot do so for herself.

In a society and culture where productivity is the gauge of success, valuing a human life for just “being” is a radical act of resistance. Yet that is what we are called by God to do, and the more we educate ourselves, the more armed we are for this work.

Wonderfully Wired will lead seamlessly into Rev. Jen’s fall book study of Henri Nouwen’s Adam, God’s Beloved, a spiritual memoir recounting Nouwen’s time at the L’Arche Daybreak Community in Toronto, Ontario.

Adam, a profoundly disabled man under Nouwen’s care, became Nouwen’s friend, teacher, and guide, leading him to a profound understanding of the Gospel. Nouwen structures this narrative around Adam’s life, drawing parallels between the nonverbal man’s hidden life, public life, passion, “resurrection," and the story of Jesus.

Through Adam’s total dependence and peaceful presence, Nouwen learned to embrace his own vulnerability and brokenness. The book serves as a final testament to the idea that all human creatures, despite their limitations, are beloved of God, and that true holiness is found in receiving love rather than producing achievements.

Every person we meet is an image-bearer of the Divine. By embracing neurodiversity, we are not just adopting a modern term — we are living out our biblical call to honor the intentional, magnificent variety of God's creation.

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