Saturday, May 28, 2011

Acceptance, comfort at heart of services


From Virginia-

Worship services are supposed to be welcoming and inclusive.

But for those with with conditions such as autism and ADHD, the experience can be just the opposite--tense and anxiety-filled, hardly conducive to connecting with God.

Some area churches are working to change that.

Trinity Episcopal Church in Fredericksburg recently started a monthly Saturday evening service it calls All God's Children.

Vicky Koch (pronounced "cook") got the idea when a fellow parishioner approached her with a concern.

"She said a really good friend wanted to come to church, and her son was autistic and would not feel welcome," Koch, the church's director of Christian education, said in a recent interview.

"The truth of the matter is that not everyone would feel welcome," she said.

Planning a service for children with disabilities and their families began in earnest, and Koch didn't have to look far for help.

More here-

http://fredericksburg.com/News/FLS/2011/052011/05282011/628743

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