Two Australian Anglicans – a young woman with autism and the parent of a child with autism – share their stories of inclusion and respect in parishes: “The overwhelming impression I got was that the parish community members were there for the common good rather than for their individual needs. As a result of their experience, both my primary-aged children understand church and want to go to church”
“In his ministry, Jesus used narrative to share knowledge, initiate discussions and connect with people. This is why personal stories centred on specific parish experiences have been sourced to form the backbone of the new Parishes and other Mission Agencies Commission resource,” says Dr Stephen Harrison
How my mum’s love showed me God’s love
“As an autistic person, I experience many sensory sensitivities on a daily basis. Difficulties with sensory processing are a common occurrence for autistic people. Every autistic person I’ve met has sensory processing difficulties. And, as a speech pathologist working with autistic clients, I’ve met a lot of autistic people,” says Parish of Freshwater member, Mel Maddox, while offering tips for creating a safe space for autistic people to worship and serve