All-Inclusive Church

By: Rylei Walsh

Paying attention in church is a large feat for many churchgoers today. Between the

coughing and sneezes, crying babies and loud whispers, and constant flutter of movement across

the room there is a great chance of missing most of the sermon. The distractions most individuals

face in one church service are amplified for individuals with ADHD. ADHD is one of the most

common mental disorders affecting children. ADHD also affects many adults. Symptoms of

ADHD include inattention (not being able to keep focus), hyperactivity (excess movement that is

not fitting to the setting) and impulsivity (hasty acts that occur in the moment without thought)

(Parekh, 2015). Focus is one vital skill needed to retain messages spoken at church. With

individuals often unable to fix their inability to focus, it raises the question of how the church can

better engage those with ADHD.

Individuals with ADHD cannot help that they pay attention to too much stuff, much of

which is unimportant, at the expense of what they need to pay attention to (Grcevich, 2016). In

a normal church service there are hundreds of other stimuli affecting the concentration of people

with ADHD. One source said that, ADHD can make it tough to be a Christian. Two

major components of a typical worship service are the sermon and the prayers.

Participation in either takes major concentration. Most of the Christians with AD HD

with whom I have talked feel guilty about how little they participa te in traditional

worship. Many have abandoned the regular practice of their faith, not because of

disbelief, but because of a sense of being out of place in a worship service (Mason,

2009). As a church body it is important to create an inclusive enviro nment for all. One

major aspect that has proven to positively impact learning and retention for
individuals with ADHD is the arts. Whether art is included in a service through

interactive lessons like a fill in the blank sheet, coloring books, and sketch p age or

through visual arts like dance or a slide show with pictures, it is proven that art aids

retention. When you use arts to teach, learning sticks (Leidig -Sears, 2017). Small

adjustments like adding a coloring page to the program, or a few pictures t o a slide

show during a message can better serve the members of a church community.

Educators in the school system have begun to tap into the power of the arts for

learning. Although educators use arts in hopes of engaging students with curriculum,

the same idea can be used to educate churchgoers. Arts integration uses teaching

practices that have been shown in brain-based research to improve comprehension and long-term

retention. For example, when students create stories, pictures, or other nonverbal expressions of

the content they are learning -- a process researchers call elaboration -- they are also helping to

better embed the information (Nobori, 2017). The practical side of arts in church demonstrates

the ability for it to engage the audience. Not only do the arts help people to better engage in the

message, but it can also help them to engage with the heart of God. Using visual arts can help

us encounter Christ. It's only one way. It's not the only way. But it's a tool we can all develop. It's

time to recognize, study, grasp, and reclaim the visual arts in our worship (Huyser-Honig,

2004). Visual arts can be used to connect with different members of the church, deepen their

understanding of God and help them to concentrate and love coming to church.

Another simple way to give people with ADHD an outlet to their hyper-activity is

providing non-content stimuli. For example, before one enters church some form or fidget item

could be provided. An item could include a stress ball, a rubber band, a fidget spinner, etc. These

items have no emotional or external attachment and take the brunt of the desire to move. One
source stated that, if movement can be directed, it can enhance learning (Stock, 2011).

Movement distracts the learner from the source. Fidget items provided in church can enable

individuals to better pay attention.

The church has the obligation to welcome in all children of God. Galatians 3:28 says,

there is neither Jew nor Gentile, neither clave nor free, nor is there male and female, for you are

all one in Christ Jesus (NIV, Gal. 3.28). The body of Christ is to come together, to support one

another and to build one another up. The church is called to bring all believers to the heart of

God. The church is called to minister to those with ADHD. There are simple ways that the

church can do this, by first seeing a need and then filling that need.