By Russell Threet, Pastor • West Park Baptist Church, Ozark
April has been declared in recent years to be Autism Awareness month. With that in mind, I believe it is helpful to take some time to explore the topic of autism within the context of the local church. I do not write as an expert. I am a Christian, a husband and a father of three boys. One of these boys is autistic, meaning he has been diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). I also happen to be a pastor and a biblical counselor. I believe this gives me a unique perspective on the challenges and the beauty of autism in a church context. From this vantage point, I have been blessed to hear and observe many churches that have ministered well to this community and many who have struggled to minister well to ASD families. I have also heard the heartbreaking struggles of ASD families, and others like them, that have found hurdle after hurdle in front of them as they sought to be faithful to Jesus through involvement in the body of Christ.
According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, 1 in 68 children born in the United States has a diagnosable form of Autism Spectrum Disorder. The Autism Society claims that a full 1% of people worldwide are autistic. That would give us a number around 70 million. If we assume there are at least 1-2 caregivers in the life of each autistic person, we can arrive at a number around 175 million people who have their everyday lives shaped by what we call autism. You may argue with my caregiver number, but I believe them to be conservative because they do not account for grandparents, siblings, educators or others that are impacted by this set of disorders.
In recent decades, there has been much progress made in the fields of medicine and education focused on autism. New therapies, programs, positive portrayals in culture and helps are being made available. Social media abounds with people at different places on the autism spectrum and with caregivers providing help, support and encouragement. Yet, as is often the case, the church lags behind. The place where people should find the deepest comfort often becomes a place for more struggle and trial for autistic individuals and their families. Where there should be understanding, there is often judgment. Where there should be comfort, there is deep pain. This must change. There are too many of these families out there that need to support of the body of Christ for us to refuse to try to figure this out.
Right now, wherever you sit as you are reading this, there are multiple families in your area that are not coming to church because of the challenges of ASD or another developmental issue. Imagine what would happen if you became the church in your community that had the reputation of being accepting, loving and helpful to families like this as they sought to worship the Lord Jesus Christ. Do you think it would impact your church? I believe your church would grow in grace and probably in numbers.
I am a pastor and a parent, so I know the struggles of this issue from both sides. You have to begin somewhere. Be honest about where you are in your capability to minister to these kinds of families, then make a plan to get better. Stay the course and be a force for Christ in this population of people.
Dr. David Wheeler, professor of evangelism at Liberty University, once told me that he believed special needs individuals and families were the most unreached people group in the United States. They have often been forgotten by the statisticians, demographers and church gurus. Do you want to make a gospel impact? I know you do. Do you want to dive deep into ministering to unchurched and dechurched people? I believe almost every Christian and church does. If you want this type of impact, make this population a priority and let the gospel of Jesus Christ do the saving work only it can do.
So, what can a church do? Maybe you are a church of 50 people in a rural community. What can you do? The simple answer is have a plan. If an ASD family comes in the back door and in the first few minutes one of the parents quietly tells you they have an autistic child, know how you would want your church to respond. It can be as simple as asking if there is a place they would prefer to sit. Some ASD people are sound sensitive. Some have problems with lights. This may mean sitting near a window or close to a speaker is not a good idea. Autism is a spectrum, so do not make assumptions. Be a church willing to ask. My motto in this conversation is “make church possible” even for the visitor.
ASD families are all different, but I would dare say if a church was clearly making an effort after being informed, most would rejoice and return. Be honest, has your church ever thought about this? Even if you have a family or two with special needs individuals that have been there a long time, have you thought about how your church would handle a visitor with a similar issue? Talk to the members of your church. Ask questions from those in your area who serve the special needs community. Make a plan, even if it is a simple one; then pray that God would allow you to minister to families and individuals living with ASD.
For years as a pastor, I have read books and gone to conferences about how to grow Sunday School classes and small group ministry. They were almost universal in advising that if you want to reach a certain group you have to make a space for them. If you want to reach young families, you start a young families class, prayerfully choose a teacher for that class and assign that class a space to meet, even if there is no one of that demographic in your church at that moment. Then pray that God will fill the space you have created. The same is true for wanting to minister to ASD families and others in the special needs community. Make a plan and pray that your plan will not gather dust.
Remember, first impressions matter. Kindness and sincerity go a long way. This population most likely has a negative church experience in their past. Pray that God would use your church to change their mind.
