How the Church Can Love Them Too.

New book on Neurodivergence in a Church setting. I will publish each chapter here as it is written before publishing the whole book on-line.

Please note, this is the unpolished article – the book is still being edited.

Chapter 1 – What Is Neurodivergence?

The word neurodivergent has become more familiar in recent years, yet for many churches it still feels new, unusual, or even confusing. Some hear it and think of medical diagnoses. Others think of behavioural challenges. Others assume it refers only to autism or ADHD. And some quietly wonder whether it is simply a modern label for things people should “just get on with.”  

People often say, “We never had these things when we were young.” But that is not true. Neurodivergence is not a modern invention. It was simply less understood and went undiagnosed. Many of us were seen only as naughty children who deserved punishment.

But neurodivergence is not a trend, a fad, or a fashionable way of describing personality. It is a simple, compassionate way of recognising that not all brains work in the same way, and that this diversity is part of the richness of God’s creation.

To understand neurodivergence is to understand people.
To understand people is to love them well.
And to love them well is to reflect the heart of Christ.

This chapter lays the foundation for everything that follows.

1. The Meaning of Neurodivergence

At its core, neurodivergence means that a person’s brain processes information, senses, emotions, communication, or social cues differently from what society considers “typical.” It is not a defect. It is not a moral issue. It is not a spiritual weakness. It is simply a difference.

The term sits within a wider idea called neurodiversity, which recognises that human brains are naturally varied, just as bodies, personalities, and cultures are varied. Neurodiversity is not something to be cured or corrected. It is something to be understood and valued.

A neurodivergent person may experience the world differently in areas such as:

• sensory processing
• communication
• attention
• emotional regulation
• movement
• social interaction
• learning and memory
• executive functioning (planning, organising, transitioning)

These differences can bring challenges, but they also bring strengths. They shape how a person worships, learns, prays, serves, and relates to God and others.

2. Neurodivergence Is Not New

Although the language is modern, the reality is ancient. Neurodivergent people have always been part of the Church, long before diagnoses existed, long before psychology developed, long before society had words for these differences.

They were the children who couldn’t sit still in the pews.
The adults who preferred silence to small talk.
The thinkers who saw patterns others missed.
The prophets who spoke with startling honesty.
The creatives who worshipped with intensity.
The believers who struggled with noise, crowds, or change.

They were there in the early church.
They were there in the medieval church.
They are here among us now.

‘They’ might even be ‘you’.

What has changed is not the people, but our ability to recognise and understand them.

3. Neurodivergence Is Not a Disorder of Character

One of the greatest barriers neurodivergent people face in church is misinterpretation. When a person behaves differently from what we expect, we instinctively reach for moral or spiritual explanations.

• “They’re not listening.”
• “They’re being disruptive.”
• “They’re not trying hard enough.”
• “They’re being rude.”
• “They’re not committed.”
• “They’re avoiding fellowship.”
• “They’re not paying attention to the sermon.”

But what if the child who “won’t sit still” is overwhelmed by sensory input?
What if the adult who “never makes eye contact” is processing deeply?
What if the teenager who “zones out” is fighting ADHD fatigue?
What if the volunteer who “forgets the rota” has executive functioning challenges?
What if the worshipper who “leaves the service” is preventing a meltdown?

When we misinterpret neurological differences as moral failings, we wound people who are already carrying heavy burdens.

Understanding neurodivergence frees us from judgement and opens the door to compassion.

4. Neurodivergence Is Not One Thing

Neurodivergence is an umbrella term that includes many different ways of thinking and processing. I have already listed these in the preface but repeating most of them again will help the understanding of the varied nature of neurodiversity. Some of the most recognised include:

• Autism
• ADHD
• Tourette Syndrome
• Dyslexia
• Dyspraxia
• Dyscalculia
• Dysgraphia
• Sensory Processing Disorder
• Auditory or visual processing differences
• Learning disabilities
• Epilepsy and other neurological conditions
• Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder
• Nonverbal Learning Disorder
• Hyperlexia
• Aphantasia and hyperphantasia
• Synesthesia

Not all neurodivergent people share the same traits.
Not all face the same challenges.
Not all need the same support.

But they all deserve understanding, dignity, love, and belonging.

5. Neurodivergence and the Church Environment

Churches are often built around assumptions that work well for neurotypical people:

• sitting still
• listening quietly
• making eye contact
• coping with noise
• navigating crowds
• following unspoken social rules
• transitioning between activities
• interpreting metaphorical language
• enduring sensory-rich worship environments

For many neurodivergent people, these expectations are exhausting or even painful.

A bright stage light can feel like a physical blow.
A worship band can feel like chaos.
A handshake can feel overwhelming.
A sermon full of metaphors can feel confusing.
A crowded foyer or coffee room can feel like drowning.

When church becomes a place of sensory overload, social pressure, or constant misunderstanding, neurodivergent people often withdraw, not because they lack faith, but because they lack safety.

Understanding these realities is the first step toward change.

6. Neurodivergence and the Image of God

Every neurodivergent person reflects the image of God, not despite their neurology, but through it.

• Their way of seeing the world is not a mistake.
• Their way of thinking is not a flaw.
• Their way of processing is not a spiritual deficiency.

God’s creativity is vast enough to encompass every kind of mind.
God’s love is deep enough to embrace every kind of difference.
God’s Church is wide enough to include every kind of person.

When we understand neurodivergence, we begin to see the beauty God has woven into every life.

7. Why Understanding Matters

Understanding neurodivergence is not an academic exercise. It is an act of love.

• When churches understand, they stop misjudging.
• When churches understand, they stop excluding.
• When churches understand, they start adapting.
• When churches understand, they start honouring.
• When churches understand, they start seeing the Body of Christ more clearly.

This chapter lays the groundwork for the journey ahead.
Part 1 will continue to explore how neurodivergence shows up in church life, the hidden struggles many face, and the gifts neurodivergent believers bring.

Because before we can build a theology of neurodiversity,
before we can reshape our practices,
before we can create inclusive communities,

we must first learn to see.

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© Richard J Kirk writing as Joseph R Mason – 2026. If you want to know why, see: About Me…

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