The Challenge: Autistic children and adults often find church to be an unwelcoming space. Families arrive with hope but leave discouraged. Talented, faithful people struggle to find their place in worship—and eventually stop coming.

The Vision: What if your church became known as the place where everyone can encounter God’s unconditional love? Where sensory-friendly worship is practiced with intention? Where families move beyond acceptance into friendship, meaningful participation, and shared care?

Join Melody V. Escobar, author of "Revelations of Divine Care," for learning and reflection. Drawing from Julian of Norwich’s theology of God’s tender, adaptable care and contemporary autism ministry research, Melody will share her family’s journey—from years behind the cry room glass to their autistic son’s First Communion—and invite participants to explore practices, postures, and possibilities that can nurture deeper belonging within their own communities.

Together, We Examined:
• Aspects of belonging and partnering—and where your church might grow
• How to leverage members’ connections with schools, therapy providers, and community organizations
• Why respite care is essential and how your congregation can provide it
• Practical tools for transformation—from exclusion to mutual discipleship

You’ll leave with practical tools, action steps, and renewed commitment to making God’s love visible through the sacred work of truly knowing, loving, and caring for our neighbors.

Melody Escobar, Ph. D., is an Associate Research Scientist at Baylor University, Collaborative on Faith and Disability. Her research and publications in Christian spirituality and practical theology focus on families who experience disability, innovative models of ministry, and curricula advancing inclusion and belonging in academic and spiritual life. She lectures in religion and disability, eco-justice, and mysticism. She is the author of Revelations of Divine Care (Baylor University Press, Studies in Religion, Theology, and Disability Series, 2024), which explores the lived experiences of caregivers of disabled children and the writings of Christian mystic Julian of Norwich.